The Holy Spirit Intercedes For YOu

Life in the Spirit is Freedom to Win

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” , ESV

Those who are in Christ Jesus have been set free to be His people to accomplish His will. Set free from the law of send and death, predestined to become like Jesus, God called them and sends them into this world, on specific assignments…but not alone.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Jesus, ) How can God the Son be with everyone?

“And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ()

“And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper (Advocate), to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” ()

(Interestingly, the next verse thens uses the analogy that without the Spirit we would be “orphaned” when Jesus goes to the cross, dies, resurrects, and ascends to Heaven. Rather he promises “not to leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

In Romans chapter 8 we learn that the Holy Spirit does amazing things for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit:

Changes our thinking. (Romans 8:5-6)

Produces life and peace in us. (8:6)

Dwells in us. (8:9)

Will resurrect us. (8:11)

Makes us like Jesus. (8:14-15)

Confirms our adoption into God’s family. (8:16-17)

Prays (intercedes) for us! (8:26-27)

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” ()

Let’s examine these two verses and understand three aspects of the Holy Spirit praying for us.

1. The Holy Spirit helps our weakness.

- Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

The literal Greek does not have the words “us in.” The point is that the Spirit is not just there to help us when we are “weak” but rather because we are weak, He is there to help us.

The word help here means - to aggressively and personally perform a task with another for the purpose giving appropriate help.”

We all have our limitations. Despite God’s gifting in us and our learned experience, we have limited capacity to accomplish God’s will.

Sin is what makes us weak. We remain susceptible to sin and death even though we are set free from the law of sin and death.

But the apostle Paul again encourages believers that the Spirit does not condemn them in their weakness.

Every time we fail or fall short of the glory of God and His assignment, the Enemy condemns us for it. He endeavors to stop us in our tracks, oppress us to the point of deep frustration, and hinder our continuing.

God is concerned with our trials because we loves us. Furthermore, we were bought with the precious price of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When Jesus ministered on earth, He groaned when He saw what sin was doing to mankind. (; )

Sin has weakened what God otherwise made whole and complete. Sin has affected the world and everyone and everything in it. In , Paul explains that creation groans because of it. And we groan because of it.

But the Spirit is here to help us in the midst of weakness!

Are you leaning on the Spirit’s presence?

When you struggle, the Holy Spirit wants you to lean on Him all the more.

- “But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work?’” (NLT)

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought.” ()

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” (, NLT)

“To keep me from becoming conceited, because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given to me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (, NIV)

There is an aspect of the Holy Spirits prayer for you that provides all the strength you need at all times! He is here to help us in our weakness!

2. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings.

“But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” ()

I am convinced that the apostle Paul is referencing a happening of praying in the Spirit. One of the great benefits of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a prayer language that comes to the believer - most often it is an unintelligible tongue. At times it is a tongue of unintelligible groaning. The Spirit helps to pray in ways we don’t know how to.

Here are some things to remember about praying in tongues from Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians:

Praying in tongues strengthens the believer. ( NLT - A person who speaks in a tongue is strengthened personally.)

The prayer language is mysterious. ( NLT - “For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be only talking to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.” (1 Cor. 2b NIV - “he utters mysteries with his spirit”)

You cannot understand it with your mind. ( NLT - “For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.”)

It is vocal. ( NLT - “For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. Well then what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray with words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing with words I understand.”)

The Holy Spirit prays but my spirit prays. ( NLT - “For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be only talking to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.”)

Paul assumes everyone can pray in tongues. ( NLT - “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.”

“But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words.” (8:26b) (present tense, “keeps on interceding”)

The Lord Jesus continually intercedes for believers in God’s presence (v.34; ) and the Holy Spirit also intercedes on their behalf!

Creation groans for redemption. Humanity groans from sin. But he Spirit groans with intercession for you!

3. The Holy Spirit knows God’s will for our lives.

“And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit.” ()

“…because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” ()

“This is confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.” (, NIV)

Although we don’t know how to pray as we ought, the Holy Spirit does! He knows exactly what we need and what the Father can do on our behalf!

The Holy Spirit knows God’s will for our lives.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”