- Spirit makes Intercession
Romans 8:26, 27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
The promise of an intercessor is vital for those of us with infirmities and ignorance. We need help for our weaknesses, and God promises the Holy Spirit to help us. One of our infirmities is a lack of desire to pray in time of need. The Spirit not only reminds us to turn to the Lord in prayer He also helps us pray and prays for us. A part of this weakness is praying with doubts, not being willing and able to believe God can do what looks impossible to us.
The second problem we have is ignorance. We don’t know what we should pray for. It cannot be expected that we humans would know what to pray for and how to pray; we do not know all the implications and ramifications of one prayer request; we don’t know what we ought to pray that would be the best for everyone involved; we don’t even know what is best for us. But the Spirit knows God’s plans and how one changed thing affects how many other things. He knows the mind of God since He is God. Then the Spirit takes over for us and makes intercession. He takes our groans and sighs and turns them into intelligent words. This promise encourages us to pray even if the only thing we can do is groan and sigh. God understands our needs and turns them into prayers, articulate prayers, that get to the heart of the matter at hand. When a matter comes into our awareness that needs prayer we cannot use the excuse that we don’t what to pray for. We just give it to God and let Him work it out in His way and His time.
We know that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. This promise says that the Spirit will pray for believers according to the will of God. We do not know the will of God, and sometimes our will may conflict with God’s, and so we need this promise that the Spirit will shape our prayers according to the will of God and then present the prayer to the Father. We need this confidence that God’s will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven. This comforts us for we know His will is best.