But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it
with patience. ²⁶ 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.
²⁷ 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.

Our focus again today is on Romans 8:26-27. It says that in our
weakness, the Spirit of God helps us because we don't know how to
pray as we ought, and so the Spirit intercedes for us with wordless
groanings. And it says that God the Father – the one who
searches our hearts – knows the mind of the Spirit because
the Spirit prays for us according to God's will. So God the Father
always answers the Spirit’s prayers.

Last week we asked three questions: 1) What does the Spirit pray
for us? 2) How does the Spirit pray for us? 3) Why does the Spirit
pray for us?

What Does the Spirit Pray for Us?

I tried to answer only the first question. What the Spirit prays
for us is that God would bring about the decisions and
circumstances that would most magnify Christ in our lives when we
are at a loss as to what the specific will of God is because of our
weakness. I argued that the "weakness" of verse 26 is the same as
the sufferings and decay and futility and groanings of verses
18-25. In other words, the sicknesses and calamities and thwarted
plans and persecutions put us in situations where we are simply at
a loss as to whether we should escape danger or stand, be healed or
endure sickness, take a risk or stay safe.

We don't know. What we do know is that we want Christ to be
exalted in our bodies whether by life or by death – as Paul
said in Philippians 1:20. This is what it means to be a "saint"
– a Christian – and these are the ones the Spirit is
praying for according to verse 27, saints. So this is what the Holy
Spirit asks the Father for, but he knows the will of the Father and
he asks that the particular decisions and circumstances come to
pass which will in fact magnify Christ best.

I said that this is relevant to every one of you as you wrestle
with various kinds of sickness and suffering, and that it will be
increasingly relevant as the price of being a Christian increases.
It is an absolutely urgent issue for some of our missionaries right
now. Should a missionary leave India? What about hostilities in
other countries. For example, here is part of an email we received
this past week:

Yes, it would be very helpful to hear from the Lord or to have
the grace of complete wisdom. And it is certainly right to pray for
that. But it may be that this situation will be one of those
moments when we "do not know how we must pray" and instead groan
over our weakness. Is it not wonderful that God is not condemning
or ever criticizing us here for not having the faith (as some might
put it) to discern his will.

Paul’s point is to encourage us and help us. Even when we
don't know what we would like to know, and can’t pray with
more specificity and assurance of God's will, we must not lose
heart, but trust that God has his purposes in this and has provided
for us in our weakness. The Spirit prays for us.

How Does the Holy Spirit Pray for Us?

Now here’s the second question I raised last week: How
does the Holy Spirit pray for us?

In the last part of verse 26 Paul says, "The Spirit himself
intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." What does
this mean: "With groanings too deep for words"? Literally it simply
says, "with wordless groanings." What does that refer to? Does it
refer to groanings that we make? Or groanings that we do not make
but the Holy Spirit makes? Or is there a third alternative –
the one that I want argue for, namely, these groanings are
our groanings which are also the Spirit’s
groanings because he inspires and directs them in us?

Here’s why I think this and why it matters.

If the Holy Spirit is simply communicating with the Father about
what we need, I cannot imagine why he would have to use wordless
groans. He knows exactly what he wants to ask for. There is not the
slightest confusion in his mind and he is never at a loss for how
to communicate with the Father. So I doubt that these groans are
groans that the Spirit addresses to the Father which are not our
groans.

A second reason for thinking this is that the one who hears and
understands and answers these groans is said in verse 27 to search
our hearts. I think that points to the fact that the groans are in
our heart. That is where they are experienced as groanings and
heard. "The Spirit himself intercedes for us with wordless
groanings. (27) And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind
of the Spirit." In other words, the Spirit doesn’t send his
groanings to the Father in heaven directly. He registers them in
our hearts. That is where they are experienced as groans – in
our hearts. I think this suggests they are our groanings, not just
the Spirit’s groanings.

A third argument is that groaning in this context is something
that marks the fallen world, and the Spirit is not fallen and does
not need to groan like the creation and the saints. In verse 22
Paul says, "The whole creation groans and suffers the
pains of childbirth together until now." And in verse 23 he says,
"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly." So groaning is
part of the weakness and futility and pain and decay of this fallen
world. That suggests that the groans of verse 26 are also part of
this weakness and fallenness. They are our groans, inspired and
directed by the Holy Spirit.

The fourth argument comes from the analogy of the witness of the
Spirit in verses 15-16, "You have not received a spirit of slavery
leading to fear again, but you have received a Spirit of adoption
as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" ¹⁶ The
Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of
God." Who is saying, "Abba! Father!" here? Well we are. But not
only we. This is the witness of the Spirit. This heartfelt cry that
God is our Father is inspired and directed by the Spirit. It is
his witness!

So here we have a helpful analogy and parallel with the groaning
of the Spirit in verse 26. The Spirit groans the same way the
Spirit witnesses: he inspires the groaning, and he inspires the
witness. The groaning is his groaning, and the witnessing is his
witness. But we experience the witness of the Spirit as
the heartfelt, authentic welling up in us of a cry, "Abba, father!"
And we experience the groaning of the Spirit in the
welling up within us of groanings for the glory of Christ, but in
ways and means that we do not know.

So my answer to the question: How does the Spirit pray for us,
is that he moves powerfully in our hearts to create groanings
– his groanings experienced as our
groanings – which are based on two things: 1) a deep desire
and ache of heart that Christ be magnified in our lives, and 2) a
weakness that leaves us baffled and unknowing as to how this is
going to happen or should happen. So we are not sure how
we are to pray, but we are sure that we want Christ to be
magnified in our bodies.

The Father searches our heart and he hears this groaning. He
hears the Christ-exalting yearning in it, and he hears the
Spirit’s clear intention that certain decisions and
circumstances come about in the exact way that will bring the most
glory to Jesus.

One of the reasons this matters so much is that it means that in
the very moment of some of our deepest frustrations, our groanings
are the very work of God's Spirit FOR us and not against us.
Remember, Paul is helping us endure the suffering and futility and
decay and groaning of this world – that is the point of all
these verses! And here he encourages us by saying that our weakness
in this world will always include some ignorance about what the
will of God is and how to pray. Yes, we should strive
to know what
the will of God is (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:17). But no we
should not expect to always know it or to know it infallibly. We
are weak and sinful, and Paul helps us understand how God is for us
even in those moments.

Why Does the Holy Spirit Pray for Us in This Way?

Now, there is one last question: Why does the Holy Spirit pray
for us in this way? You recall I said this is very strange: God
praying to God according to the will of God. What’s the
point? God the Father knows what his will iis before the Spirit
asks him to do it.

The answer to this is part of the much larger question: Why did
God will that there should be such a thing as prayer? Why did he
decide to design the universe in such a way that he would do things
in response to the prayers of his finite creatures? To answer this
I venture five statements as summary theology of prayer. I assume
that to know more of God's purpose will deepen our commitment to
pray and help us glorify God for why he does what he does.

God created the universe and all that is in it to display the
riches of the glory of his grace.

Isaiah 43:6-7: Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the
end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I
created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14: to the praise of his glorious
grace…to the praise of his glory…to the praise of his
glory.

Romans 9:23: …in order to make known the riches of his
glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for
glory

Therefore all persons should act in a way that calls attention
to the glory of God's grace.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before
others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever
you do, do all to the glory of God.

The obedience and service of God's people will glorify him most
when they consciously and manifestly depend on him for the grace
and power to do what they do.

1 Peter 4:11 Whoever speaks [must do so] as one who speaks
oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength
that God'supplies – in order that in everything God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: To this end we always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill
every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in
him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ.

Prayer for God's help is one way that God preserves and
manifests the dependence of his people on his grace and power. The
necessity of prayer is a constant reminder and display of our
dependence on God for everything, so that he gets the glory when we
get the help.

Psalm 50:15: Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver
you, and you shall glorify me.

John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son.

When the Spirit inspires and directs the groanings in our
hearts, the ultimate purpose of the universe happens: God gets the
glory because God the Spirit creates the groanings in us; God gets
the glory because God the Father is the one who hears and performs
what the Spirit asks; God gets glory because God the Son purchased
for sinners every blessing they ever receive; and God gets glory
because our hearts are made the theater for this divine activity,
so that we know and experience God's gracious intercession for us
and consciously give him thanks and praise.

Conclusion

When you feel very weak, because of suffering or decay or
sickness or futility or persecution or failed plans or baffling
decisions, don't despair, as if God is angry with you or at your
inability to know what to do or what to pray. At that very moment,
experience the wordless groanings of your heart as groanings for
the glory of Christ. And trust the Spirit of God to intercede for
you about the specifics. Trust him, that because he is praying for
you, your Father will bring about decisions and circumstances that
will magnify Christ in the best way – in the very midst of
your ignorance and groaning.

What a gracious and merciful God we have. He has planned for all
our weakness and nothing can separate us from his love!