The Great Eight - Pt 20

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. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

Now let’s look at how the Holy Spirit prays for us. In the last part of our reading Paul says, "The Spirit himself intercedes for us with “groanings too deep for words." There has been some disagreement through the years as the exact meaning of this phrase. Is this us groaning; is it the Holy Spirit groaning? 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. The groans are in our heart; they penetrate the very fabric of our soul. That is where they are experienced as groanings and heard. And the Spirit, who searches hearts, knows and acts accordingly. 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; they are in our hearts. This is the mark of our fallen world. This kind of groaning is part of the weakness and futility and pain and decay of this world. However, when we understand the truth already presented (vv 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!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." 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. 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. We have seen this before with our children. When they are sick, they can’t really explain or describe how they got there. They simply know they’re sick. The cry to us and that cry prompts us to act on their behalf. We are hurt for them. We see their confusion and pain. And, we act for them. There you are. Cry out “Abba, Father!”