“26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
We are to wait eagerly with patience for the hope of Christ’s return, and for the day when we, who have been made God’s sons, will inherit the kingdom with Christ. This is much easier said than done. However, verse 26 tells us that we can expect help from the Spirit. It’s interesting to me how Paul does not say, “We do not know how to pray as we should.” But rather, he says, “…we do not know what to pray for as we should.” (v. 26b) We know how to pray. There is no special chant or specific outline that is required, although Jesus did leave us an example after which to follow when he prayed the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. There are no magic phrases or words that can be uttered to better raise the Father’s attention. Prayer is simply communicating with God, either from the heart and mind or verbally. So we know how to pray, it’s not difficult. Paul says we do not know what to pray for. Are we praying for only ourselves? Do we even know what we really need? Do we pray for status, wealth, blessing, health, recognition, respect, favor, etc. Do we ever praise God for His saving mercy toward sinners? Do we ever pray for patience as we wait for Christ to return? Beyond that, even if the desires of our hearts are perfect, we still may not know what specifically we ought to pray for because we do not know what God has in store for us. Thankfully for us, even when we do not know what we ought to pray for, the Spirit makes intercession on our behalf to the Father. The Spirit knows exactly what we need already! He knows the desires of our hearts, and our true heart condition better than even we do. “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (v. 27)
What are these “inexpressible groanings” (v. 26b) that Paul describes the Spirit uses in His intercession on our behalf? I’m not sure we know. One thing we can know is this: The inexpressible groanings of the Spirit are on our behalf, and they are a gift and a blessing from God. We may not know exactly how the Spirit is communicating to the Father on our behalf, but we can know with certainty that it is for our good and for the advancement of God’s kingdom. Some idea of the Spirit’s role in our prayer can be gleaned from the following verses:
“‘And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.’” — John 14:16-17
“In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.” — Ephesians 1:13-14
“Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” — Ephesians 6:18
What a beautiful promise from our Lord!!!!