What does it mean when the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words?
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 NASB)
Sometimes all we can do is come to the Lord in silence.
The Spirit Himself prays through us, translating our groanings and aligning our prayer to the will of God so that the request can be answered. Many times the answer is not immediate, and the best we can experience is the comfort of the Spirit (II Corinthians 1:4).
As you pour out your heart to the Lord, express whatever is in your soul. In the Psalms, David expressed sorrow, outrage, grief, and bewilderment that God wasn’t acting. But then he waited on God and put his hope in God. God is able to handle your raw unprocessed emotions. It is not a sin to pour out your heart to God. Job did so and was not rebuked by God. Go ahead and be honest because God already knows the reality of what you are going through.
If the Holy Spirit aligns our prayer to God’s will, what does that mean? The will of God is our sanctification (I Thessalonians 4:3-4). As we yield more to the Spirit, He produces more endurance and love in our lives, and we are more conformed to the image of Christ. The purpose of every hardship is to draw us closer to Christ, regardless of the outcome of the difficulty.
How are we made holy? Through the furnace of affliction.
Character is forged through suffering, and that character will matter for eternity. We are not instantly identical in heaven. Only what happens on this earth will differentiate our eternity. Some will rule over others because they have acquired more wisdom in this life because they went through more suffering and were purified more.
Through suffering you can experience God in a way that is not possible without the suffering. You have a depth to your character that is not there when you do not suffer.
Don’t purposely seek suffering. It will find you. If you love others at all, you will suffer. Those who never suffer don’t love others. If you open your eyes to the people around you, you will see suffering everywhere. Go ahead and share their suffering, and it will bring them comfort.
Groanings Too Deep for Words (Video # 12)
To follow my prayer posts, like my Prayer page on Facebook, YouTube, and Google+.
