Help in Our Weakness

Message

May 5

Two Ways the Spirit Prays

Aaron Lee | May 3, 2024 | UNIKOI | Romans 8:26-27

Introduction

What help do we have when it comes to getting to Heaven? I’m not talking about our justification. I’m talking about our sanctification. What help do we have when it comes to fighting our sin? What help do we have when it comes to enduring through trials? What help do we have when it comes to persevering until the end?

Think about the apostle Peter. He denied Jesus three times. He did not pass that trial. He was weak. It’s hard to think that he would persevere until the end on his own. But when Jesus resurrected, Peter was forgiven and commissioned. Christ asked Peter to confess his love for him – exactly three times. Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Peter said yes. But Jesus was going to go away up into Heaven. What help did Peter have to persevere? What help do we have?

An ambiguous answer would be that God helps us. This is true – but the Bible is much more specific. Today, I’m going to show you that it’s actually the Holy Spirit who helps us. The Holy Spirit is God. The Bible presents God as three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit is not a mystical force. He is not some type of power that you can tap into or that you need to work up. The Holy Spirit is said to come to you the moment you become a Christian. Our passage today is going to help you know the Holy Spirit better – and it should cause you to love him and worship him in your life.

Context

The context of our passage is suffering. Romans 8:18 says: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Paul presents our suffering now and our future glory. Paul is saying he knows you experience suffering in this world. Persecution or sickness definitely fall into what we would consider suffering. I think the truth in this passage is actually broad enough to cover any type of trials, difficulties, and challenges you face in this life. We are weak in our struggle against sin. We are weak when we find it hard to worship God. Paul says that the sufferings and our experience of weakness now are nothing – they’re not even worth comparing – to the glory we will have. But he writes to encourage us and give us hope. How we get from Earth to Heaven is by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Earlier in Romans, all of creation is said to be groaning – waiting for this future glory. Earth is really decaying and dying. And creation is said to groan as it waits for God to make the New Heavens and the New Earth. If you are a Christian, you might also know what it means to groan over your sin or over the effects of sin in this world. It’s a groaning of dissatisfaction but it’s also a groaning of struggle. A term for what we experience here on Earth as Christians is what theologians call the “already not yet.” Yes, we’re saved and we have Jesus – but we’re still living with sin and in a sinful world. We want to worship God, but sometimes we find it hard or we do not know how. We need help to get through this life. Let’s see how the Holy Spirit helps us.

1. Actively Praying on Our Behalf

The first way the Holy Spirit helps us is that he is actively praying on our behalf.

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. (Romans 8:26-27)

The word “intercede” means to pray. It actually means to be praying for others. So when I’m praying for myself, that’s technically not interceding. If I’m praying for you, that would be interceding. I’m praying on your behalf. I’m going to God and lifting you up in my prayers. The verse gives the picture of us in our weakness, and the Holy Spirit comes alongside to lift us up in prayer. In fact, he groans with you in the struggle. This is part of what it means to “pray in the Spirit.” It means to just pray when you don’t even know what to pray for. You can just trust that the Holy Spirit knows what you should be praying. If you find yourself sick, or your parents are sick, or someone you love is sick – you might not know how to pray for them. You can pray for healing, but you could also pray for endurance. You could pray for them to get better and know the Lord – but you could also pray for them to see their need for God in their sickness. Of course, you can pray for both – but there is still a struggle to know what to pray for.This is the language of love. The Holy Spirit is showing his love to you by praying for you.

Take Comfort

So, will you take comfort in the caring prayers of the Spirit? When we’re suffering or going through hardships or trials or suffering, we might find ourselves questioning our connection with the Lord. Does God love me? Did God forget about me? Does God care about me? This passage should give us comfort. God does care. And the Holy Spirit shows his care by praying for you.

I love my wife, Jess. We actually met in Unikoi – but that’s a story for another time. I love my wife and you would think that if I love my wife then I would be praying for her. And I do pray for her. But I’m sad to say that I’m not always praying for her. It’s just not possible. She’s actually sick right now, so I know she’s struggling just trying to get through the day. And I know she’s struggling at home with the kids. And I know she’s struggling at work. I’m sad to say that I can’t always be praying for her. I’m also weak because I worry more about myself when I should be more concerned about others. But the Holy Spirit is praying for her. He cares for her when I cannot. She can be comforted in this, and I can take comfort in it, too.

The fact that the Holy Spirit is praying for you is an answer to loneliness. Maybe you’ve found yourself eating lunch alone at school. Or maybe you feel left behind because your older friends are graduating. You are never alone. The Holy Spirit always understands you. He is always thinking about you. For those of us who are regulars here, maybe the Holy Spirit is praying for you to go and help comfort someone so they are not lonely!

Christians can take comfort because the Holy Spirit is actively praying on our behalf.

2. According to the Will of God

The second way the Holy Spirit helps us is that he prays according to the will of God.

The previous verse dealt with the Holy Spirit knowing what to pray for. This verse deals with the why. The Holy Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God. The “will of God” seems abstract, but it’s quite concrete. The Bible says that the will of God is for you to be sanctified. It means for you to be holy. It means that your life would look like Jesus’ life. For us, we don’t see sin as clearly as we should. Some things seem very gray. But the Holy Spirit always knows the direction we should go – and he helps us get there, even when we’re quite not sure ourselves. This is part of what it means to walk in the Spirit. When you are faced with a difficult decision – something where you’re not sure how you can best worship God – you can trust God to guide you. What risks can and should you take for the kingdom? To let the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you because he knows the will of God. God does not want us to live our lives in fear.

Take Courage

So, will you take courage in the confident prayers of the Spirit? When we’re suffering or going through hardships or trials or suffering, you might find it difficult to know what the Lord actually wants you to do. We become fearful of the future. Am I making the right choices? Am I pleasing God? Will God lead me? The answer is yes. God will lead you and take care of you – and you can take courage to step out in faith because the Holy Spirit prays for you according to the will of God.

There are only two things I’ve ever been completely sure that God wanted me to do. Almost as if God compelled me to do it. The first was to marry Jess. The second was in regards to adoption and starting our family. But everything else I honestly had no idea as to what God wanted me to do. What job should I have? What house should I buy? And I would say I’m weak in making these decisions, because I’m worried more about money than about pleasing God. The Holy Spirit helps me to have confidence and courage as I ask him to guide my steps.

This is an answer for those feeling lost in this world. For the seniors here, the will of God is probably at the front of your mind. Where will you choose to go to college? What will your major be? Will you come back home on the weekends? There’s a lot more freedom. Take courage, because the Holy Spirit is praying for you when you have no idea of what the future holds. For those of you who are younger, you are making decisions as well. Who will you hang out with? How will you spend your time? You can take courage, too, being wise and informed by Scripture to live as the Holy Spirit prays for you according to the will of God.

Christians can take courage because the Holy Spirit prays for you according to the will of God.

Gospel

There’s something else I want to draw your attention to in the verse, and that is the fact that God searches our hearts.

God knows whether you want to worship him or not. For the Christian, this is comforting. Christians have been given a new heart – one that wants to worship God. For the non-Christian, the Bible actually says that your heart does not want to worship God. This is sin.

Our sin separates and alienates us from God. Admit you are a sinner, believe that Jesus the Son of God died on the cross for your sins, and confess him as the resurrected King and Lord over your life. Follow him on this Earth and you will follow him up into Heaven.

Big Idea

The Holy Spirit actively prays for Christians according to the will of God.

Conclusion

What help do we have when it comes to getting into Heaven? What help do we have in our struggle against sin? What help do we have when we find it hard to worship God in our weaknesses? The Holy Spirit is praying for you. You can take comfort and take courage in this.

Let’s think about Peter again. Earlier on in Jesus’ ministry, Christ said that he would give his disciples, his followers a helper to be with him forever. Someone who would help them persevere and prove their love for him. I think Peter remembered what Christ said here, and I think we would do well to remember it today, too:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” (John 14:15-16)

Discussion Questions

What sufferings or weaknesses have you experienced? Have you ever needed comfort or courage as a Christian?

Have you ever questioned if God loves or cares for you? What would make you feel loved and cared for?

What areas do you want to know the will of God? How do you feel about surrendering to God’s will?

Aaron Lee

Help in Our Weakness

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