Interceding Holy Spirit

Chuckle: More fun with the English language. "The buck does funny things when the does are present."

Quote: "The best prayers have often more groans than words." –Unknown Source

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for; nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will" (Romans 8:26b-27 NLT).

Have there been times in your life when you were praying but just could not find the right words to express the condition of your heart? Have you been in such pain and sorrow that no words were adequate to express the way you felt? I'm quite sure each of us has had a similar experience sometime(s) in our lives. What a beautiful picture of God's grace and provision we see in this passage.

The Holy Spirit takes our burdens, griefs, sorrows, and frustrations and intercedes with the Father through groans that cannot be expressed in words. Isn't it wonderful that the Holy Spirit of God is interceding for us in the same way we pray intercessory prayers for our fellow believers. But, that's not all. Listen to this: "Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God (the Father) and is also interceding for us" (Romans 8:34 NIV and Hebrews 7:25).

Here's the picture! God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the Trinitarian Godhead, are all involved in the intercessory process for us as believers. God the Father, who knows all hearts, searches all human hearts while the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus intercede for all Christians. Even when you don't know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with you and for you. God understands those prayers even if they reach Him only as groans and He answers according to His own will. If this doesn't light your fire, your wood is wet!

We are admonished to intercede for one another as the Holy Spirit and Jesus are interceding for us. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone. . ." (1 Timothy 2:1 NIV). Notice that intercession is only one form of prayer mentioned here. We may deal with other forms of prayer at a later date.

With God helping us pray, we should not hesitate to approach His throne of grace in prayer boldly with freedom and confidence. "In him (Christ) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence" (Ephesians 3:12 NIV). We do so with the confidence that the true meaning of our prayers will be accurately communicated to our Heavenly Father by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus.

Love, Jerry & Dotse