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Romans 8:26–27
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:26a).
Paul now returns to the work of the Spirit that he touched on in verses 13–16 and presents yet another reason believers can know beyond doubt that they never will face condemnation (8:1). The Spirit leads us and produces assurance in us that we are truly children of God, Paul affirmed earlier. Now he shows that the Spirit works in God’s people in even more practical ways.
Because we are not yet fully redeemed, we have many weaknesses. One major weakness is an inability in prayer, a problem that flows from a lack of understanding of God’s will. Specifically, “we do not know what we should pray for as we ought.” We simply do not fathom God’s will completely, and we therefore are often unsure whether what we want to ask of Him is appropriate. This is not just a problem for new Christians, for Paul’s use of “we” here indicates he also experiences this uncertainty. Thankfully, the Spirit “helps” believers in this difficulty—He actually “makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Dr. James M. Boice unveils the profound meaning of the word most English Bibles translate as “helps”: It refers to “a person coming alongside another to take part of a heavy load and help him bear it,” he writes. Jesus described the Spirit as a parakletos, or “one called alongside of another.” However, “The special meaning of the word used here in Romans is to help by bearing the Christian’s burden,” Boice notes. “It pictures our ignorance of what to pray for as a heavy load. We are struggling along under it, as it were. But the Holy Spirit comes alongside and helps us shoulder the load. He identifies with us in our weakness, as Jesus did by His incarnation, and He labors with us.” The image that appears is of the Spirit “groaning” as He assists us with this burden.
And how does the Spirit assist us? Not simply by prompting us in our prayers. No, He “makes intercession for us,” that is, He actually prays for us. He pleads to God for us when we are unsure of what to say. He can do so because He prays for believers “according to the will of God.” And God, “who searches the hearts,” hears His completely proper prayers on our behalf. Therefore, “the Holy Spirit’s help in prayer is another way we can know that we are God’s children and that nothing will ever separate us from His love,” Boice writes.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
The Spirit’s intercession does not mean we need not pray. The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). This much of God’s will is clear; it is the specifics about which we pray that stymie us. Therefore, make prayer a subject of prayer, asking God to teach you to pray as you ought. But thank Him for the Spirit’s intercession.
For Further Study
- Luke 18:1
- 1 Thessalonians 5:25
- 1 Timothy 2:8
- James 5:16
- 1 John 5:14