Thursday, February 21, 2019: Romans 8:26-27
“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.”
Have you ever asked the question, “What do I say?” There are some conversations for which we need help—like when you’re a teenager and have to go before a judge to dispute your first traffic ticket, when you become an adult and have to go to the doctor without your parents doing all the talking, or when you have a big interview and aren’t sure how to prepare.
Usually, when we ask, “What do I say?” it’s because there’s something we need from an authority figure. Prayer is very often that. There is something we need from God, our Authority, and we don’t always know what to say because we’re not even sure what we need. Life is hard and frustrating (8:20-22). We know we have a future hope, but how should we pray in the meantime?
The Spirit helps us. We don’t know what to pray, but the Holy Spirit knows exactly what to pray. He asks for things we don’t know to ask for because we’re weak, and He asks according to God’s will. This doesn’t mean we don’t need to pray at all; rather, as we pray, we trust that the Spirit is interceding for us with full knowledge of our true need and God’s will in meeting that need.
- What are some areas you are uncertain about the will of God in your life?
- Pray: Cry out to God honestly about those needs, trusting that the Spirit within you will intercede on your behalf, bringing your requests to God in the way that will best meet your need in accordance with His will.