Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Thank God that the Holy Spirit maketh INTERCESSION for us, to help our
infirmities when we know not what we should pray for. That is a
wonderful insurance policy I think. Even when we pray and feel like we're
forgetting something, or feel overwhelmed by our feebleness and humanity,
God's Holy Spirit is interceding and helping us. Isn't God precious to do
that? All God asks of us is to pray. Even if we mess up, God straightens
everything out for us. This is why we are told to pray THY WILL BE
DONE (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2) putting everything into God's hands.
The Bible never says that we have to understand everything to pray, God just commands us to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (1st Thessalonians 5:17). The more we grow in the Lord, the more we're going to feel compelled to pray about more things. To the same extent that we care about others and want to please the Lord, to that same extent our prayer time is going to expand. This is why I believe God told us to pray without ceasing. God understands and is being reasonable with us. There is no way that we can pray about everything that needs to be prayed about in one setting. Hence, God lets us spread out our prayers throughout the day, as we continually remember things and bring them to the Lord in prayer.
That is not to say that we shouldn't have set times to pray as Daniel prayed three times a day; but it means that we can accomplish much more in prayer a little here, and a little there, praying continually, than trying to get it all done at once. The Bible doesn't command us to pray any certain number of times per day. Daniel chose three times daily to open his window toward Jerusalem to pray to the God of Israel, and we are free to choose our own times as well if we wish. Albeit, our mind and heart ought to continually be in fellowship with our God. Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
Romans 8:26 ought to greatly encourage all of us to pray. God PROMISES to help our infirmities when we pray. What a wonderful God!
James 4:2, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” The Bible plainly teaches that we forfeit God's blessings by not praying. Granted, to some degree God in His goodness provides for our needs and helps us even when we fail to pray, because He loves us (Luke 6:35...“he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil”); but the Bible says we do not receive because we do not pray. No one, no one, receives all the blessings of God who doesn't pray. The Bible plainly teaches that God resisteth the proud.
What an interesting Scripture in Romans 8:26! I think most people when they go to pray know exactly what they want, so they think (I want this, I want that; give me this, give me that). Yet the Bible says that we DON'T know as we ought. The Bible refers to this lack of insight as an “infirmity.” The Greek word for “infirmities” is astheneia, meaning “feebleness (of mind or body).” By implication the word means “malady; moral frailty: disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.” Plainly stated—we are simply weak, feeble, sinful, human beings and we need God's help desperately in our life.
Verse 26 is explained by Verse 27, “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Thus, we as frail human beings cannot see the big picture like God can and does. Our minds are feeble and weak, and our bodies frail and headed for the grave; but God knows even the number of hairs on your head and keeps count because He cares about us. Luke 12:7, “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” God loves you and me. It ought to encourage all of us to pray more, knowing that God helps us to pray. If we forget something because we are physically tired or perplexed with mental anguish, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. If we can only groan in pain and say, “Oh God, oh God, I am overwhelmed and don't know what to pray,” the Holy “Spirit Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).
From reading Romans 8:26-27, we now understand why Jesus taught His disciples (which includes all believers) to pray “Thy will be done” in Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2. Even Jesus Himself in Matthew 26:42 prayed to His Father, “Thy will be done.” Jesus came into this world as the manifestation of the Godhead bodily to the world (King James Bible—1st Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:9). Jesus humbled Himself as a man (Hebrews 5:8), although He was still 100% God while in the flesh (John 10:33; John 1:1-3,14). Jesus prayed to God the Father, although He Himself is called “The everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6. Jesus is almighty God, “the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). When Christ came to earth and took on flesh (i.e., became incarnate), the world beheld the Godhead in the flesh (John 1:1-3,14), our Creator (John 1:10). Amen!
What a precious and encouraging truth to know that God helps His children when we pray. All God asks is that we pray. prayer is very simple. The Lord condemned using vain repetitions in Matthew 6:7 as heathen churches do.
I heard a Baptist preacher teach his congregation to repeat the same prayer over and over every day if God doesn't answer. I don't like that type of language. I'm a Baptist myself, but I'll tell you what, Baptists churches are in big trouble these days. The enemy has come in like a flood (Isaiah 59:19). I would never teach anyone to repeat the same prayer over and over. God is a Person, Who desires sincere fellowship and worship from humanity. God loves a pure heart. Roman Catholics repeat the same pagan Rosary over and over, insulting God and wasting their time in religious nonsense (Mark 7:6-13).
When we pray, we ought to talk to God like we would a friend (because God is the best Friend we've ever had) with the same courtesy and respect we would show another person. If you are praying to God and have sudden heartburn or need to scratch your nose, you should say “excuse me” to God, because you are speaking with Him.
God is a real Person, with feelings, a mind and a will. God created mankind in HIS IMAGE. We have a mind to think, a heart to feel, and a will to decide. These three components constitute our soul. The spirit of man lives within the soul. Hebrews 4:12 plainly evidences the distinction between the soul and spirit within the human body. Modern heathen psychology ignores the spirit, only focusing on the soul of man. Thus, the concept of being spiritually dead as Ephesians 2:1 teaches is alien to them. All men are born into this world spiritually DEAD (Romans 5:12). Modern psychologists and psychiatrists do not grasp the need to be born-again by the Spirit of God (John 3:5). Apart from the new birth, mankind is hopelessly doomed to the addiction of sin and the second death (2nd Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:8). Jesus Christ is the answer!!! There can be no reformation until there has first been regeneration by the Spirit of God, by the Seed of God's Word (1st Peter 1:23).
Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous put reformation before regeneration, putting the cart before the horse. Heretics like the Lordship Salvation crowd (Calvinists) combine reformation with regeneration, putting the horse in the cart. Biblical Christianity puts regeneration before reformation, where only by being born-again can a man bring forth the fruit (a changed life) of the Spirit of God living within him (Romans 8:9). Ye must be born again (John 3:5).
You are as humble as the frequency of your prayer life. How often do you think about God, and the things of God? There are 86,400 seconds in a day, have you thanked God with one of them today? If we are truly humble, then we will pray continually, realizing that we cannot go it alone without God. We need God. If we don't abide in the Scriptures and in prayer, then we are not right with God. Most preachers say to read the Bible; but Jesus taught in John 15:7 to let “my words abide in you.” Abide means to live in us. Jesus wants His Words to live within us, more than a mere daily newspaper or a casual novel. Jesus commanded us to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES in John 5:39. The holy Bible ought to be the single most important possession in our life, and nothing to be compared.
Thank God for all He has done for us, and is doing, and will do. The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 2:9 that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” ... “the things that are freely given to us of God” (1st Corinthians 2:12). Romans 8:32 says that if God was willing to give us His Son, how much more shall He give us all things? Heaven is going to be grand and breathtaking my friend. Will you be there?
Did you ever stop to realize just how much God loves us? God could have let us all go to Hell forever. God could have just saved us and left us without the Holy Spirit and the Bible to guide, comfort, teach and encourage us. Not only has God redeemed us from the curse of sin and eternal death in Hell, but He has chosen to live within our very body. John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” God wanted to live within our very being, to be a part of our every thought and action. Can you grasp the awesome meaning of this truth? Wow! God lives in me. Romans 8:9, “...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ...But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Amen and amen!
It is that very same Spirit of God living within us as believers that intercedes on our behalf when we pray, “for we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” May we all pray continually throughout the day, worshipping and thanking God for all He is and does, and rest assure that He has PROMISED to help our infirmities when we pray.
