The Heart of the Message:
Part One “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness”
Part Two “for we do not know how to pray as we should”
Part Three “but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Romans 8:26
Greek Words in part Three
stenagmos; a groaning. This is the only time this word refers to God. It’s the only time it appears in this form.
huperentugchano; from huper (super abounding) and entugchano (to intercede) ¾to make petition for. This is the only time this word appears in this intensive form.
Alaletos — inexpressible, too deep for words. This is the only time we see this word in Scripture
We have in us places deeper than we know. God talks with us there, sketching in our lives, our futures, and the deep truths.
We see God’s heart here. He yearns with great ardor for us to know Him intimately.
Many good things flood to us in God’s grace. Rather than condemn us, He condemns sin in us to kill it, to remove it. God fashions our escape from the law of sin and death. He casts off our slavery. He indwells us, adopts us, and allows us to call Him Papa as joint heirs with Jesus. God empowers our life, in peace and resurrected power. He lets us suffer and be glorified in Him, to reap the Holy Spirit’s first-fruits in us.
This next truth stands alone in scripture. If “all of creation groaning for the revealing of God’s sons and daughters” is Mount Everest. This is K2. No verse in God’s word promises more! Many climb Everest every year. Steel ladders help up the west wall. A Sherpa broke the record of 18 hours for climbing to the top from Base by 6 hours! Few climb K2. Few dare its daunting heights. Few climb verse 26’s dizzying heights. Paul reveals three pieces we must know to climb these dizzying heights.
Piece # One: And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness (NAS) or in the NIV helps us in our weakness. …the Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness (Living).
The Christian message thunders our strength in Christ, while we hold to our weak parts. We live in Christ, yet still cherish dead things in us. We grow in Christ, while still stunted. Do not trust her who whispers all about you is marred. Dump his podcasts that, on the other hand say we are nothing but potential (to him you’re a potential consumer). We are both strong and weak; alive and dead; growing and stubby. We are the only beings in God’s image who must die. We’re the only animals to be redeemed. Weakness comes to us. Weakness need not hunt us to find us, so God’s spirit helps in our weakness. To soar prayer’s dizzying heights, grasp NOT your strength, but your weakness! Seize it to scale prayer’s depths. My friend was so sick with cancer she could no longer pray, but someone left her a mystical, magical bear she could press… it sang her favorite prayer for her.
Piece # Two: “For we do not know how to pray as we should (NAS), we cannot see the future. We do not know what we ought to pray for (NIV), we cannot predict all consequences of one act. God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter (Message).
You may be eloquent or poetic and still not know how to pray as you ought. The disciples followed Jesus for years before realizing they did not know how to pray. Paul wrote this after spending three years in a desert practicing his prayers! Paul knew he did not know how to pray. Do you know as much as he did? Do you pray and then humbly ask God to shed light on how to move in spite of your blind prayers? We don’t know how to pray. Like climbing K2 for the first time, and trying alternate routes! Moreover, we can’t guess if our prayer has cut deeply enough!
Do you sense how deeply your last prayer cuts into all you love? Hannah prayed wordlessly before Eli, moaning back and forth, appearing drunk, to ask God for a child. Did Moses say, “I’ll return to this mountain with your folks?” Did Isaiah know that saying, “I’m here! Send me!” would cut deeply into his life and times? Some prayers are too much to grasp, even if you say the words. Some prayers are too deep to plumb. So I don’t know how to pray, what can I do? 1) I pray what I know. God makes up the difference. 2) I pray to know God’s corrections as He makes them. 3) I pray for Holy Spirit, and courage, insight, and humility to act on all He shows me. Two things: I know I’m weak. I know I don’t know how to pray through this.
Piece # Three has three “onlys” (groanings, superintercedes, too deep for words): The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (NAS), or with groans words cannot express (NIV). He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans (Message) The Spirit personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words (Living).
The English word intercedes is tepid. Paul says He super-intercedes. He aboundingly, with no limits intercedes! Intercede here is supercharged compared to verses 27 and 34. You need no saint to intercede for you. You have God’s Spirit! Dispense with angels or “spiritual guides”. Tap the angels’ Boss! God’s very Spirit super-intercedes for you!
This is the only place we see another word here for God. God’s Spirit groans!? My own depths I do not know, God prays in those! How? Fears I’ve not overcome, God prays in them. How? Hopes I haven’t courage to hope out loud, the Spirit intercedes in those, but how?
The Bible speaks of groans throughout, but they’re our groans save here in Romans!
The Hebrews groaned under slavery in Egypt. Exodus 2:24, 6:5.
The Hebrews groaned when beaten in the Promised Land, Judges 2:18
Job groaned under God’s heavy hand. Job 23:2
David groaned to make God hear. Psalm 5:1
David groaned at the devastation of the afflicted, and the needy’s groaning. Psalm 12:5
David groaned when he felt forsaken by God. Psalm 22:1
David’s groans pierced his silence about his sin with Bathsheba. Psalm 32:3
Prisoners and the dying groan. Psalm 102:20
We will groan at our latter end. Proverbs 5:11
Wicked rulers make us groan. Proverbs 29:2
A harsh reality made Isaiah groan. Isaiah 21:2
Silence from too much pain makes us groan, gasp, and pant. Isaiah 42:14
Jeremiah was weary with groaning. Jeremiah 45:3
Jerusalem groaned when naked and broken. Lament. 1:8
Ezekiel asked himself, “Why do I groan?” ¾ often. Ezekiel 21:6-7, 24:17, 23; 26:15; 30:24
The prophets groaned deeply. Joel 1:18; Malachi 2:13.
Today in this verse we see, we hear the only time God groans with us. His groans are indescribable, too deep for words. Then scripture says something totally different about our groaning after this.
We groan to leave this flesh, to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. 2 Corinthians 5:2 &4
God groans with us! He groans in a depth words can’t touch. If Christ is your Lord. If you professed Jesus as Lord, baptized in His Name, then this groaning, this intercession happens for you, know the Holy Spirit super-intercedes for you.
1) Can I train to hear God in my weakness, to find Him when I know I don’t know how to pray, to hear His groaning for me? Moses taught Israel, Be silent, and listen! You have now become God’s people! Deuteronomy 27:9. David: When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent, Psalm 4:4. Solomon says there is a time to be silent, Ecc. 3:7. The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him Habakkuk 2:20. Be silent before the Sovereign Lord Zephaniah 1:7. Have trouble with silence? Try blowing bubbles. Absorb a sunset. Walk quietly. Watch the night sky to practice awe and silence.
2) I won’t get all of it. I must obey with what I hear.
3) Each test of my faltering faith brings me to a place of weakness, not knowing how to proceed… here He intercedes beyond what I can know.
4) Pray knowing God never compares eloquence(s). He plumbs your depths you may not know. Catholics light candles to let God remember the prayer when they’re too tired.
Practice listening in obedience. Heard a groan too deep for words? Groaned for heaven yet?
The best I can give you for cleaning out your ears to hear silence better is clear confession. Make clear, honest confession to God.
Another Traveler 