Romans 8:23-26

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Paul again reminds us that we’re not alone. We also groan, just like the rest of creation. Do you groan? I know I do! I groan most in times of uncertainty. I groan when I sin against the Lord in such a way that I should be better than that. I groan when my children are sick. I just want it to be over. Come Lord Jesus. Yet life in the Spirit, though it entails groaning, also entails an inextinguishable hope. Paul has already said that we are adopted; here he says we’re waiting for our adoption. He’s already said that we’ve been redeemed. Here he says we’re waiting for our redemption. Though there is a present reality of our redemption, through there is a present reality of our adoption; we are waiting for a full bestowment. We are heirs, but we have not yet received the fullness of the inheritance. We have within us the first fruits of the Spirit, but we have not yet received the fullness of what we will be in the revealing of the sons of God. And so every believer always lives with this forward-looking Spirit, living toward the sunrise, looking for His coming. The Christian perseveres in confident anticipation, in hope, looking to future glory.

In v26, Paul takes our weakness as a given, and he makes it clear that even in that weakness, God ministers to us by His Spirit. Just as we are helped in suffering by the certain hope of future glory, so also, we are helped in our weakness by the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. God does not remove our weakness by the Spirit. Rather, we remain constantly dependent upon Him, that His power might be perfected in our weakness. When you’re saying, “I can’t do it, I don’t have it in me, I don’t have the energy, I don’t have the knowledge, I don’t have the wisdom, I don’t have a clue what to do,” God the Spirit is indwelling you, helping you in your weakness. That’s Paul’s first word of encouragement here.

Paul offers a second word of encouragement as well. The Spirit’s help in prayer is a great comfort for us. When we have needs, we pray; prayer shows that we need. Paul says that we don’t even know how to say to God that we’re in need. We don’t even know what to express to God in prayer that we need. Even our expressions of need are needy. Our prayers themselves fall short. And that’s precisely why the Holy Spirit helps us in prayer. Most of us are keenly aware of our deficiencies in prayer. Perhaps though, we might think a guy like Paul needed no help in prayer. Well, think again. Paul says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us.” What great encouragement that is—that Paul needs Spirit-intercession, because he is weak and doesn’t know what to pray for! This is the Paul who prayed Ephesians 3:14-19, and he counted himself weak.

The Spirit serves as an intercessor. These unutterable, inexpressible things which we try to lift up to God, but can’t find words for, the Spirit causes these groans which emanate from the believer’s heart to become the vehicle of His intercession to the Heavenly Father. When you have no words to express gratitude or pain to your Heavenly Father, the Spirit speaks. A man once said, “By the work of the Spirit, a heart without words may bring down the blessing of God.” Picture Hannah, her heart torn within her. And her lips are moving, but the words won’t come out. And Eli thinks she’s drunk, because she’s moving her lips while she prays in the courtyard, and no words are coming out. And the Spirit takes the groaning of her heart and makes a prayer that Mary the mother of Jesus will copy at His announced coming. Paul is saying not to underestimate the Spirit power in prayer.

But what is it that we don’t know to pray? We know that we should pray the A.C.T.S. acronym, Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. So why do we need help here? I think this is directly related to our suffering, as discussed in previous verses. We don’t know if we should pray for a complete healing or for a peaceful death for the cancer-ridden 85-year old Christian widow. Certainly there is an argument for both. We don’t know if we should pray for a new house or if we should be content in our current dwelling. There are pros and cons to each. But the Spirit knows God’s will, and when we contemplate prayer in our hearts, though we know not the will of God for a particular circumstance, the Spirit prays it.