“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.” Romans 8:26
Aren’t you glad we have the Spirit’s help? I’m so glad the Spirit helps us in more ways than we can imagine. The first question that comes to my mind is to ask who, or what, is the Spirit. There are many books written on this subject but let me just say that the Spirit is not a “what.” He is a “who.” He is the very breath of God. When we hear or read about God’s Spirit, that is talking about the essence of God, God’s heart and mind. That’s Who helps us. Are you awestruck by that fact? Does it make you want to run to God in prayer when you realize that God’s very heart is Who is going to help you pray?
How does the Spirit help us? Take a look at the first four words of this verse: in the same way. In the same way as what? The preceding verses talk about how all of creation is groaning like a woman giving birth. We, too, are groaning, waiting for the time when we will be in heaven with God and all of creation will be made new. In the same way, the Spirit is groaning. He is helping us with groans and sighs. God’s very essence is groaning and waiting for the time when sin will be abolished, we will be made perfect in Him, and all of His wonderful creation will be redeemed. Does it seem strange to you that God’s Spirit is groaning and waiting for that as much as we are? It does to me. But when I pause to think about it, I realize that His holy groans are probably much more intense than ours because He knows the perfection that is waiting for us, and He is anxious for the kind of fellowship with us that He knows will be possible.
What is this weakness of ours that is referred to here? That word can also be translated as illness or infirmity. Our illness is sin. We are literally sin-sick. Because sin has distorted our view, we do not recognize necessities. Instead, we pray for the things that seem important in our little worldly minds. We see such a small slice of what’s truly important. It’s as if we live our lives in a dark room until the tiniest ray of God’s glory shines through a chink in the wall. That ray is blinding to us, but it’s such a small bit of the amazing glory that we will see when we finally leave the dark room in which we now live, and enter the eternal paradise lit by God’s glory. So we pray for help with what we can see, or change that seems needed in this dark, dank cell in which we now live. We don’t even realize what we should be praying about. But that’s okay. God realizes that and instead of ignoring our pleas, He sends His Spirit to change our prayers into what is actually necessary to pray. When He does that for us, the darkness of our earthly existence seems a little less dark. We see a little bit more of God’s glory. We understand just a little bit better of what God has waiting for us. And we draw just a little bit closer to the very heart of God.