Romans 8:26 – 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 through wordless groans.
This has always been a favorite verse of mine because I have always felt I struggled with my prayer life. I take great comfort from the fact that even when I stumble over my tongue or feel like I am babbling because I don’t know what more to say, the Spirit is already praying and God knows. The Spirit steps in and takes over when I fall short. In my weakness and shortcomings, the Spirit is my strength.
In the original Greek, the phrase we have translated as wordless groans literally means indescribable, wordless groans. Other translations call it groaning which cannot be uttered. However we choose to translate it, the fact remains – the Spirit is there to speak on our behalf. And not only speak on our behalf, but in a way that God alone understands. When we falter in what to say, stumble over our tongues, or are simply at a loss for words, the Spirit knows and is already interceding on our behalf.
Think about that for a moment. The Spirit is interceding for us. We are fallible. We are weak and our words are inadequate. But God knows our needs and what our hearts are trying to put into words, and the Spirit is praying on our behalf. How amazing is that?
Today let’s thank God for giving us the Spirit. Let’s praise Him for the ultimate provision of a Helper that speaks for us when we get lost in the words. And let’s celebrate the beauty of such an amazing relationship where we have a God who loves us so much that He gave us a Spirit that intercedes on our behalf.
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