Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I often have a hard time making a
connection with Paul’s writings. This
one I understand fairly well and one that connects with me. I think it is one of the most pastoral and
moving texts in all of Scripture. These
words are among the most familiar and comforting words we have from Paul.
I’m drawn today to the first few verses: We do not know how to pray as we ought.” What an understatement! I don’t know how many times I have said – I don’t
even know what to pray for or pray about.
There are times when it seems to me that the prayers I utter are stopped
by the ceiling in the room I am in. And then there are times too when I don’t even
feel like praying.
It’s times such as these that I take such comfort in these words from Paul. Because he goes on: “The Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God who searches the heart knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes according to the will of God.”
Sigh. These past four months – or is it 5 months – I have found myself sighing quite a bit. When I read these verses I am reminded that those sighs are actually prayers. It is the Spirit of God interceding for me. That is so encouraging to me as a pastor, a husband, a dad – a guy who sighs a lot.
And just a word about verse 28: “We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Sometimes people like to cite this verse thinking that God is orchestrating everything in your life so you have a happy ending and everything goes swimmingly well. I don’t look at this verse in this manner.
The way I read this verse is more in terms of the assurance of a future with God; how what is happening now cannot unravel the relationship with God and others in the body of Christ. And, thinking about how Joseph’s brothers throw him into a pit and sell him into slavery – and how he ends up viewing those events as God taking something evil and turning it to good – I see this verse in a similar way. That God can use bad things that happen and bring about some measure of good from them. Not that God is using every little circumstance and happening in my life to make sure that my life is good or fun. If that makes sense.
And so we pray: When we sigh, Lord God, it is your Spirit interceding for us. Even when we don’t know what to ask; when we don’t know how to pray, you intercede for us. What can we say but thank you. Thank you for being a God who loves us so deeply, that even when we don’t know what to say, you know our needs. It is in your name that we pray. Amen.
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