When You Don't Know How to Pray

In between this old body of flesh and that coming glorified body of confirmed holiness in between the struggle now to advance the cause of Christ in that day when the cause of Christ will be ultimately seen it all, its wonder is the glory of God fills the earth in between here and there.

There is one who will help us fight the fight now, one who will help us run the race. Now, one who will help us bear the cross.

Now perhaps you are facing a significant trial and you were unable to articulate your feelings.

You just didn't know what to say to God will did you know that during that time the Holy Spirit was actually praying for you as incredible as that sounds, Stevens going to show you that from God's word today. This is wisdom for the hearts today.

Stephen has a message for you, entitled when you don't know how to pray today were to conclude our series on the subject of groaning, which we've entitled from groaning in the glory of this study, we have been reminded then perhaps learn for the first time in nature is groaning for release from its bondage, its enslavement to corruption. That law of entropy that began the fall at all the things that went with this creation that brought it downward and continues to spiral downward is still under God's control and we in fact reminded ourselves that mankind is the steward of nature, but is not the Savior of nature. God is in total control. In fact, we know from the book you read the end of the book and you discover that planet Earth is headed for destruction bathing of universal fire which God will use to obliterate that which remains in judgment. Peter writes about of the world, he says, was first destroyed your number by that universal flood and Noah preached and people ridiculed and missed the message he is a gloom and doom profited unnoticed talking about. It wasn't just gloom and doom. It was the gospel get in the boat get in the ark. Knowing preached for over 100 years. Nobody listened and nobody did it to his own family and Peter goes on to say, but the present heavens and that is that which we are enjoying today the present heavens and earth by his word are being reserved for fire for the day of judgment. This is just gloom and doom. This is the plan of God. So the message of the gospel remains get into the ark, who is Christ Jesus in nature is groaning for that to come for that to happen when Eden is restored, but I'm convinced is the word tells us the world is blinded by the god of this world. If you could grab everybody by the lapels today and deliver them.

The gospel, the vast majority would mock you would be offended by you would ridicule you would say your gloom and doom. The cross is a stumbling block.

The gospel is foolishness to them or do not believe the Bible to speak of coming danger is nothing less than an irritation to the unbelieving world and illustrated with another setting. I read some time ago about a 1984 plane crash and jet knobby project which is based out of Spain is a European airline. It literally flew directly into the side of a mountain and that nighttime flight. Investigators began to search the wreckage for that little black box.

You know that recorded what happened in the cockpit and other things and they found it in the recording of the cockpit revealed that several minutes before the fatal impact you can hear on the recording. This faint computer synthesized voice in English saying pull-up pull-up pull-up pull-up pull-up pull-up just repeating over and over again. The warning, this was the warning pull-up pull-up to finally inexplicably, the pilot said out loud, shut out gringo shop, but he flipped a switch and he muted the sound and moments later the plane flew headlong into the side of the mountain and everyone was instantly killed world does not believe in effect saying to God for creation and sees shot out requirements it says to its own conscience.

Be still, it says to the delivery of the gospel shall be still be quiet doesn't change the fact all of nature is groaning for that day of redemption.

We learned as well. The believer is groaning for the day of glorification following these end times when the earth is obliterated, as it were, with fire and God remakes a new heaven and new earth. We long for that day when the bodies of our flesh are done away. We are given glorified bodies at that final day when Christ comes to establish a new earth.

His kingdom we long for that day we grown for that day.

Now Paul Pollitt informed us of in this chapter was that we are groaning in nature is groaning. That would be depressing if all he said was the creation groans and the Christian grounds. And that's the end of the story, it would leave us empty.

Would that's not the end of the story. In fact were about to discover that God himself joins us in groaning to and if you can believe it. He is about to tell us of the Holy Spirit is involved in droning on our behalf. So let's go back to the word Romans chapter 8 and pick it up where we left off with verse 26 and he would. Paul writes and reveals further and in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The groaning of the Spirit is interceding on our behalf is about to reveal the startling truth to us, but first before he does that he is again refreshingly honest, brutally honest. He is transparent about the believer. He says that we in the same way the Spirit helps our weakness. We are weak.

That doesn't sound very positive. That doesn't sound very encouraging.

It is, if we believe it because of what it leads us to. But he says as he begins we are weak. Every measure of strength every victory we experience is not of our own power is the power of the Holy Spirit is Paul later will write I can do all things, through whom, through Christ, who, what strengthens me. Not by learning some secret to the Christian life, not by taking some supposedly steps to spiritual freedom, not by becoming a biblical scholar, not by learning the Semitic languages. All those things might be wonderful thing but we do all things through the power of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to his disciples, something he didn't want them to forget and you don't want us to forget a John 15 five without me you can do nothing, not even one thing for the glory of God. Even though we are saved we have imperfect perspectives.

We have finite minds. We have human frailties. We have mental shortcomings. We have emotional inconsistencies and imbalances. That's how strong we are and just how spiritually needy. Are we just how we are leading. Paul informed us. I read it was go back again.

He tells us that we do not even know how to pray, that's a week we are you not even to pray as you should.

Why not well and to give you some reasons I think why I think first of all, it's because we as believers tend to miss what God is going to do in the near and distant future. We miss it we try to project what God is going to do like men try to project whether men and women right I would want their job are projections are prognostications are frail and weak and prone to be in error.

Right we have no idea what the future holds. We don't know what God intends. Secondly, we don't know how to pray because we not only miss what is going to happen, we tend to misunderstand what is happening. So in the middle of whatever you're going through the middle that suffering the pain of the challenger.

That victory or whatever you mistake what God is trying to accomplish in your life, you misunderstand the hand of God in your own personal life and the events of your life.

I happen to be so encouraged by the apostle Paul in knowing that that great saints of God, prayed for the wrong thing to have ever prayed for something the guy didn't give you and then you learn later you were supposed to have it did ever not even pray for something that was good. And God gave it to you and you thought you know I asked about what here's Paul praying three times in a misguided prayer Lord, take away from me this what what's it called a thorn and I'm so glad he didn't tell us what is thorn was because all of us can now apply that to our library. Take away the thorn for my life three times in agony with great passion the great St. pray Lord I'm assuming it must be your well so I'm asking that you take it away. God eventually came and gave them an answer that he recorded it says, in effect, to leave the thorn with you, but I'm in a deposit to you.

Great raise so you can handle it. And Paul writes his testimony, says the Lord gave to me. In effect this truth, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in your what your weakness same Greek word used here in Romans chapter 8 the spirit helps us in our weakness.

For we do not even know what to pray.

How did Poland he learned through his own experience were in need of help in prayer not only because we miss what God is going to do. Misunderstand what God is doing, but we mistake. What we truly need you ask the average person on the street out there when you need to give an answer yes a person in the church. What you need and unfortunately the answer, sometimes of the same thing we want more things. What we need is better health for more possessions or a better service or less taxes are. We need more money. I was reading the newspaper, tells the story about how people are being given what most people say to need more up money a very tragic context.

Of course related to 9/11 and the federal gifts that are being given to families of victims, the average allotment per family is right around $1.5 million. You would think this would time together right you would think that this would pull together right yet the stories abound now of how it is tearing families apart. The cases in court are unbelievable. A couple of stories here, work, women are arriving from other parts of the world, Trinidad, Bolivia, Columbia and Brazil coming here to make a claim on this $1.5 million, and the families didn't even know they existed. Families didn't even know that they had any kind of claim to this amount of money. One story here about one man and moved to New York from Trinidad. He had married and had three daughters and after the attack. A woman arrived to make a claim on his body and the money claiming to be his wife. She was able to prove that she had never been divorced from this man thus making his marriage to this American woman illegal. Now she's claiming this money to be hers.

Can you imagine what that is doing the family. Another woman is battling in court against the Bolivian woman who claim to be his wife.

They are battling over DNA to be taken from the deceased man's razor to prove the paternity of children they both say he fathered one in one country, one in this country and are arguing in court as to whether or not they can remove some remains from his razor to test the paternity who really father these kids what you need. I imagine he asked any of them before it would send more money if you asked many of us, if not all of us what we can always use a little more little more security a little better job a little more power, popularity, whatever we don't really know how to pray because we really don't know.

We need those funny, I came across this week a story by one man who thought he needed something.

This man's name is Timothy to Mucho I think is how you pronounce it. He is suing charter cable.

This is his Wisconsin cable company is suing them because he says quote. The company has turned my family into lazy channel surfers against our will. The guy is serious here. He says he told them to discontinue his cable service, but they kept the cable service and just stop Billingham someone think that's an answer to prayer but he just didn't anymore building up service after repeated attempts to shut it down. He says we just couldn't turn it off now.

He says the resulting TV addiction is harm my family. He says and I quote, I believe the reason I smoke and drink every day my wife eats too much is because we watch TV every day for the last four years charter cable made us addicted to TV the listener. This he says he will drop the suit in exchange for free lifetime Internet service from charter. That's a healthy switch did not that'll solve my problem. What you need. Well, I need the suit to be one because what I really need is less cable and more Internet. How foolish. What you need.

Are we really sure we know I got into trouble first and second are for telling the story, but I gotta be consistent because you may have heard about the cemetery. The store anyway just risk. One more hour so miniature sent this to me three women wanted a husband, and he wanted a certain kind husband and so they heard about a recently opened husband shopping center in Dallas. Women were allowed one visit where they could choose a husband from among hundreds of men. The center was designed with five floors with the men increasing and positive attributes as you ascended up the floor. The only rule was when she went up to another floor you could not return. You had to choose a man from that particular floor. These three ladies decided to go and find her husband. They got on the first floor elevator open and noticed a sign saying these men love kids and have a job.

They looked at each other and said well it's better nothing.

When we do. They agreed. Let's go up one more floor and see what's up there so they got on the elevator went up to the second-floor side of the foyer said these men have high-paying jobs, love kids and a very good looking lady said to each other. This is too good to turn down which we do, they thought, well, now that's you know let's find it without one more floor elevator open to the third floor sign on the lobby wall said these men have high-paying jobs, love kids, are extremely good-looking and can cook how many of you would stop right there. Oh my know they say let's pick a man here but then they talk.

Not maybe there are better men up further, let's go the sign of the fourth floor read these men have high-paying jobs, love kids, are extremely good-looking can cook and love doing housework and have a never ending romantic streak. Mercy me. They said just think what must be waiting for us on the fifth floor so up to the fifth floor. They go the door open. The sign read this floor is empty and exists only to prove that women are impossible to please.

I didn't personally think that was funny but I just had to be consistent here with all three hours ladies don't feel bad so he sent me this a few weeks later.

This is for you, probably won't work but this is for you kids were asked why their mommies married their daddies when little girls asked the question why did your mom marry your dad to which she responded well. My grandma says that mommy didn't have her thinking cap on the sake of self-preservation. Let's go back to the text, Romans eight verse 26 effectively says we don't know what we really, the believer doesn't even know how to pray. That's how weak we that's how frail we are. That's even how self-centered we are. We don't have to go to God with requests that would please them entirely.

And so the good news is, God has left us a helper to help us even in that we knew that this Holy Spirit was given to us to walk alongside of us and help us. We probably did know we helped us even when we prayed in the Greek word for help. In verse 26 is very important to understand its use of two men were carrying a heavy log one at one end of the log and one man at the other end of the log and it's important because we need to know that just because the spirit of God is praying on our behalf doesn't mean we don't pray he is carrying his end of the load so do we. So we grown needing wisdom and courage and faith in consistency and purity and direction, and we pray without ceasing, not knowing exactly what is in the mind of God for us.

We have this helper helping carry the load. Ken Hughes writes about this word help. I love what he says. He says the Holy Spirit was given to us to not give is armchair advice alone know he rolls up his sleeves and he helps us bear our weakness. How marvelous this is. We have now to intercessors on our behalf, one in heaven. Our Lord Jesus, and we know inner seeds for us and one in our hearts we have one in heaven and one on earth, praying on our behalf.

When we don't know what to pray for and how to pray for it and when to pray for it, and if we should even pray for it.

The Holy Spirit carries that load by helping his praise we should know how does the spirit.

Pray holders on the tells hell he says, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Next verse, and he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Here's how the Spirit helps us pray three ways quickly number one. He personally intercedes for the believer. A very important word to underline her circle. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning you want underline that word. It's redundant for emphasis, but the spirits himself intercedes for us. It's as if he saying the Holy Spirit don't want anybody to replace him. In this critical role and think about it.

He could have appointed cherubim and seraphim to pray continually on your behalf to mutter your name before God. He could have commanded and enabled the rocks in the hills and the trees in the streams to repeat your name before God. He could have been satisfied with the fact that other believers are praying on your behalf, but he isn't.

He says I effect must pray for you myself so spirit of God praise on your behalf and I want to challenge you to not believe the lie of the enemy will come a long delay the snare for your feet in a land over and over again the lie that says you are on your you are alone in this journey, Paul says that's a lie. The Holy Spirit himself is interceding for us. By the way the little word us is italicized, which means the translators provided to give meaning to the contact she could write in their your own name, as I've done in the margin of my Bible for the Spirit himself intercedes for Steve and I written the names of my family. Marsha Benjamin and Seth Candace Sherry Holy Spirit intercedes for you and I wonder what are you troubled about what keeps you up at night.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the Holy Spirit has that on his prayer list for you praising God for thought about the fact that the Holy Spirit is praising the father with you. You have a helper who is praying personally interceding for you.

Second of all, spirit praise with passionate communion with the father.

The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.

This is not some sort of charismatic tongue. This is not some sort of gibberish. The verbs do not and so is the same verb used for nature and used for the Christian. This is the deep siding Sica translated this is emanating from a deep longing on your behalf what you have here is an amazing and rare description of inter-Trinitarian communication. The spirit communicating with the father in union together. Dr. Earl wrote this in his word study.

Isn't it true that intercessory prayer reaches its deepest depths when it passes beyond the realm of anything other than a grown how deep is it, Paul said to the Corinthian believers.

Even so, the thoughts of God.

No one knows except spirit of God. You would think the because the spirits will of the father's will, are identical, and because God is one, though three persons. Paul's statement would seem unnecessary right of the need to say anything. The idea of communication and end between father son and Spirit on our behalf. Seems almost redundant right will Paul is pointing up the truth for the sake of encouragement to let us know that a triune God is completely in unity on our behalf. Praying for us communicating together for us, amazing, thought what a mystery how encouraging the spirit of God personally intercedes, he passionately communes and 30 purposefully reinforces the will of God. The first two points I gave you tell us what the Spirit does for us. This third point tells us why. Look at verse 27 because he intercedes for the St. according for the purpose of the will of God. The will of the father.

Not all will, but thine be done right.

You know what it means to pray in the spirit then Juden's little letter verse 27 said to the believer praying in the spirit. What is that mean you feel differently that mean that you have a sense of closeness when you pray in the spirit what it means is you pray a prayer.

The Spirit would pray and what is the kind of praying the spirit praise. According to the will of God the father. So we pray a prayer that the Spirit would not mind repeating. We pray a prayer ultimately saying God I don't really know what I need to know it's in the future and I so easily mistaken, misunderstand and miss what you're doing in the past, present and future. So please help me so that ultimately I can do your will. I can ultimately please you. I can bring glory to your name.

The best prayer you will ever praise the prayer of daily surrender to the spirit of God who envelops your every move with intercessory prayer, so that ultimately we fulfill the will of God fact the best prayer that you will ever pray is a prayer you don't know how to make but the spirit does and the helper makes it for you with groanings to deep for words he come to an end of the paragraph like this and you must marvel at the goodness of God the grace of God. The security of God, the promise of our inheritance because of God. The redemption that he is mapped out for us and he will make sure it comes to pass in between old earth and new earth and new heaven in between this old body of flash and that coming glorified body of confirmed holiness in between the struggle now to advance the cause of Christ in that day when the cause of Christ will be ultimately seen in all its wonder as the glory of God fills the earth in between here and there.

There is one within us, groaning on our behalf, one who will help us fight the fight. Now, one who will help us run the race. Now, one who will help us bear the cross. Now, who gives us the confidence and encouragement. We glean from this text that one day the groaning of nature and the groaning of the believer and the groaning of the spirit will all be put to rest on that when all the grown is exchange for eternal glory.

I'm so glad you took the time to join us today on wisdom. The message you just heard is entitled when you don't know how to pray. It's the fourth and final lesson in Stephen Davies series called from groaning to glory. You can download these messages from our website. Simply navigate to wisdom online.org. Our number here at the office is 86 648 Bible. That's 86 648 Bible on our next broadcast.

Stephen is going to begin a two-part series from Romans 828. Make sure to join us for that right here on wisdom from the heart