Daily Bread - Jan 27 07

Romans 8:26 - "And in like manner also the Spirit helps our frailty; for we do not know what we need to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings."

The intercession of the Spirit is described as inexpressible groanings. The expressions of the Spirit were first manifested in the Bible as prophecy: God speaking His word through man’s mouth under the inspiration of the Spirit. In the New Testament when the Holy Spirit came upon the believer, other languages came forth as rivers of living water (Acts 2:3; John 7:38-39). The necessity of praying in the Spirit is repeated often throughout the New Testament.

The Holy Spirit is the One who has come to lead us and guide us into all truth. He is the one who is making things known to us that Jesus was unable to communicate (John 16:12-15). His coming and subsequent intercession was the sound of other languages or the languages of men and angels (Acts 2:8-11; 1 Corinthians 13:1). The command to pray in the Spirit extends from 1 Corinthians to Jude 20.

Although praying in the Spirit may extend to speaking by the Spirit or prophesying it certainly excludes much of what Christians today would have us believe is prayer which, in fact, is little more than their own minds expressing frustration, anxiety, and remorse. The prayer of the Spirit has a sound and an inspiration that is produced by the Holy Spirit Himself (Acts 2:4; 10:45-46; Acts 19:6; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14:1, 14; Ephesians 5:18; 6:18).

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org