Well, to prepare us for this time of prayer together, as you know, I usually take some subject that will, or passage of scripture that will lead us in a time of corporate prayer together to direct our praying. And so if you would, please take your Bibles and turn with me to Romans chapter eight. Romans chapter eight. This morning, We were looking at this chapter in verses 18 to 25 and the groaning of creation, waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. We saw the groaning of the believer eagerly waiting for that day, the redemption of our bodies. And this evening we want to consider the intercession of the spirit who also groans within us. It tells us in verses 26 and 27. Follow along in verses 26 and 27 of Romans 8. 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. 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. Well, as we come to this time of corporate prayer together, in recent months, I have preached on prayer and the goodness of God, that the goodness of God should compel us to pray, and it should cause us to pray with thanksgiving, for God is good, and also with joy and trust, in our good God. We have considered prayer and the holiness of God. Because God is holy, we approach Him with a holy fear and reverence, with a biblical assessment of our sin, with an honest and humble confession of our sin, and through our only mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, as we rest in His finished work. We've considered prayer and the sovereignty of God. Revelation 19 verse 6 says, "'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.'" And there we see the omnipotent power of God and the sovereignty of God. The Almighty reigns. And because of God's sovereign power, we should be compelled to pray. We should pray with humility, for He is God. He is sovereign over all things. We should pray without fear, because we trust in Him, the One who is sovereign. And we should pray persistently, without losing heart. And then last time, we considered prayer in the work of Christ. We come to God through the holy mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has secured access to his throne by his atonement. And therefore we come with confidence and boldness to the throne of grace to find help in time of need. This evening, we wanna consider prayer in the Holy Spirit. How often do you think about the person and work of the Holy Spirit? And how aware are you of the Holy Spirit's work in the world, in your salvation, and in your life? We could take a survey of these things in the Bible. It would take much time. We won't do so, obviously, exhaustively. But let me just mention how the Holy Spirit is at work in the world, how He was, how He is at work in the world, how He's at work in our salvation and in our lives. We consider the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible, and we're amazed at how often we see the Spirit. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God, it says, was moving over the surface of the waters. The Holy Spirit was present and at work in creation in Genesis 1. The Spirit was involved, active and preeminent, in depositing the written Word of God, the Scriptures, to us, for He is the Spirit of truth. Holy men, moved of the Holy Spirit, spoke from God, 2 Peter 1, verse 21. In Ephesians 6, verse 17, the Word of God is called the sword of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was instrumental in the revelation of the living Word of God, the incarnation of Christ, for Mary was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. In Luke 1, verse 35, It says, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, the angel said to Mary. And so he was involved even in the incarnation of Christ. He was present at the baptism of Jesus, the Spirit of God descending as a dove on Christ in Matthew 3, verse 16. Then the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness after his baptism in order to be tempted and tested by the devil. And so in Matthew 4, verse 1, it says that Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness. And the Spirit ministered to Jesus during that time of temptation. The Spirit is involved in the work and the ministry of Jesus and His earthly life. Jesus ministered in the power of the Spirit, it says in Luke 4, verse 14. And Jesus cast out demons by the Spirit of God in Matthew 12, verse 28. The Spirit is involved in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness. Romans 1 verse 4. The Spirit is involved in our salvation. The Spirit convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. John 16 verse 8. We are born again by the Spirit. John 3 verse 5. We are regenerated by the Holy Spirit in Titus 3 v. 5. It is the Spirit who gives life, Jesus said in John 6 v. 63. He is involved in our salvation. And then after we have been justified by His grace, we have this Spirit within us. A promise of the new covenant. I will put My Spirit within you, Ezekiel 36 v. 27. He indwells the church corporately. 1 Corinthians 3 v. 16, Do you not know that you, plural, are a temple of God, and that the Spirit dwells in you? The Spirit is in the church, at work in His church. The believer is baptized in the Spirit. Matthew 3 v. 11 The Holy Spirit empowers the church to be witnesses for Christ, Acts 1 v. 8. Just as the apostles were filled with the Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness in Acts 4 v. 37. The Holy Spirit sets men apart for the work of pastoral ministry, Acts 20 v. 28. The believer is one who has a mindset on the Spirit. Romans 8 v. 6. Who is led by the Spirit. Romans 8 v. 14. And we put to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit. Romans 8 v. 13. The Spirit is involved in assuring us of our salvation. Romans 8 v. 16. And it is the Spirit of God who gives spiritual gifts to the church. 1 Corinthians 12, verse 11. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. That is, distributing spiritual gifts. The Spirit bears fruit in His people. Galatians 5, verses 22 and 23. We saw this morning, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1, verse 13. The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of our future guarantee in Ephesians 1 v. 14. We are strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man, Ephesians 3 v. 6. We're to be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5 v. 18. We're to walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5 v. 16. We're to sow to the Spirit, Galatians 6 v. 8. The Spirit of God is actively at work. We guard the Gospel. How? Through the Holy Spirit who indwells us. 2 Timothy 1 verse 14. We're not to greed the Spirit or quench the Spirit. Ephesians 4 verse 30. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 19. This is just some of the sampling of the Spirit of God at work. all throughout we see in the Scriptures. When you look at the 1689 London Baptist Confession, though, there is no one section, no one chapter devoted solely to the Holy Spirit. And yet the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is throughout the Confession. While there's no single section in the 1689 Confession of Faith on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit is mentioned more than 50 times throughout the Confession. In our own statement of faith, our official statement of faith, we have a section on God the Holy Spirit, trying to summarize the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. We teach that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is God, eternal, underrived, possessing all the divine excellencies. He is co-equal and co-substantial with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes and personality of deity, including intellect, emotions, will, eternality, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, and truthfulness. It says we recognize the Holy Spirit's sovereign activity in creation, in the incarnation, in written revelation, and the work of salvation. The Holy Spirit's work includes convicting the world of sin and righteousness and judgment, glorifying the Lord Jesus, and transforming believers into Christ's likeness. We teach that the Holy Spirit is a supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, and instructs through the word of God, empowers believers for service, and seals them until the day of redemption. There's this and much more, even in our own doctoral statement, trying to just summarize something of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters in Christ, consider the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. You do not have life, physical life, without the Spirit. You would not have been convicted of your sin apart from the Spirit's work. You could not have been saved apart from the Holy Spirit's work. You cannot be assured of your salvation apart from the Holy Spirit's work. You cannot bear spiritual fruit apart from the Holy Spirit. You cannot grow in holiness apart from the Holy Spirit. You cannot understand the Word of God apart from His work. And you cannot love God You can't love your husband or your wife. You can't love your children. You can't be a witness for Christ apart from the work of the Spirit. You can't persevere in trials apart from the work of the Spirit. Or persevere in the faith to the end. But did you know that you also cannot pray rightly without the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit? And did you know that not only does Our Savior, the Lord Jesus, intercede for us, but also the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to Romans 8, verses 26 and 27. It says, in the same manner or in the same way, The Spirit also helps our weaknesses. Now remember the context of this. We looked at some of this this morning. The context of living in a fallen world, a world that is affected by the curse of sin. There is suffering, there are difficulties, there are trials. And creation groans for that day of redemption, and we groan and long for that day of redemption. But then it tells us in the same way or in like manner that looking forward to the day of redemption, the redemption of our bodies gives hope. So the ministry of the Holy Spirit gives us hope while we wait for that redemption. What if I lose sight of that day? What if I get my eyes off of that day since I'm wracked with the consequences of the fall and of sin? As helpful as it is to look forward to the day of redemption, the redemption of our bodies, as much hope as that gives, we still struggle. We still get our eyes off of it, and we need divine help. The Holy Spirit gives us the help we need. So just as looking toward the future hope of the redemption of our bodies gives us perseverance and hope, in the same manner, the ministry of the Holy Spirit gives us perseverance and hope. This passage, these verses, Romans 8, 26 and 27, could be broken up into these two basic statements. The Holy Spirit helps us, and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. We see first that the Holy Spirit helps us in verse 26. And in the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness. Why do we need the help of the Holy Spirit? Because of our weakness. This word weakness sometimes can refer to physical weakness, sickness or disease, infirmity of the body. But here, I believe it's a reference to our weakness in every way. Our bodies are weak and we get sick, and that affects us in our living to the glory of God. Our affections get weak at times. We don't love God as we should. We don't set our affections solely upon God as we should. Our minds get weak at times, and they need to be transformed by the renewing of the Word. We may be redeemed, but we're still weak. The English Standard Version says it this way, likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We are in a state of weakness. Although we have been saved by the grace of God, we still have this remaining corruption. And we're still in a state of weakness. And that's manifested in diverse and numerous ways, varied, wide-ranging ways, and abundant ways. And this should humble us and show us our need of the Holy Spirit. We have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, the Lord Jesus, Hebrews 4, verses 15 and 16. But Romans 8.26 says we have a divine comforter, the Holy Spirit, who can help us as well. He helps us who are in a state of weakness. The word help here means to come to the aid of. The Holy Spirit has a continuous ministry in the life of the believer, aiding, strengthening, and upholding us in our state of weakness until that state is removed. Until that day of redemption. Again, the Holy Spirit is a continuous ministry. How often do you think about that truth? That the Holy Spirit is continuously, actively involved in aiding us and helping us, strengthening us. We're like a man who cannot bear a heavy load on his back. He's incapable of even taking one more step. In fact, he's incapable of even standing any longer because of the heavy load. We're like that. But the Holy Spirit helps. The Holy Spirit comes to our aid. And with His omnipotent power, the Spirit empowers us to stand and to continue by His grace. Just as we were helpless to save ourselves in the beginning, we're helpless to live in our state of weakness as we wait for the return of Christ. So the Bible tells us that God is at work in us, Philippians 2 verse 13, that Christ lives in us, aiding us in Galatians 2 verse 20, but here we see the Holy Spirit indwells us to give us the help we need in our present state of weakness. This is why we do not forsake the faith. When suffering comes or trials come or temptations come, It is the active, continuous ministry of the Holy Spirit helping us in our weakness. A.W. Pink said this, Why is it, my afflicted brother, my distressed sister, that you have not made shipwreck of your profession long before this? What has kept you from heeding that repeated temptation of Satan's to totally abandon the good fight of faith? Why has not your manifold infirmities annihilated your faith, extinguished your hope, and cast dark covering of unrelieved gloom upon your future? The answer is because the Blessed Spirit silently, invisibly, yet sympathetically and affectionately helped you. Some precious promise was sealed to your heart. Some comforting view of Christ was presented to your soul. Some whisper of love was breathed into your ear, and the pressure upon your spirit was reduced, your grief was assuaged, and fresh courage possessed you." This is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. God in His grace has provided a divine helper. Jesus promised that He would send this one, another helper, who would come and aid us. Again, A.W. Pink says, hope looks forward to the glory to come. In the weary interval of waiting, the Spirit supports our poor hearts and keeps grace alive within us. What a wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit to his people. And notice he does not remove our weakness. That's not yet to come. That will be on the day of redemption. He helps us in our weakness. Until that day of redemption, the Holy Spirit helps with a comfort and a power that enables us to walk and not stumble, to run and not faint. And so believer, do not forget the work of the Holy Spirit. What weakness is presently besetting you? The Holy Spirit will aid you. The Holy Spirit will help you. The Holy Spirit will bear you up. Now, one way our weakness is demonstrated is in prayer. The Holy Spirit helps us, but how? One way is by interceding for us or praying for us. So the Holy Spirit not only helps us, but more specifically, one of the ways is the Holy Spirit helps us by interceding for us. Verse 26, 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. So here we see that the Spirit not only helps, but the Spirit prays. Not only is there the continuous help of the Holy Spirit, but there's the intercession of the Holy Spirit for us. Now again, Jesus intercedes for us, Romans 8 verse 34 tells us, Hebrews 7 verse 25 as well. There is the intercession in heaven at the Father's right hand from the Savior, our great high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the Father. but there's also the intercession of the indwelling Holy Spirit. John Murray says that, quote, the children of God had two intercessors. Christ is their intercessor in the court of heaven, and the Holy Spirit is their intercessor in the theater of their own hearts. And God hears the intercession of His Son, and He hears the intercession of the Spirit. Jesus pleads His blood before the Father, The Holy Spirit pleads the Father's will. Now why do we need the Holy Spirit's intercession? Well, here's the problem. Verse 26, we do not know how to pray as we should. Notice Paul here says we do not know how to pray. He said the Holy Spirit helps our weaknesses, and we do not know how to pray as He should. This is a common problem that we all have. Even the Apostle Paul faced this common problem. He's not excluding himself. You don't know how to pray as you should. You're weak. He says the Spirit helps our weaknesses, me included. And we do not know how to pray as we should. The Apostle Paul knew his own weakness. He actually knew his own weakness in prayer. That at times, he didn't know how to pray as he should. Remember in 2 Corinthians 12, verses 7 to 10, when he said, because of the surpassing greatness of revelations for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, to keep me from exalting myself. And concerning this, I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. You know what? He didn't pray according to the sovereign will of God. It wasn't removed from him. And so God said to him, my grace is sufficient for you. For power is perfected in weakness. So Paul on that occasion learned he doesn't know how to pray as he should. And sometimes he doesn't pray according to the sovereign will of God. But he says, most gladly I would rather boast about my weakness that the power of Christ may dwell in me We find ourselves in that situation at times. Here's something in our lives and we pray, but we don't know, is this really the sovereign will of God or not? We don't know how to pray as we should. Sometimes we pray selfishly. Sometimes we pray arrogantly. Get me out of this, I don't deserve it. But often we pray ignorantly. We just don't know what to pray for. So we pray, even as James tells us to pray for wisdom. God, just give me wisdom. I don't know. I just need wisdom from You. Help me. So the problem is we do not know how to pray as we should, but here's the solution. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us. And He always prays the will of God. In verse 27, He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Now notice how this intercession is described in verse 26. With groanings too deep for words. Now, I'm just going to tell you, I don't know that I understand this completely. And as I read commentators, I'm not sure they understand it completely. And there's a lot of debate about what this phrase means. Is this the groaning of the Holy Spirit himself? Or is this the groaning of the believer which is produced by the indwelling Spirit? It says these groanings are too deep for words. By the way, this isn't speaking in tongues. It says it's groanings too deep for words, meaning it's inexpressible. These groanings are unutterable. The New King James says, they're groanings which cannot be uttered. Another translation says, groans that words cannot express. Someone has suggested that what this means is this, it describes unutterable longings in the heart of believers to conform their lives to the will of God which the Spirit takes and presents before God in an articulate form. I don't know if you've ever been there. But there are particular times, I think, where we're more aware of our weakness in various trials, and we don't know how to pray, and the situation is such that there's a groaning of our heart, a longing of our heart, and we just pour out our hearts, and sometimes it's not even with words. Sometimes there are literal groanings from us, but we don't know what to pray. You just fall before the Lord. The Holy Spirit knows how to pray. Someone has said this, the Spirit is not said to groan. but to intercede with or in groans. And these may well be those of the believer. That is, the groanings are not the Holy Spirit, but it's us. We're groaning and we don't, they're unutterable. We don't know what to say as we find ourselves in this weak condition before the final day of redemption. And this commentator says, Paul seems to be saying that when we cannot find words in which to express our prayer, and could do no better than to make inarticulate sounds, the Spirit takes those sounds and makes them into effective intercession. He helps us. There's a mystery to this. We don't understand it fully. But do we understand fully the intercession of the Son? in the work of God in very, in a sense, mysterious ways as He upholds us and keeps us and causes us to persevere in the faith. Again, this isn't an exhaustive exposition of these verses, but it is to make us aware of how needy we are, not only of a mediator, the Lord Jesus, who's opened the way into the throne of grace, but also the help of the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us. " There are a couple of places in Scripture where it says we're to pray at all times in the Spirit. Ephesians 6, verse 18, Jude 20, praying in the Holy Spirit. Again, this isn't speaking in tongues as some have interpreted and read into that. It means that we're to pray with the help of the Spirit, with dependence upon the Spirit, in the realm of the Spirit in that sense. As John Bunyan said when he described what true prayer is, he says, prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart and soul to God through Christ with the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit for such things as God has promised or according to the word for the good of the church with submission in faith to the will of God. And so it's good for us to be reminded of the work of the Spirit as we pray together this evening. We don't know how to pray as we should at times. But it is a comfort that girds us up, that helps us to know that we have two intercessors. One in the court of heaven and one in the theater of the heart of the believer. One from the Son and one intercession of the Spirit. And so let's do that tonight and be encouraged in these things as we come to the throne of grace. And be mindful of the work of the Spirit within us.