The Perplexing Paradox of Prayer – Romans 8:26-27

 During my years with you, I have preached about 75 messages on the subject of prayer. And several of those sermons and lessons have been a part of various series on the subject. For example, on Wednesdays for several months we looked a the prayers of the Apostle Paul. And then we also had a series on prayer in general. There are two basic conclusions to which we always return: First, we are commanded to pray, whether or not we fully understand all that it means. Just because we can’t explain the intricacies of electricity doesn’t keep us from turning on the lights. And just because we might have questions about prayer, we still pray, because it is our duty. Then secondly, there are, without a doubt, great blessings in prayer. There is a fellowship and intimacy in prayer that we have with the Lord in no other way. And God does answer prayer according to His will.

Despite those studies and all the other lessons that we have had, I still have several perplexing questions. For example: Doesn’t God know all things? Why then should we pray? Jesus Himself said that God knows what things we need before we ask. Why pray when we can simply trust God to supply what He knows that we need? And another question relates to how God answers our prayers. When Daniel prayed, an angel was sent to bring him the answer. But that angel was kept from the swift completion of his rounds by a Demon. Why wasn’t there a more direct response and answer? When does God take things directly into His hands and when does He not? Another question is in regard to the instruction NOT to pray about certain things. And a fourth perplexity involves Jesus’ intercession versus the Spirit’s intercession. In some ways they are they the same, and if not, when can we expect one over the other? We have one of those puzzling paradox of prayer right here in Romans 8.

Obviously, we are often commanded in the Word of God to pray. But when we don’t know what to pray about, the Holy Spirit prays for us. And the Spirit directs His prayers according to the will of God. Isn’t it redundant for God the Holy Spirit to pray to God the Father or to the God-head. Isn’t it redundant for God to pray to God?

In studying these verses lets think about the PROBLEM, the PARADOX and the PARTNERSHIP. But first, it’s necessary to think about that word “likewise.” “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Obviously, it is used as a conjunction, tying this thought into something mentioned earlier. Paul is proceeding logically throughout this chapter, as he does in the entire letter. But what is he conjoining? It could be that as hope helps the child of God move along in life, so does the Holy Spirit. That is a definite Bible truth, not to be doubted. But actually, the word “likewise” takes us back to a wider context than just verses 24-25. The Holy Spirit is the theme of the entire chapter, being the source of our Christian assurance. Once the fact of salvation is established through the sacrificial death of Lord Jesus then the Holy Spirit takes over. Christians walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit – verse 4. The Spirit is life because of righteousness – verse 10. If the Spirit dwells in you then your mortal body shall be raised just as was Jesus’ body – verse 11. If you are led of the Spirit of God you are children of God – verse 16. Just as the Holy Spirit blesses us in these areas, He blesses us in our prayer lives. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Okay, let’s think about our PROBLEM – we have INFIRMITIES.First it needs to be said that infirmities are not sins. If that were the case then verse 26 would say, “likewise the Spirit also helpeth our sins. But just as it was impossible for Christ to sin, it is impossible for the Spirit to sin or to bless sin. Isn’t He called the HOLY Spirit? That is not a relative statement – that he is more righteous than someone else. The Holy Spirit is absolutely righteous and perfectly holy – separate from sin. Our infirmities are not sins – rather they are natural weaknesses. They are non-sinful consequences of Adam’s fall. They are the results of the curse, but not direct results of the sin which caused the curse. They include things like exhaustion, hunger, muscular weakness and mental weakness. Poor eye-sight and the need for glasses is an infirmity, but myopia is not a sin, nor is it necessarily a result of sin. Even the Lord Jesus had some of our infirmities. We have an high priest who has “compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also was compassed with infirmity” – Hebrews 5:2. “We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Our infirmities are our weaknesses. They include our dullness, our discouragement and our dumbness. I witness some infirmities nearly every week, when I put several of you to sleep during the church service. We have infirmities connected with our temperaments like Thomas’ pessimism and Peter’s temper.

But these infirmities are not just physical problems, like a leg going to sleep. They can be spiritual as well as physical. Our infirmities creep in to our church services in various ways. How about our inability to understand certain Bible doctrines. We have infirmities related to our dullness of conscience and our weakness of faith. Our weakness of faith can quickly lead into sin, but it’s not sin in itself like flat unbelief.

Isn’t there is a whole bunch stupidity, ignorance and unthinking superstition in our prayer life? How much vain repetition is there; constant duplication of words and phrases as if they were magical formula. And how often have you prayed about something only to find out later that it had been previously accomplished? Maybe you even prayed for someone to be healed, but actually he was already dead? Our ignorance of such things isn’t sinfulness. But how often have you fallen asleep while someone else prayed? How often have you fallen asleep while you yourself prayed? How often has your mind wondered into something else while you or someone else prayed?

When Paul besought the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh, was he committing sin? Like all infirmity it could easily have become sin. It would have been sin if he had continued to pray despite the revelation and command to stop. It was no sin, but Paul prayed for something which it was not God’s will to grant. It was best for him to keep that thorn. And Moses had a similar incident in his life. He had brought shame to the Name of Jehovah when he angrily beat the rod, symbolizing his authority, against the rock. God told him that as result of that outburst he would not be allowed to enter the promised land. But in Deuteronomy 3 he lovingly and with genuine worship besought the Lord to change His decree. Then we read, “But the Lord was wroth we me for your sakes, and would not hear me, and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.” There are lots of cases in the Bible where men ignorantly prayed against the very will of God. If they knew they were praying against the will of God, then it was sin; If not, then it was only the infirmity of ignorance.

And how many times do you and I do exactly the same thing? Why is it? Is it because we are rebels and hate the will of God? No! The reason is that infirmity which we call “ignorance.” We know not what we should pray for as we ought. That is a problem.

And again, there is a PARADOX here.I don’t wish to leave the impression that I don’t believe this … But I do not understand how one person of the Trinity can pray to another person. Oh, I don’t have a problem with the Lord Jesus when He was yet in his flesh. But today with each person of the God-head in His glory, I am at a loss to explain their inter-relationships. Yet, I take the word at its face value. The Holy Spirit maketh intercession for us, before the face of our Heavenly Father.

And then there is the apparent redundant thought in verse 27. “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” There is no one in creation who can truly search out hearts but God. That is an obvious truth and not a problem to understand. Angels can’t know what I am thinking, unless they manipulate my thoughts. The same might be said about demons. Besides, “the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked” – who can know his own heart? Lord, I beg you to search me, and see if there be any wicked way in me… That God searches hearts is not a problem, but then to say that God knows the mind of the Spirit gets a little bit confusing.

John Gill eases the problem, just slightly, by suggesting that we use an alternative definition of “to know.” Not only does the Searcher of hearts know what is in the heart of the Spirit, but He regards it, approves of it, attends, and gives an answer to it. And this is no small encouragement to pray, though it be but with sighs and groans unutterable; since the omniscient God understands, respects and loves such prayer. As I say, I may not understand all of this, but I accept it because there it is in the Word of the Lord.

And I also accept the PARTNERSHIP of prayer.He helpeth our infirmities. In the Greek, the word “help” contains a rich and wonderful meaning. It is made up of three root words: “together,” “over against” and “to take.” Think of a man struggling to carry some heavy load up a big hill. The poor man is to the point of collapsing under his burden. Then suddenly someone comes along and says,

“Let me get hold of the other end of that load of yours. I think that together we can manage it.” Instead of the man having to do all the work himself, he now has an “helper.”

But please note that the Holy Spirit doesn’t intend to do all our work, just to help. That means that we are still responsible to pray. The omniscience of God doesn’t argue against our prayers. And the assistance of the Spirit doesn’t shut our mouths either. The intercession of the Son or the Spirit shouldn’t keep us from prayer. But what is the help that he offers? He gives us help in regard to our infirmities. Apparently, He assists us in our ignorance, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. Let’s say that you have made an offer to buy a big new house. It will mean higher mortgage payments, and it may really pinch your pay-check. Your offer was quite low, in an effort to determine the Lord’s will. Your heart says, “I want that house,” but you are just not sure that it is God’s will. Confess your ignorance and honestly surrender to whatever the Lord has for you in that regard. If we groan and yearn for the Lord, we will find the help that we need.

Additionally, the Spirit helps our prayer life by exciting us to pray. He can impress upon us those things that require our prayers. Perhaps the Spirit can give us genuine importunity – a spiritual stick-with-it-ness. He can convey to our hearts a confidence in the promise of God. He can change prayer from a duty to a delight. The Spirit helpeth us in our infirmities.

But specifically according to the text, the Holy Spirit helps by interceding for us. That word means that He acts on our behalf. Think of that poor man struggling up the hill. Not only is load too heavy to carry, but exceeds the legal weight limit for the road and for his back. He’s about to be arrested for carrying too much stuff. But here comes an intercessor who successfully pleads the man’s case. Not only does the Holy Spirit help carry the load, but has a key to the throne room of God. He is a friend of the King; He is an experienced barrister.

But here is another question: Who is doing the groaning in this verse? Obviously, it is the Holy Spirit who is groaning on our behalf. Is that true? I can understand when we read of the Lord Jesus in his flesh groaning. But can either the Spirit nor the Saviour in their glory groan, moan or weep today. Couldn’t this mean that what the Spirit is doing is orchestrating our ignorant groaning. Galatians 4:6 gives us a parallel thought about the ministry of the Spirit in us. “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Who is crying, Abba Father? It sounds like the Spirit and in a sense is, but actually it is the Spirit-led child of God.

Well then, why are these groans unutterable? In II Corinthians 12 Paul saw things in Paradise that were beyond human language to express. He heard unspeakable words. This could mean that there are things so Heavenly that earthly language cannot convey the thought. But it could also mean that Paul’s emotions were so profound that his words couldn’t express them. Haven’t you ever been like this?

So what is the point of this point? What is Paul trying to accomplish here? “We have another comforter, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth him.” “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them who are the called according to His purpose.” “We know that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ.” Are you so perplexed with life that you don’t even know how to pray? Don’t worry about your perplexity, simply pray. Even if you don’t have words to express your burden; those words aren’t really needed. The Spirit will make intercession for us, presenting our very groanings before the throne of God’s grace.