The Holy Spirit: Intercessor

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:22-27

I remember when our daughter, Tricia, was three years old and she got a really bad case of the flu. She had a high fever that stayed at about 103 degrees for several days. She coughed and had a runny nose and her little body ached from head to toe. Beverly spent hours every day trying to bring her fever down and comfort her--offering her juice, giving out doses of Tylenol, spooning chicken soup into her mouth, and giving her cool baths. Nothing seemed to help.

Probably the hardest part of it was her sitting on our couch and crying and saying over and over, “I’m having a hard time. I’m having a hard time.” She knew she was miserable, but she didn’t know what she needed. She only knew she needed something and was wanting someone to figure out what she needed to feel better. Unfortunately, in this case, the flu just had to run its course.

When I think of the Holy Spirit being our Intercessor, I think of why we need an Intercessor. The Bible talks about all of creation groaning (Romans 8:22) and how we don’t know what to pray for. (Romans 8:26) I don’t know about you, but I can relate to that.

There have been so many times in my life that I have been in a situation that had so many facets that I literally felt confused and overwhelmed. I could hardly hold onto a thought long enough to finish that thought, and I felt like all my options had merit, but also some serious complications. I had no clue what was the best way to go to solve the problem. I didn’t know how to pray or what to ask for, and honestly there were times when I had little strength to pray except to send up a flash prayer, saying “HELP!”

While there were times when I didn’t know what to pray, there have also been times that I thought I knew EXACTLY what needed to happen in a given situation. So I would pray asking God to do what I thought He should do. Thankfully, I look back on those situations where he didn’t give me what I was asking for and realize that God in His wisdom chose to not answer those prayers in the way I wanted.

The term “Intercessor” means “pleading on behalf of another,” but it also has the aspect of “intervening.” (Romans 8:27) When I think about not knowing what to pray for or even misguidedly praying in a wrong way, it is encouraging to know that God in His wisdom has provided an Intercessor who will not only plead on my behalf but also will intervene for me. I can imagine Him literally stepping in and telling God what I really need and maybe rescuing me from myself! That is grace, isn’t it?

So talk to me. In what areas of your life are you struggling? As you walk through the tough times in your life, do you ever feel confused and not know what to pray? What are your thoughts about the Holy Spirit interceding for you—pleading on your behalf? Do you find that comforting and encouraging? Is it helpful to know that you have the Holy Spirit to intervene as well? Does this passage also raise your awareness of the need to pray according to God’s will? Does it give you new thoughts about God’s love for us and his compassion for our groanings?

Post a comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!