Prayer within a Prayer

Romans 8:26 “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”

Have you ever had something that so pressed upon your conscience and troubled your heart that the words just wouldn’t come out?

Those moments of vexation can be so overwhelming that eking out the strength to even cry out is all you can do. The sudden loss of a loved one, the news you didn’t want to hear, the bleakness of an unseen future can diminish the ability to see any light for the immediate future.

In those moments of trouble and pain, the Lord is there, listening, searching your heart, guiding you through…..it is there where He supplies the strength that we lack.

There was a man named Job who was in one those predicaments. His world had collapsed around him…..literally. In what must have seemed an instant he went from being healthy, well respected, wealthy, and blessed, to homeless, sick, and mourning the loss of his children. The cries of Job must have inspired sympathy from those around him.

Job 37:19 “Teach us what we should say to Him, For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.”

*What can you say in the midst of such trouble? Your children are all dead and will not return, your life has been turned upside down and all seems lost—what else is there to pray?

In those times of despair we want to cry out in prayer but can’t find the words to say. There are times when what we should pray for escapes our ability to speak it out.

The Intercessor

Since our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and God is in the midst of His temple, the believer has an advocate to offer up prayers of intercession.

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

The importance of maintaining God’s temple as a place of reverence and holiness is imperative for those who desire fellowship with God. If we diminish the need for purity, we subject our bodies to vices that defile His temple and will see the product of our lifestyles affect our ability to respond to God.

If we revere God’s presence, if we desire fellowship with His Spirit, and if our hope in Him is our priority, we will sanctify our lives for Him.

Romans 8:27 “And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God”

Here lies the dilemma…..

Do we want to see our will manifest in our lives or do we desire to see God’s perfect will accomplished?

When God’s will is accomplished, the peace of God rules over us.

We cannot understand the fullness of God’s plan if we cannot understand God’s will. If we think we can do it on our own, we will find ourselves going down a path that leads to a dead end. This path of solitude has lead many to stray into the darkness of pride and self-righteousness. It is this pride that led to Lucifer’s fall, man’s collapse, and has inhibited many from trusting in God’s provision.

When the Spirit of God intercedes on our behalf, He does so according to God’s purposes and not our own…..This is predominantly why we cannot pray as we should. Our circumstances inhibit our ability to see God’s purposes manifest before us. We get so caught up in how an event has affected us, we take our eyes off of Him and place it on ourselves or our surroundings.

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

We must remember, there is a conscious and unconscious response in respect to circumstances. Whatever resides in our hearts, whether it is the Spirit of God or the spirit of this world, is where the unconscious decisions originate. If we desire to seek God’s will, He is right there waiting for you to come. If we tend to blame God for our trouble, we will allow a hardened heart to affect our reasoning and will easily be lead astray.

1 Timothy 1:5 “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,”

“He(God) will be responsible for the unconscious part which we do not know, but we must pay careful attention to and guard the conscious part for which we are responsible.”

O. Chambers

What do we really know regarding our circumstances? There are times when the Spirit gives insight into our lives but typically God only wants us to trust Him for where He is leading. Our knowledge is limited to what we know from God’s Word and for many that is very little.

If our knowledge of God is limited, we will draw false conclusions about God.

The way we respond in times of trouble can be a litmus test for our spiritual condition.

~Our ability to hear God’s voice.

~Our ability to trust when we cannot see.

~Our ability to keep our faith when we stumble.

These are all markers that help us recognize the need to draw near to God in our relationship to Him.

The world wants your destruction.

It is becoming more and more difficult to stand for righteousness in our society. The darkness of gender confusion, homosexuality, atheism, and the trends of a world that has completely gone awry and stand in complete contrast to righteousness and Truth. As believers we are called to present the light of Christ in our schools, workplaces, and communities. There is such a wave of deceit that the message becomes drowned out by ridicule and scorn.

The path of living righteously has progressively mingled with worldly thinking in churches across our nation. These elements of compromise lead only to trouble and give the enemy a foothold to undermine our foundation of fellowship.

We cannot hide for fear, we must speak up when given the opportunity and call out for justice and equity while we still have a voice. The Lord is waiting for us to arise, the time is as important now as it has ever been.

Romans 8:19-21 “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

Creation was made to glorify God and so were you!

As the Lord will reveal the purpose of His Creation to those who wish to see, so God will reveal His purposes in those who desire to walk in obedience.

We must cast off the delusion of thinking we can compromise one iota of righteousness. We must walk in holiness in a world that is spiraling into chaos.

The closer we walk with the Lord, the more clearly we will see.

Remember, the Lord is our advocate, where we are weak, He is strong. Fear not and do not be dismayed, He remains upon His throne and His purposes will not be changed. Walk in the boldness of faith He has given you and do not compromise.

All evil will be destroyed one day. The curse of sin will be removed and the Lord will reign.

This is our hope and future.