The Holy Spirit Our Helper – Part Seven

Prayer Help by the Holy Spirit

It is once again Paul who teaches us about the way the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayers, especially during times of suffering.

²⁶ 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 through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26,27)

Paul is speaking in the context of the suffering we experience in this life. And we are particularly weak in times of suffering and don’t know how to pray or what to ask for. But the Holy Spirit is not content to leave us floundering at such a time and aids us in our prayers, interceding for us in ways we can’t even put into words. God knows our hearts and, of course, knows the Spirit’s heart and mind, and receives the Spirit’s prayers through us, which are always prayed in line with God’s will.

There is an old Hindu Folklore:

A fool was sitting on a tree branch and was cutting it off from the trunk.  A god and goddess were watching, knowing that he soon would fall.  They agreed to help if he would ask for their help.  They concluded that if he cried out “Amma” (goddess/mother), the goddess would save him.  If he cried out “Appa” (god/father), the god would save him.  As they watched, the fool’s branch broke off.  As he fell, he cried out, “Ayyoo” (oh no).  The god and goddess, not knowing what to do, watched him fall and get hurt.  This folklore is told to the kids to teach them to call out to god in times of need.

That is not the God we know. There is no standing by and watching with Him. The Holy Spirit is actually going to help us pray.