Summary of a short devotional I gave, based on Romans 8:26-27. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto (Family Camp) on July 5, 2024.
In Romans 8:26-27, the Apostle Paul provides a profound insight into the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. He writes, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27, ESV).
This passage, while comforting, has often been misinterpreted and misused by some within the church. During my time as a young adult attending a Filipino church meeting, I witnessed what was described as “praying in the Spirit.” People claimed they were being moved by the Holy Spirit in ways that seemed, to say the least, unbiblical. I’ve even heard of extremes like the “Toronto Blessing,” where people exhibited bizarre behaviors such as “barking in the Spirit” or being “drunk in the Spirit.” Sadly, Romans 8:26 is sometimes cited to justify these actions.
The phrase “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” has been taken out of context to support ideas and practices that stray far from biblical teaching. To understand what Paul truly means here, we need to apply a crucial principle of biblical interpretation: context.
When interpreting Scripture, context is everything. Paul begins verse 26 with “Likewise,” signaling that he is continuing a thought from earlier verses. To grasp the meaning of Romans 8:26-27, we must look back to verses 18-19, where Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
The context here is suffering—the suffering we endure in this present age. Paul is addressing the tension between the “already” and the “not yet” of God’s kingdom. We are in a period of waiting, much like the time between D-Day on June 6, 1944, and VE Day on May 8, 1945, during World War II. The victory has been secured through Christ’s death and resurrection, but we are still living in a world where sin and its consequences—death, destruction, and sorrow—remain.
This is the “sufferings of this present time” that Paul speaks of in verse 18. Because of these sufferings, all creation groans, as Paul describes in verses 22-23: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
We are groaning along with creation, yearning for the full realization of our redemption. It is within this context of suffering and anticipation that Paul introduces the work of the Holy Spirit in verses 26-27. The Spirit is not compelling us to speak in unintelligible tongues or engage in chaotic behavior. Rather, the Spirit is interceding for us in our weakness, empathizing with our suffering, and expressing to the Father what we cannot put into words.
One theologian captures this beautifully: “We can be assured that even prayers marked by our finitude, ignorance, and imperfection are amplified, purified, and intensified as the Spirit identifies with and goes to bat for the believer struggling, and perhaps groaning, in prayer.” The Holy Spirit, who knows our hearts and understands our struggles, steps in to intercede on our behalf, aligning our prayers with God’s will.
Paul offers further encouragement in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
These verses remind us that our present suffering is temporary and that it is preparing us for something far greater—a glory that will be revealed in us. While we wait, the Holy Spirit is our comforter and intercessor, helping us in our weakness and ensuring that our prayers are heard and answered according to God’s perfect will.
In conclusion, Romans 8:26-27 is a passage of immense hope and reassurance. It teaches us that in the midst of our suffering and in our moments of weakness, the Holy Spirit is with us, praying for us, and guiding us. Our groanings and struggles are not ignored; they are transformed by the Spirit into prayers that reach the heart of God. This is not a call to chaotic spiritual experiences but an invitation to trust in the Spirit’s quiet, powerful work in our lives as we await the fullness of our redemption.
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