THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER !

THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER: (Romans 8:26-27). "So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer know how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goals to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. And He who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit [what His intent is], Because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will." The amplified Bible. In (Psalms 139:1-2) it is written. "O Lord, you have searched me (thoroughly) and have known me you know mind downsetting my thought afar off. You sift and search out my path and my laying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways." The Greek translation of the last phrase of this verse (Romans 8:26) reads, "with groanings which cannot be uttered in articulate speech." Therefore this verse includes groanings and praying in tongues. In connection with this, the apostle Paul said, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful" (1 Corinthians 14:14). The amplified Bible reads, " . . . My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays. . ." Notice in (Romans 8:26) that we don't know what we should pray for. We can't possibly know in our natural mind how to pray as we should because there are so many things known only to God, but "the Spirit also helps our infirmities [weaknesses]." The Holy Spirit will help us and will make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered in articulate speech. This doesn't mean it is something the Holy Spirit does apart from you. That would make the Holy Spirit responsible for your prayer life, and He isn't. You are responsible for your prayer life and a accurate prayer life is based and formed from the promises of the Word of God. Notice that this verse says that He "HELPETH." He isn't sent to do your praying for you. He is sent to help you in every aspect of your life, and especially your prayer life. There are some things that come out of your heart by way of your lips that can't be expressed in words. It is the Holy Spirit helping you as these groanings come out of your spirit and escape your lips. It is the Holy Spirit in the ministry of prayer. I do most of my praying in tongues. For example, my wife might have problems I know nothing about. I tell the Lord I don't know how to pray for her as I ought to, but I am looking for the Holy Spirit to give me utterance. I might pray for her and hour in tongues. I might have a revelation, or God might show me the answer. But whether there is a revelation or not, we can pray that way because we know it is Biblical. This kind of praying in the spirit gets the job done when nothing else will. The Holy Spirit makes intercessions through us to the throne of grace. "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:19).