As I was singing and praising God, predominantly in the Spirit this last Sunday night whilst attending a prayer and worship night, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about the groaning's of the Spirit that Paul talks about in Romans chapter 8. This is a subject that Paul repeats over and over again in this book and most obviously in this chapter of Romans.
It occurred to me whilst praying that the singing I was doing in the Spirit was in fact groaning, for one I did not know the words I was speaking and two I sensed in my Spirit that I was praying for the region in which I lived. Whilst we understand from 1Corinthians 14 that we can sing in Spirit and still not understand what we are singing, I believe the Holy Spirit was testifying that what was taking place was very specific.
Also, after the conclusion of the meeting, a brother came up to me and confirmed what I felt by saying the Lord Jesus had spoken to him and said that what I was doing was good, referring to the time I was praying and singing in the Spirit.
This groaning of the Spirit that I sensed whilst in prayer and worship according to Romans 8 has a number of benefits to our prayers. According to Romans 8:27 the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, that is he prays or stands in the gap for us when we don't know how to pray. He does this with groanings which are inexpressible! See also Rom 8:23
Secondly, again in Romans 8:26 the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray and helps us in our weaknesses. So He is able to teach us what, how and when to pray and although our weaknesses will cause us to fail, it is in our weaknesses that the Holy Spirit can become our strength just as Paul acknowledged in his own weaknesses. Romans 8:6-9 tells us that the Spirit carries our thoughts to the Father as we set our minds on the Spirit.
Thirdly, again in Romans 8:26 He says He aids us and tells us how to pray and what to pray when we ourselves don't know how. In this we truly understand that He is the "Helper" and one who walks along side of us through life's journey.
Fourthly, He brings our prayers to God and interprets them, speaking not so much that has come from our lips as from our hearts. Indeed He is a God that searches the heart of man. Though what comes out of man is what determines who he is, it is what God sees on our hearts that shows our true intent. It is therefore the things of the Spirit that we must meditate on and pray those things come from our lips.
God Bless
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