When We are Weak

Scripture:

Rom. 8:26   Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷ And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Observation:

There are times in life when our weaknesses overwhelm our strengths. We have tried to do as much as we can within our own power and ability, but at that moment, there is an awareness of the need for Divine intervention. When it feels as if all hope is gone, we don’t know how to pray, but that is the beauty of this passage. When we are at a loss for words, the Spirit is not. With an ability to empathize with us in our deepest pain, the Spirit breathes out what our soul cannot speak. In that moment, the Father, who knows our motivations does not judge, but pours out his holy love on us, because the Spirit has revealed our mind to him. In our moments of incapacitation, the Spirit will continue to intercede for us, in line with God’s will. In our weakness, we will not be led astray, if remain dependent upon the Lord. 

Application:

Intercessory prayer is vital to the life of a Christian community. As I write this note this morning, my home church will just be completing a session of 24 hour prayer. They have established a prayer room in the church where every few months they challenge the people of the church to sign up and pray in that place for a whole day. It is a beautiful experience to enter that space that has been prepared as an altar before the Lord. To simply enter the room is to sense the presence of the Lord. 

John Chrysostom wrote that it was not uncommon for the gift of prayer to enter one person in a local church and it was the place of that person to intercede on behalf of the entire community. We need people who will live into their gifting as a person of prayer. The reality is that every believer needs to have a vital prayer life, but there are those who are gifted in this way, who seem to be able to touch heaven with their prayers. Oh that we would have intercessors who would groan on behalf of those who are not able! 

The reality is that we are weak, and every Christian has their infirmities. We would be overpowered by our weaknesses if it were not for the presence of the Holy Spirit. We come into communion with the Holy Spirit through prayer, and this is transformational and powerful. It is our weaknesses that tempt us to pray for things which may not be healthy for us. That’s why we need the Spirit to help us. Origen said it this way, “Whenever the Holy Spirit sees our spirit struggling with the flesh and being drawn to it, he stretches out his hand and helps us in our weakness” (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans). Theodore of Cyr went on to say, “Do not think that you will be set free by things which are harmful. You do not know what is good for you in the way that God does. Therefore, give yourselves to him who holds the key to the universe. For even if you ask nothing but merely groan under the impulse of the grace which dwells in you, he handles your affairs wisely and will ensure that you get what you need” (Interpretation of the Letter to the Romans). The Spirit intercedes so that we get what we need, not necessarily what we want!

The weaknesses of the flesh can become overwhelming for us all. Thankfully the Spirit understands and remains steadfast in intercession for us, never taking a break, and continually sustaining. The Spirit sets the example for believers who need to find themselves within a community where there are intercessors, who will not let them down. This is a revelation of God’s holy love found in the Triune God. This is love overflowing and abounding, meeting us through the community of faith, and the community of God, in our moment of deepest need. 

Prayer:

I need thee, oh I need thee — every hour I need thee! Amen.