The Mystery of Prayer
A Sermon on Romans 8:26-27
Scripture
26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because …
Sermon Description
Is prayer really important for every Christian? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that there are Christians who think there is no need to pray. “Trust God since He already knows everything,” they say. When they read Romans 8:26–27, they object: “This makes little sense. God knows all things already. We don’t know what to pray for. The Spirit prays for us. What point and purpose is there in praying?” In this sermon on Romans 8:26–27 titled “The Mystery of Prayer,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers very practical lessons regarding the mystery of prayer by answering questions about prayer including: “Why do we pray? Who should pray and who should not pray? How do we pray? What are the different types of prayer? What rules do we follow when we pray? What prayers are always acceptable to God? What cautions regarding prayer do we find in Scripture? Can we ever be confident when we pray for certain things?” The answers to these questions on prayer will encourage the Christian’s soul as they present their requests before God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses and intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
- This intercession is for the saints, not for unbelievers. God does not hear the prayers of sinners.
- There are different types of prayer. Groaning is not the only or highest form of prayer. The Bible records many prayers with words. We should pray with words and reason with God.
- We should not tell everyone to just start praying. We need to teach people how to pray and that not just anyone can approach God at any time. We need Christ and the Spirit to intercede for us.
- We should exercise caution about personal requests and claiming things from God. We should submit to God's will and trust in His peace.
- There is a prayer of faith where the Spirit gives us certainty that our prayer will be answered. This is not common but shows our growth in prayer.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.