The Spirits Help
A Sermon on Romans 8:26-27
Originally preached Oct. 27, 1961
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
It is common for prayers to feel empty, as if the enemy stops the words from being heard by the Savior. Sometimes Christians find themselves groaning, not able to put into words what they need from God. They lose their confidence that they even belong to God. In this sermon on Romans 8:26–27 titled “The Spirit’s Help,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that these groanings are actually additional proof of their sonship and one of the very reasons God sends His Holy Spirit to His people. He comes alongside to help them in their weakness, to be their advocate, and telling them what to pray when they come before the Father. He intercedes for the Christian who utters wordless groanings which God hears, understands, and approves because it is God who sends the Spirit to work these things in His people. He only sends his Spirit to true believers. If, therefore, one finds themselves giving vent to these groanings, be encouraged. It is proof of a true relationship with God because it is the Spirit that produces these groanings. Christians should rejoice as they belong to Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is telling us about the work of the Holy Spirit in giving us assurance of our salvation.
- Our infirmities and lack of knowledge should not discourage us. They are the result of the Fall and sin, not sinful in themselves.
- The Spirit helps our infirmities by interceding for us with wordless groanings when we do not know what to pray for.
- The groanings are ours, produced by the Spirit. The Spirit is not groaning. He is God and above such things.
- God hears and understands these groanings, though we ourselves may not. He knows the mind of the Spirit in producing them.
- The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. This is part of God's plan for our salvation and sanctification.
- If we find ourselves groaning in this way, it proves we are saints and children of God. Unbelievers do not groan like this.
- We should not be discouraged by these groanings but encouraged. They prove our salvation and God's care for us.
Sermon Q&A
How Does the Holy Spirit Help Us in Prayer When We Don't Know What to Pray For?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Romans 8:26-27, here are questions and answers that explore how the Holy Spirit helps believers in prayer.
What specific infirmity of Christians does Romans 8:26-27 address?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this passage specifically addresses our inability to know what to pray for in certain difficult situations. It's not about prayer in general or how to pray, but rather about those specific circumstances when we are perplexed about the exact, appropriate thing to request from God. As Lloyd-Jones states, "He really is not dealing with the question of prayer in general. He's dealing with this peculiar situation in which we all as Christians must have found ourselves many times when in a given position, in a given set of circumstances, we have rarely not known exactly what to pray for."
What does the phrase "the Spirit helps our infirmities" literally mean in the original language?
The word translated as "helps" is a compound word made up of three Greek words. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains it means "together, over against, to take." The picture is of someone coming alongside another person who is struggling with a heavy burden and taking hold of the other end to help carry it. He illustrates this with Martha's request in Luke 10:40 when she asked Jesus to tell Mary to "help" her - using the same word. The Spirit doesn't take the whole burden from us but takes hold of the other end and helps us carry it together.
What are the "groanings which cannot be uttered" mentioned in Romans 8:26?
These are wordless groanings or sighs that come from believers when they're in perplexity about prayer. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that these are not groanings made by the Spirit Himself, but rather groanings produced in us by the Spirit. They are "wordless" - not formulated into specific verbal prayers. Lloyd-Jones says, "All he wants to say is this, not that the feelings which we have are so profound and so deep that you can't give expression to them, but simply that we are in such perplexity that we can't say it. We don't know it's just wordless."
How does God respond to these wordless groanings?
God not only hears these groanings but perfectly understands them because He "searches the hearts" and "knows what is the mind of the Spirit." As Lloyd-Jones explains, "God's receiving set is such that the faintest flicker, He hears it. There is a sigh there which you're not even aware of yourself. He's heard it." God interprets the meaning behind these groans because He knows the Spirit's intentions in producing them in us, and He approves of them because they come "according to the will of God."
How can our inability to pray become evidence of our salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this special work of the Spirit - helping us pray when we don't know what to pray for - is only done in believers ("the saints"). Therefore, if you experience these wordless groanings in prayer, it's evidence that you are a child of God, since the Spirit only works this way in God's children. Lloyd-Jones states, "So far from being depressed and discouraged by your groanings, your wordless groanings in this condition lift up your head. It's an absolute proof again that you're a child of God. The Spirit is doing in you this work that He only does in the saints."
What is the relationship between God's will and the Spirit's intercession?
The Spirit makes intercession "according to the will of God," which means His work is part of God's plan for believers. Lloyd-Jones explains that this doesn't merely mean the Spirit prays for things God agrees with, but rather that the Spirit's entire ministry of intercession is part of God's plan for sanctifying and preserving His children while they're in this world. The Spirit helps us in our weakness according to God's design and purpose for our lives.
How should Christians view their moments of prayer perplexity?
Instead of being discouraged when we don't know what to pray for, Christians should see these moments as opportunities for the Spirit's special work. Lloyd-Jones urges believers to "rise up and praise God for your groanings and sighings, as you remember that every one of them is known to God." What initially seems like a discouraging weakness becomes one of the strongest proofs of our relationship with God, as these experiences demonstrate the Spirit's work in our lives.
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.