The Holy Spirit Our Intercessor

Subject: The Holy Spirit Our Intercessor

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:26-28

The greatest privilege that God has given to us is the freedom to approach Him at any time. We are not only authorized to speak to Him, we are invited.

Not only are we permitted, we are expected to speak to God. In fact, God waits for us to communicate with Him. We have instant, direct access to God.

However, living in these bodies of flesh there are times when we cannot communicate with God as we should.

So God sent us the Holy Spirit who dwells within every born again believer and one of His functions is to help us in our prayer life.

We find this truth in Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Now there are several truths I want to share with you:

I. The Holy Spirit Intercedes With Us.

Now this truth is good news. How many times have you said, or thought, I don’t know what to say when I pray.

How many of you have gone to God in prayer and when you tried to pray, the burden was so great, or the problem was so heavy you didn’t even know where to begin.

You see, what God has given to us is not just book of instructions on how to pray. But He has given us a person, some one who will pray with us and for us – the Holy Spirit.

Now the word intercession in verse 26 is not the same Greek word translated intercession in verse 27.

In verse 26 the word means that the Holy Spirit goes WITH us to the Father to help plead for our needs.

Listen we are finite beings, and we have as this verse says we have our weaknesses. Therefore there are times when we do not know what to pray for.

Let me share it with you this way:

1. I go to prayer but I don’t know what I need or what to pray for.

2. The Holy Spirit DOES know what I need

3. As I pray the Holy Spirit shows me my needs

4. I then take my needs to the Father and He -the Holy Spirit goes with me to the Father.

So I go to my knees in prayer and I cry to the Holy Spirit and say, Oh, Holy Spirit, I don’t know what I need today, I don’t know what God’s will is in this matter.

Holy Spirit will you help me and show me what I have need of today, and he does, and then the Holy Spirit goes with me to the Father.

He knows the father better than I do, so what better Person could I have to go with me to the Father when I present my needs and petitions than the Holy Spirit Who has led me in making my petitions.

Let me try to help us understand this by sharing some other verses with you.

Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Now notice the word both. You see the way prayer works is like this, we pray to the Father, Through the Son, With the Holy Spirit.

Our access to the Father is through His Son. Our prayer partner when we go to the Father is the Holy Spirit.

Now look at Acts 15:28

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.

Oh I like those words, It seemed good to the Holy Spirit AND TO US. Notice the agreement there.

There was a fellowship between the Holy Spirit and the apostles.

They had communed with the Holy Spirit. They had been with Him to the Father.

We are not to just jump on our knees and start telling God what we want and what we need, No NO NO!

We go to the Holy Spirit, who impresses upon us what we really need, He leads us as we go to the Father as we go to the Father the Holy Spirit accompanies us.

He leads me as I talk to the Father, also talking Himself with the Father and confirming my petitions.

Listen there is a way that the Christian can walk in the Spirit, with the Spirit, and through the Spirit until God’s wants become our wants