1-25-23 Today in the Word

Praying with the Spirit Wednesday, January 25 | Romans 8:18–30 When I face a challenge or have a large task to accomplish, I always know that my wife, Jane, will be praying for me. If I feel I need more prayer, I have friends that I can ask. But I always have someone else praying for me, whose voice I have never heard: the Holy Spirit. Paul mentions this mysterious ministry of prayer in the context of a larger discussion about the Spirit’s work in our lives. All those who have the Holy Spirit living in them “are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit” (v. 9). The apostle makes it clear in this same verse that everyone who belongs to Christ also has the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s presence obligates us to live “according to the Spirit” (v. 12). We do this by living in the power of the Spirit. God’s Spirit enables us to resist the impulses of the sinful nature (v. 13). This does not mean that those who possess the Spirit never struggle. In verse 18 Paul acknowledges that Christians suffer. The struggle may be so intense that even we who “have the firstfruits of the Spirit” often “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (v. 23). The Holy Spirit groans along with us but His groans are prayers. The Spirit “intercedes for us” (v. 26), and “he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (v. 27). No wonder Paul can say that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (v. 28). What the Holy Spirit prays always agrees with God’s will. His requests for us are never refused. >> While you may sometimes be at a loss for words, the Holy Spirit never is. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness” (v. 26). He knows just how to pray for you. Pray with Us God, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for helping us in our weakness. Thank You for praying for us! Knowing that the Spirit Himself is praying on our behalf gives us comfort and hope.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more