You are probably familiar with the phrase, “The man who chooses to represent himself in court has a fool for a client.”  This is true for the most part because the role of a lawyer is to act as our advocate, to intercede for us, to speak on our behalf.  In most cases he knows better how to communicate the message of our defense to either the judge or a jury, better than we ever could.  While we might fancy ourselves capable of handling ourselves in a courtroom after watching a few episodes of Perry Mason or Matlock, it would be better for us to let the experts handle the case.

How does that fit the pattern of our study on prayer, you may ask?  In Romans 8:26, the apostle Paul makes a point we should understand in regard to our prayer life.  One that is especially true when we are distracted from communicating our thoughts by various causes.  Paul tells us, “…in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words…” (NASB)

There are times in our lives when we do not know how to pray, do not know what to say or how to say what is on our hearts or minds.  In times of extreme emotional stress, whether it is joy, pain, or sorrow, the anguish we endure throws up a roadblock in our thought processes and we struggle to even put together a recognizable sentence.  As God’s children we should take comfort that the gift of the Holy Spirit we have received, that makes its abode within us upon our conversion to Christ is there to make intercession for us to our heavenly Father.  In the next verse Paul continues by saying “He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to {the will of} God.”  (NASB)  When times of trial come upon us, trust in God to know what our needs and our desires are, especially when they bring us to the point of being overwhelmed.  Do you take comfort in Paul’s words?  If you are one of God’s children you will…

Copyright © 2004, Nolan P. Rutter