Walking in the "Groan Zone".

Have you ever been in a situation where all you could do was groan before God?  I have.  Several times.

What do you do when you enter the "Groan Zone?"

That's our subject this evening at "Pure Worship"  (church-wide prayer meeting starts at 6:00 P.M.).

Paul writes in Romans 8:27,27, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

Here's what I know:  You are not alone when you are in the groan zone.

The Holy Spirit will help you.  He is our comforter.

The Holy Spirit helps us "in our weakness."

Without a hand in the glove, a glove is useless.  It will just lie there.  But when a hand is put into a glove, that glove comes alive and begins to act.

We are gloves.  It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who actively helps us in a time of need.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Why don't people pray?  Because it costs - it costs honesty.  "God, I need your help in this situation!"

The Holy Spirit helps us when we are perplexed about what to pray for.

We all reach a point in our lives where we don't know what to pray for - whether it is our need or someone else's need.

That's why there is no "right" or "wrong" way to pray when you and I are in pain.

God doesn't expect us to pray a highly theological prayer filled with big words.  He just wants us to converse with Him with our heart.

So, when we realize that we are without the Holy Spirit in us we are weak -  and when we realize that we many times do not know how to pray, the Spirit begins to himself "intercede" for us.

Powerful, powerful stuff.

The Spirit intercedes in our hearts for us, the Son intercedes before the father for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Do you realize that right now, as you read this, Jesus is praying specific prayers for you in heaven before God the Father?

In other words, we have two perfect prayer partners interceding for us at all times.

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with "groans that words cannot express."

This speaks of praying in the Spirit, or praying in my prayer language.  When I pray in the prayer language that God has given me, it introduces God's power into my difficult situation.

When I don't know how to pray about a situation, as I pray in my prayer language it is God's Spirit praying through me to God Himself - and how many know that when God hears one of his own prayers - He is going to answer that prayer?

That is the power of praying in your spiritual language

When you are walking into a difficult meeting at work, begin praying in the Spirit as you walk in (softly and to yourself!).

When you are walking into the hospital to pray for someone, walk in praying in the Spirit.  And God's spirit and God's anointing will be with you.

We need the Holy Spirit!  I need the Holy Spirit!

Just a thought for a Wednesday.