Being a faithful Christian is not easy; there is much that God expects me to do. I am to worship God; I am to pray; I am to preach the gospel; I am to keep ourselves pure; I am to love my brother and my neighbor and my enemy. The list continues. However, I don’t have to depend upon my strength alone. I can depend upon the help of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26-27 “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. 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.” What a promise! I can have help from the Holy Spirit of God in my weaknesses. There are many times when I pray that I don’t know how to pray or what to pray for. I know the situation is not what I desire, but just what the best solution is or how to express my desire before God, I do not know. But this passage teaches that I don’t need to worry about my inadequacy in this area. The Holy Spirit knows my heart; He knows the situation; He knows the will of our Heavenly Father; He will intercede to God on my behalf; He helps me in my weaknesses. I believe that assistance with my prayers is just one example of the Holy Spirit helping in my weaknesses. Let us look at some other ways that He helps me.
The Holy Spirit can help me in what I say under trial. Mark 13:11 “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” Luke 12:11-12 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Often in my life I face decisions on what to do, what to say, how to help, and where to go. The Holy Spirit provides leading in my life when I don’t know the direction to go. Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
And finally, the Holy Spirit can provide me with inner strength. The Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was – Ephesians 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.” Therefore, it is appropriate for me to pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen me. I can ask for strength when my faith is weak, and I can pray for strength when I am tempted to sin. Any time I need spiritual strength, I can pray for the Holy Spirit to give me that strength. This is an important point. Many try to overcome sin using their own strength, and therefore they fail. Often we need the strength of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin.
God wants me to depend upon him for strength. The Apostle Paul had a problem. He pleaded with the Lord to remove the problem. 2Co 12:8-10 “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” When I acknowledge my weakness and come to Him, He makes me strong.
How wonderful it is that the Holy Spirit of God will help us in our weaknesses!