The Spirit who indwells the believers helps them in their weakness. Romans 8:26a says, “In like manner the Spirit also joins in to help us in our weakness.” In particular, weakness here is our weakness in prayer. Prayer exposes our weakness. It is not easy for us to pray. We may have the energy to do many other things, but we may not have the energy needed to pray. Even if we have the desire to pray, we may not have the energy, strength, and ability to carry out our desire. This indicates that we are weak in God’s interest and in the divine things. Therefore, the indwelling Spirit works in us to help us in our weakness, especially in our weakness in praying to have fellowship with the Triune God.
According to Romans 8:26a, it is “in like manner” that the Spirit joins in to help us in our weakness. The phrase “in like manner” has an all-inclusive meaning. This phrase includes matters covered in foregoing verses in Romans such as expecting, eagerness, groaning, endurance, and hope. While we are groaning, the Holy Spirit also is groaning. While we are expecting, He is expecting. While we are hoping and enduring, He is hoping and enduring. Whatever we are, He is also the same. In like manner the Spirit joins in to help us. What a comfort this is! While we are groaning, watching, and expecting, the Spirit also is groaning, watching, and expecting. He is the same as we are. If we are weak, He apparently is weak also, although actually He is not. He sympathizes with our weakness. He appears to be weak for the sake of our weakness in order to participate in it. When we pray loudly, He also prays loudly. He also prays softly when we pray softly. We may say, “O Father, I am pitiful. Have mercy on me.” When we pray in this way, the Spirit prays for us in like manner. In whatever way we pray, He also prays. In whatever we are, He also is. If we pray quickly, rejoicingly, and shoutingly, He also prays in this manner. Our manner is His manner.
We should not think that the Spirit is so different from us that when we receive the Spirit we shall be extraordinary people. This is not the thought in Romans 8. Romans 8 reveals that the Holy Spirit is in our manner. The Spirit prays in our manner. In whatever manner we are, He also is.
In Romans 8:26a Paul also says that the Spirit joins in to help us. He participates in our weakness in order to help us. The Spirit does not ask us to join in with Him; rather, He joins in with us. The Spirit joins in in our manner. If our manner is quick, He will also be quick. If we are slow, He will be slow. Whether we pray strongly or weakly, loudly or softly, it does not matter to Him. As we pray, He will pray in us in like manner. In like manner the Spirit joins in to help us in our weakness.
In Romans 8:26b Paul says, “We do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” When we are weak, unable to pray, the Spirit comes in to strengthen us. Then we may begin to pray. However, although we may be burdened to pray, we may not know what to say, or we may lack utterance. Then we may begin to sigh and to moan. This is the groaning of the Spirit within us.
The Spirit intercedes for us with groanings in our manner. This groaning apparently is our groaning, but in our groaning is the groaning of the Spirit. This is why His groaning is in the same manner as our groaning. He is in us, and His groaning is in our groaning. He groans with us in like manner. This is the best prayer we can have for the growth in life. Many of our prayers are utterable with clear words, but they may not issue from our spirit. However, when we have a real burden to pray, yet we do not know how to utter it, then spontaneously we may groan with that burden without any utterable word. This will be the best prayer within which the Spirit intercedes for us by groaning together with us.
This kind of unutterable prayer is primarily for the growth in life, concerning the true need of which we do not have much understanding. Concerning our material needs and business affairs we are clear and have the utterance to pray about them. But concerning the matter of our growth in life we are lacking in both understanding and utterance. As we seek the Lord regarding the growth in life, deep within our spirit we may be burdened with some prayer about which we have no clear understanding and for which we have no utterance. Spontaneously, therefore, we are forced to groan. While we are groaning from deep within our spirit, the Spirit who dwells in our spirit automatically joins in with our groaning, interceding for us mainly that we may have the transformation in life for growth in the maturity of sonship.
The interceding Spirit helps us, sympathizes with us, sustains us, comforts us, and supports us by interceding for us. At times we may feel weak and depressed. But within us, even at such times, there is something sustaining, supporting, encouraging, and comforting us. There is something within us telling us not to be disappointed. Although we are weak, there is a support within us. There is even a certain kind of prayer going on within us and for us. This is the work of the interceding Spirit, and this is the intercession of the helping Spirit, who understands us thoroughly. The Spirit helps us in every kind of situation, for He knows our needs, problems, and shortcomings, and He sympathizes with us, supports us, and sustains us.
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