Travail in Prayer

In Romans 8, Paul spoke to the church about moving from a place of suffering for Christ, to being transformed into glory. He called the sufferings that we experience not worthy, to be compared to the glory which is to be revealed in us. The entire creation is waiting for the children of God to be revealed or manifested. This is when Christ returns and we are transformed into his immortal image. Right now creation experiences frustrations and vanity, not willingly, but we have hope in God. One day we will be delivered from our decaying bodies, into a glorious freedom to live with God. Creation has been groaning in labour pains, up to our present time. We also have a joyful hope of what is to come, although we also groan inwardly, we wait in anticipation to be adopted as children, when our bodies will be transformed at the resurrection. 

Our hope is by salvation through faith in what is unseen, we wait in expectation and perseverance. While we wait, the Holy Spirit prays for us and through us. “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” ‭‭(Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬). He searches our hearts and knows the mind of God and prays to God on behalf of his children, according to the will of God. As we live in the will of God, we know that everything works out for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His will and purpose. God knew before creation those who are called and preordained to walk in His image, to be the chosen among His children. Those who God chose ahead of time, He set apart and made righteous and raised us up to live with Him in heavenly places. 

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬)? God sent His only son to die for us, so no one can bring any charges against us and because God has justified us, then no one can condemn us. Nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God and we are more than conquerers, through Him who loved us. Through the love of God and Him making us righteous, we have access to come to God with our needs.  Jesus is our High Priest who can sympathise with our weaknesses and experienced every temptation that we experience. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭16). Jesus sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us, so we have the High Priest bringing our prayers and requests to God. 

Prayer is our means of communication with God. It is our access key and passcode to enter into the throne and presence of God, to bring our praise, worship, thanksgiving and prayer requests. Through prayer, we develop an intimate relationship with God, where we abide in his presence and understand His mind and His will. Understanding the mind and will of God, helps us to pray accordingly. The Holy Spirit prays through us with ‘groanings which cannot be understood,’ through the manifestation of speaking in tongues. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire and rested on the saints. As they were filled, they spoke in tongues as the spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2). Praying in tongues transcends human understanding as we pray in the language of the spirit, which is the language of heaven. 

Although we don’t understand as we pray in tongues, we surrender to the Spirit so that He can pray through us, in ways which we don’t understand. The Spirit searches our hearts and knows our needs and also knows the mind of God. We should desire to pray in tongues as this takes our prayers to a different dimension in the spirit, where God reveals mysteries and His heart and mind. “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries” (‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭2‬).

Anneta Pinto-Young (A.P.-Y.)