Romans 8:26-27

 

 

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Romans 8:26  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: Lockman)

Greek: hosautos de kai to pneuma sunantilambanetai (3SPMI) te astheneia hemon; to gar ti proseuchometha kaqo dei (2SPAI) ouk oidamen, (3SRAI) alla auto to pneuma huperentugchanei (3SPAI) stenagmois alaletois; 
Amplified: So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NLT: And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: The Spirit of God not only maintains this hope within us, but helps us in our present limitations. For example, we do not know how to pray worthily as sons of God, but his Spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonising longings which never find words. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest:  And in like manner also the Spirit lends us a helping hand with reference to our weakness, for the particular. thing that we should pray for according to what is necessary in the nature of the case, we do not know with an absolute knowledge; but the Spirit himself comes to our rescue by interceding with unutterable groanings.  (
Erdmans
Young's Literal:   And, in like manner also, the Spirit doth help our weaknesses; for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth us, we have not known, but the Spirit himself doth make intercession for us with groanings unutterable,

ROMANS ROAD
to RIGHTEOUSNESS
Romans
1
:18-3:20
Romans
3:21-5:21
Romans
6:1-8:39
Romans
9:1-11:36
Romans
12:1-16:27
SIN SALVATION SANCTIFICATION SOVEREIGNTY SERVICE
NEED
FOR
SALVATION
WAY
OF
SALVATION
LIFE
OF
SALVATION
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION
SERVICE
OF
SALVATION
God's Holiness
In
Condemning
Sin
God's Grace
In
Justifying
Sinners
God's Power
In
Sanctifying
Believers
God's Sovereignty
In
Saving
Jew and Gentile
Gods Glory
The
Object of
Service
Deadliness
of Sin
Design
of Grace
Demonstration of Salvation
Power Given Promises Fulfilled Paths Pursued
Righteousness
Needed
Righteousness
Credited
Righteousness
Demonstrated
Righteousness
Restored to Israel
Righteousness
Applied
God's Righteousness
IN LAW
God's Righteousness
IMPUTED
God's Righteousness
OBEYED
God's Righteousness
IN ELECTION
God's Righteousness
DISPLAYED
Slaves to Sin Slaves to God Slaves Serving God
Doctrine Duty
Life by Faith Service by Faith

Modified from Irving L. Jensen's excellent work "Jensen's Survey of the NT"

AND IN THE SAME WAY: hosautos de kai:

What does in the same way refer to? In context the comparison appears to be between the way hope sustains us in the midst of present sufferings (v18-25) so (in the same way) the Spirit sustains us by personally aiding us in our weakness. The idea is that we have more than enough resources to keep us going in the midst of earthly trials.

MacArthur explains that...

In the same way refers back to the groans of the creation  (see note Romans 8:22) and of believers (see note Romans 8:23) for redemption from the corruption and defilement of sin. Here Paul reveals the immeasurably comforting truth that the Holy Spirit comes alongside us and all creation in groaning for God’s ultimate day of restoration and His eternal reign of righteousness. (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos)

Hodge agrees writing that...

Not only does hope thus cheer and support the suffering believer, but In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. As hope sustains, so, in the same way, the Spirit also does. Not that the type of help is the same, but simply that they do both assist us. (Hodge, C.  Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, 1835)

And so as the creation and believers both groan for ultimate restoration, the Holy Spirit does as well.

THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPS (lends a hand together with, come to aid of) OUR WEAKNESS: hosautos de kai to pneuma sunantilambanetai (3SPMI) te astheneia hemon: (Ro 15:1
; 2 Corinthians 12:5-10; Hebrews 4:15; 5:2)

Helps (4878) (sunantilambanomai from sún = together, + antilambáno = to support, help) mans to take hold of anything with another, to take part in his burden or work, and thus to give help. It speaks of the action of a person coming to another’s aid by taking hold over against that person, of the load he is carrying. The person helping does not take the entire load, but helps the other person in his endeavor. The word is used where Martha says to the Lord Jesus concerning Mary

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.  (Lu 10:40) (Comment: It is a beautiful word -- to take hold oneself at his end of the task together with one)

One could translate, “Bid her lend me a helping hand,” the idea being that Martha would continue preparing the meal but needed Mary to help her. Just so, the Holy Spirit indwelling the saint, comes to the aid of that saint in his or her spiritual distresses and difficulties, not by taking over the responsibility for them and giving the saint an automatic deliverance without any effort on his or her part, but by lending a helping hand, allowing the saint to work out his problems and overcome the saint's difficulties, with His help.

A. T. Robertson says

The Holy Spirit lays hold of our weaknesses along with (sun) us and carries His part of the burden facing us (anti) as if two men were carrying a log, one at each end.

Weakness (769) (astheneia) means literally without strength and speaks of the state of incapacity to do or experience something. The infirmities here are not physical but spiritual. This refers to our human limitation due to sinfulness which produces a weakness that consists, at least in part, in that “we do not know what we ought to pray.”

The writer of Hebrews uses astheneia writing...

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses (astheneia), but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (see note Hebrews 4:15)

Wuest explains that...

The weakness spoken of here is defined by the context which speaks of prayer, one of the things in the spiritual realm in which our weakness needs His power. The infirmities here therefore are, not physical, but spiritual. The weakness spoken of here is the inability of the saint to know what to pray for. We do know what the general objects of prayer are. But we do not know what the specific, detailed objects of prayer in any given emergency or situation are. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos)

Ryrie explains that...

The Holy Spirit helps our weakness (our inability to pray intelligently about situations) by praying with unutterable groanings. This is not the gift of tongues, for these groans are not in words. Such intercession is in accord with God's will (v. 27). (The Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation: 1995. Moody Publishers)

Vine says that...

Without the aid of the Holy Spirit our patience would fail and we should succumb to despair. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos)

Robert Morgan asks...

What kind of weakness? We are weak in many ways, but in this passage the apostle Paul is specific about the particular weakness he is addressing—our prayer lives. We are weak when it comes to prayer. In what way? Well, we are weak in many ways, but here again Paul has something specific in mind. We are weak in our ability to know what we should ask. Many times we really don’t know what we should specifically pray for. We are not omniscient. We don’t know everything, nor can we see into the future. So we don’t know whether the things we’re asking for will turn out good or bad for us.

An old story illustrates: A Chinese gentleman lived on the border of China and Mongolia. In those days, there was constant conflict and strife along the perimeter. The man had a beautiful horse. One day, she leaped over the corral, raced down the road, crossed the border, and was captured by the Mongolians. His friends came to comfort him. “That’s bad news,” they said sadly. “What makes you think it’s bad news?” asked the Chinese gentleman. “Maybe it’s good news.” A few days later the mare came bolting into his corral, bringing with it a massive stallion. His friends crowded around. “That’s good news!” they cried. “What makes you think it’s good news?” he asked. “Maybe it is bad news.” Later, his son, while riding the stallion and trying to break it, was thrown off and broke his leg. “That’s bad news,” cried the friends. “What makes you think it is bad news?” asked the Chinese gentleman. “Maybe it’s good news.” One week later, war broke out with Mongolia, and a Chinese general came through, drafting all the young men. All later perished, except for the young man who couldn’t go because his leg was broken. The man said to his friends, “You see, the things you thought were bad turned out good; and the things you thought were good turned out bad.”

And thus it is with us. We don’t know if the things we want will really be good for us, or bad. We can’t see the future. That’s why James tells to us to pray, saying, “If it be thy will. . . .” But God does know the future. He is Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows how all things will turn out. Verse 26 says that the Holy Spirit prays for us according to the will of God with intensity, with groanings that words cannot express. And God answers the Holy Spirit’s pleas on our behalf. The result is Romans 8:28! As the Holy Spirit prays for us, God answers His prayers, therefore all the things turn out for our good in the unfolding providence of the Lord. (Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook: 2002 edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Hudson Taylor once said:

Ill that God blesses is our good
And unblest good is ill.
And all is right that seems most wrong
If it be his sweet will.

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Spurgeon wrote...

Never give up praying, even when Satan suggests that prayer is in vain. Pray in his teeth. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). If the heavens are brass and your prayer only echoes above your head, pray on! If month after month your prayer appears to have miscarried, if you have had no answer, continue to draw close to the Lord. Do not abandon the mercy seat for any reason. If it is a good thing that you have been asking for, and if you are sure that it is according to the divine will, wait, tarry, pray, weep, plead, wrestle, and agonize until you get what you are praying for.

If your heart is cold, do not wait until your heart warms. Pray your soul into heat with the help of the ever-blessed Holy Spirit, who helps in our weakness, who makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26).

Never cease prayer for any reason. If the philosopher tells you that every event is fixed and that prayer cannot possibly change anything, go on praying. If you cannot reply to every difficulty that man suggests, resolve to be obedient to the divine will. “Pray without ceasing.” Never, never, never renounce the habit of prayer or your confidence in its power.

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Winslow writes...

The word here rendered helps properly means to take part with. It implies, not merely sympathy with, but a personal participation in our infirmity. The Spirit helps our infirmities by sharing them with us. Now take the general infirmities of the believer–infirmities which, unaided by another and a superior power, must crush and overwhelm–and trace the help thus afforded by the Spirit. We are taught to adore the love of the Father, from where each rill of mercy has its rise. We delight to dwell upon the love of the Son, through whose channel all redemption-blessing flows. And shall we overlook the love of the Holy Spirit? Shall we forget His comforts, His grace, His succourings? Forbid it, oh eternal and blessed Spirit! Your essential Deity–Your personal subsistence–Your tender love–Your Divine power–Your efficacious grace–Your sovereign mercy–Your infinite patience–Your exquisite sympathy–all demand our deepest love, and awake our loftiest praise.

But how is this sympathy of the Spirit expressed? Seeing the soul bound with an infirmity, all His compassion is awakened. Approaching, He takes hold of the burden. Constrained by a love which no thought can conceive, moved by a tenderness no tongue can describe, He advances, and places the power of His Godhead beneath the pressure–and thus He helps our infirmity. Do you doubt this? We summon you as a witness to its truth. Why are you not a ruin and a wreck? Why has not your infirmity long since dethroned reason, and annihilated faith, and extinguished hope, and clad all the future with the pall of despair? Why have you ridden serene and secure upon the crest of the billow, smiling calmly upon the dark and yawning surges dashing and foaming around you? Why have you, when your heart has been overwhelmed, found relief in a sigh, in a tear, in an uplifted glance, in one thought of God? Oh, it has been because the Spirit, all silent and invisible, was near to you, sympathizing, helping, bearing your infirmities. Because around you the power of His Deity was placed. And when you have staggered and turned pale, and have well near given up all for lost, resigning yourself to the broodings of despair, that Spirit has approached, all-loving and powerful, and helped, by sharing your infirmity. Some appropriate and precious promise has been sealed upon your heart–some clear and soothing view of Christ has been presented to your eye–some gentle whisper of love has breathed upon your ear–and you have been helped. The pressure has been lightened, the grief has been assuaged, the weakness has been strengthened, and you have risen superior to the infirmity that bowed you to the dust. Oh, it was the Spirit who helped you. Grieved, and wounded, and slighted a thousand times over though He has been, receiving at your hands the unkindest requital for the tenderest love, yet when your infirmity bowed you to the earth, and the sword entered your soul, He drew near, forgetting all your base ingratitude, and administered wine to your dejected spirit, and oil to your bleeding wound, and placed beneath you the encircling arms of His everlasting love. (Octavius Winslow. Daily Walking with God)

 

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Philpot writes that...

In all our prayers, in all our approaches to the throne of grace, our mercy and wisdom will be to seek to possess the mind of the Spirit; to desire to know the will of God, and do it; to look up more believingly and continually to the Lord Jesus, that he himself would teach and guide us; that he would by his Spirit and grace conform us more inwardly and outwardly to his suffering image; that he would grant unto us to know him more, and serve him better; that our prayers may day by day be more and more fervent, earnest, and sincere, more spiritual, more in accordance with the will of God; that thus they may be more and more manifested as the interceding breath of the Spirit of God in our hearts, and as such may bring more clear and evident answers down.


Pray for the manifestation of Christ to your soul, for a revelation of the Person, blood, righteousness, and love of Jesus; seek to have your signs and evidences of divine life more cleared up; your Ebenezers and tokens for good more brightly shone upon; your doubts and fears more plainly dispelled, and a fuller and sweeter assurance of personal interest given in the finished work of Christ. Desire also to have the promises applied to your heart, the word of God brought with divine power into your conscience, and a living faith raised up and drawn forth to mix with the truth which you read or hear.

 

Beg, as the Lord may enable, for submission, patience, resignation, brokenness, contrition, humility, godly sorrow for sin, heavenly affections, and that sweet spirituality of mind which is life and peace. Above all, seek an inward assurance that your prayers are heard and accepted, and then watch for the answer. This will give you the surest and best of all evidences that the blessed Spirit is himself interceding for you with groanings which cannot be uttered. (J. C. Philpot. Daily Portions)

FOR WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY AS WE SHOULD (as we must - speaks of necessity): to gar ti proseuchometha (1PAMS) katho dei (2SPAI) ouk oidamen (3SRAI): (Matthew 20:22; Luke 11:1-13; James 4:3)

The NASB translators understood Paul to be saying

We do not know how to pray as we should

The NAS thus implies we are ignorant concerning the proper method and procedure in prayer.

The NIV renders it...

We do not know what we ought to pray for

Here the ignorance is in regard to the content of the prayer. MacDonald interprets it along the lines of the NIV rendering noting that we...

We do not know how to pray as we should. We pray selfishly, ignorantly, narrowly. But once again the Spirit comes alongside to assist us in our weakness, interceding for us with groanings which cannot find expression. In this verse it is the Spirit who groans and not we who groan, though that is also true.  There is mystery here. We are peering into the unseen, spiritual realm where a great Person and great forces are at work on our behalf. And although we cannot understand it all, we can take infinite encouragement from the fact that a groan may sometimes be the most spiritual prayer. (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or Logos)

The Greek text permits either the NAS or the NIV interpretation, though it favors the NAS.

The basic principle of effective praying is that it must be in harmony with the will of God (the "what" more than the "how") to be effective, John clearly teaching that..

this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (1John 5:14-15)

However what the will of God is may be hard for us to ascertain in a given situation. In those situations, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid by interceding for us.

Vincent agrees adding that this verse is...

Not with reference to the form of prayer, but to the circumstances: in proportion to the need.

Vine also favors the what over the how of prayer in this passage writing that...

A more literal rendering would be, “what we are to pray according to our need we know not,” i.e., we do not know how to express ourselves so that our prayers shall correspond to the need. Not a mode of prayer is here especially in view, but the subjects. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos)

Alford adds that...

The Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us, knowing our wants better than we, Himself pleads in our prayers, raising us to higher and holier desires than we can express in words, which can only find utterance in sighings and aspirations.

God wants us to ask, but there are times when the situation is simply too complex or we are too distraught that we don't know what to pray for. We have all experienced situations in which we wondered how to pray specifically. We didn't know what would be best and in the will of God for the specific issue at hand.

Hodge sums this up writing that...

This is said to illustrate and confirm the previous general declaration; it is an example of the way in which the Spirit helps us. “He helps us in our weaknesses, for he teaches us how to pray, dictating to us our supplications,” etc. Our need for this help comes from our ignorance. We do not know what to pray for. We cannot tell what is really best for us. Pagan philosophers gave this as a reason why men ought not to pray! How miserable their condition is when compared with ours! Instead of our ignorance putting a seal on our lips and leaving our hearts to break, the Spirit gives voice to our desires in a language which is heard and understood by God. As we do not know how to pray, the Spirit teaches us. (Hodge, Charles: Commentary on Romans. Ages Classic Commentaries or Logos)

BUT THE SPIRIT HIMSELF INTERCEDES FOR US WITH GROANINGS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS: alla auto to pneuma huperentugchanei (3SPAI) stenagmois alaletois: (15; Psalms 10:17; Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 10:20; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 2:18; 6:18; Jude 1:20,21) (7:24; Psalms 6:3,9; 42:1-5; 55:1,2; 69:3; 77:1-3; 88:1-3; 102:5,20; 119:81; Psalms 119:82; 143:4-7; Luke 22:44; 2 Corinthians 5:2,4; 12:8)

Intercedes (5241) (huperentugchano from hupér = for, on behalf of + entugchano = entreat, make intercession, bring a petition to a king on behalf of someone, ask for something with urgency and intensity) means to intercede for or in the behalf of someone or to plead for someone. It is a picturesque word of rescue by one who ‘happens on’ one who is in trouble, and ‘in his behalf’ (huper) pleads ‘with unuttered groanings’ or with ‘sighs that baffle words'.

The whole creation "groans" (see note Romans 8:22), we ourselves "groan within ourselves" (see note Romans 8:23) and the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings (Romans 8:26).

Groanings (4726) (stenagmos from
stenazo = to groan) refers to intense, yet inaudible, sighing. We who believe in God, the entire creation of God, and God Himself, are all yearning for the day when there shall be "no more curse" (see note Revelation 22:3).

Newell writes...

Groanings which cannot be uttered-expresses at once the vastness of our need, our utter ignorance and inability, and the infinite concern of the blessed indwelling Spirit for us. "Groanings"-what a word! and to be used of the Spirit of the Almighty Himself! How shallow is our appreciation of what is done, both by Christ for us, and by the Spirit within us!  (Expository Notes Verse by Verse)

There are some who say Paul by groanings Paul is referring to a special manifestation of the Spirit, such as tongues or ecstatic cries that come from the heart, but that this is not what he is teaching. In fact, he specifically says that the praying of the Spirit is too deep for words or utterance and so is unuttered and cannot be expressed. It is felt only in the heart and never comes to the lips as a verbal expression. In short, we should not confuse these groanings with praying in tongues. This passage promises all Christians God's help, not just those who have (or had) the gift of tongues. Further Scripture never connects the gift of tongues with intercessory prayer. This verse seems to be saying that the Holy Spirit prays for us, not that He prays through us to the Father.

Moo writes

I take it that Paul is saying, then, that our failure to know God's will and consequent inability to petition God specifically and assuredly is met by God's Spirit, who himself expresses to God those intercessory petitions that perfectly match the will of God. When we do not know what to pray for—yes, even when we pray for things that are not best for us—we need not despair, for we can depend on the Spirit's ministry of perfect intercession on our behalf.

The Father understands the Spirit's intercession for the saints even though we do not hear it. We can know that His intercession is effective in securing God's help for us because the Spirit prays in harmony with God's will. Thus God Himself by the Spirit comes to our aid whenever we need help. He also assures us in His Word that we will get assistance from the Father. The consequence of this promise should be that when we feel frustrated about our inability to pray about a particular need we can relax. We can have confidence that our compassionate God understands just how we feel and what we want, and He will respond according to His will.

Stedman observes that...

There are three groans in this passage. Nature is groaning, we are groaning, and now the Spirit is groaning with words which cannot be uttered. This passage helps us in our understanding of prayer. The apostle says that we do not know what to pray for as we ought. We lack wisdom. I want to point out immediately that this is not an encouragement to cease praying. Some people think this means that if we don't know how to pray as we ought, and if the Spirit is going to pray for us anyway, then we don't need to pray. But that would contradict many other passages of Scripture, especially James 4:2, which says. "You have not because you ask not," {Jas 4:2b NIV}. God does want us to pray, and we are constantly encouraged to pray. Jesus taught on prayer. In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells us that we are never to be troubled or anxious, but in everything, with prayer and supplication, we are to let our requests be made known to God.

There are many times when we do know what to pray for. But there will come times when we won't know what to pray for. My wife and I had a time like that last night. We knew something was wrong, but we didn't know how to analyze it, or how to explain it, or how to ask God to do something about it. We were without wisdom. It is at that time, the apostle tells us, that the Spirit of God within us voices, without words, his request to the Father.

I have always been amazed at people who emphasize the gift of tongues and take this verse as proof that the Spirit prays in tongues through us. This verse could not mean that. Paul tells us that this praying of the Spirit is done with groans which words cannot express. Now, tongues are words, words of other languages. If this referred to the gift of tongues, it would merely be putting into other languages the feelings of our heart. But this passage has nothing to do with that. This describes the groans of the Spirit within, so deep and so impossible to verbalize that we cannot say anything at all. We just feel deeply. The apostle says that when that happens, it is the Spirit of God who is praying. The Spirit is putting our prayer into a form which God the Father, who searches the heart, understands. The Spirit is asking for something concerning the situation that we are trying to pray about (
Romans 8:18-28: Agony & Ecstasy)

As the indwelling Holy Spirit alone knows how to interpret our needs, He makes His intercession within us, inspiring our yearnings, and thus fulfilling His gracious function as the other comforter (or advocate) whom the Lord Jesus promised, a comforter of like character with Himself. Since we know not what to pray for apart from His help, we are exhorted to pray “at all seasons in the Spirit” (Ep6:18).

Creation groans, we groan, and the Holy Spirit groans. But the Spirit groans within us, and in doing so strengthens us to bear our trials with confidence and courage, and at the same time directs our hearts to God. These groanings do not necessarily find expression in actual speech, but they are effective with God. Human language is, it would seem, not essential to Divine intercession.

McGee has a somewhat humorous note writing that...

Years ago when the late Dr. A. C. Gaebelein was speaking, a very enthusiastic member of the congregation kept interrupting with loud amens. That annoyed Dr. Gaebelein. Finally, he told him, “Brother, the Scripture says that the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered—so don’t you utter them if it’s the Spirit of God.” We didn’t even know how we ought to pray; but the Spirit of God will make intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered. Have you gone to God sometimes in prayer when you actually did not know what to pray for? All you could do was just go to Him and say, “Father.” You could not ask anything because you didn’t know what to ask for. At times like this the Spirit “helpeth our infirmities.” How wonderful that is! (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary:  Thomas Nelson or Logos)

Here is a helpful note from Believer's Study Bible:

Frequently a disciple confronts difficulties so insurmountable that he cannot even approach prayer skillfully. He knows that he must approach God, but he has already said all that he knows to say to God. In those instances, the promise is that the Holy Spirit "makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Some have interpreted this verse as arguing for "prayer tongues." However, close examination reveals that the believer is not speaking at all. The Holy Spirit is making the intercession. Moreover, the precise words in Greek are stenagmois alaletois, "groanings which cannot be uttered." Literally, the words might be rendered "unspoken sighings." In other words, the communication is nonverbal, involving no speaking of any kind. (Criswell, W A. Believer's Study Bible: New King James Version. 1991. Thomas Nelson)

Wayne Barber has this note on Romans 8:26...
 

First he shows us the Spirit’s purpose in us: "And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness." He is there, in us to help us in our weakness." Notice that "weakness" is singular—which means he is referring to a specific weakness. We are weak, and feeble apart from Him.

 

"And in the same way," or in "like manner," says that what the Spirit is doing in us corresponds to what precedes. Just as we wait out the time longing for the event that is coming, the Spirit is there to help us through it.

"The Spirit also helps our weakness." The idea is that He lays hold on our weakness, our inability. The word translated here as "helps" is the word sunantilambano. Lambano means to take, or to hold, but the first two words Greek words give much insight to the word.

 

Sun, as we have already seen, means a union, or together with. You may remember we used the illustration of making biscuits. Once you have mixed all the ingredients together and then baked them, it is impossible to separate the ingredients again. This is the "union" of the word sun. So, along with us He, the Holy Spirit, takes hold of the burden in order to help. We have our part, which is to wait hopefully, choosing to bear up under whatever comes our way (verse 25: "But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it"), and He has his part.

 

Anti means facing us. Imagine a man struggling to move a heavy log. Along comes another man, who picks up the other end to help. One is on each end of the log, and they face each other as they work together to move the log. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is there with us to do His part in helping us in our weakness.

 

Second, Paul shows us our problem. Where is the target area of our weakness? Actually, there seems to me to be two things linked together. In verses 18-25, the very need for the Roman church to be exhorted to trust God in suffering and to choose to bear up under whatever comes because God is in control, shows us that evidently they weren’t doing so good. Just like us. We know that God is in control, but we would rather blame somebody else and have a "pity party."

 

And coupled with this weakness is our inability to pray as we should: "for we do not know how to pray as we should." This is where the Holy Spirit takes hold of our situation with us, and does what we cannot do. We say, "God I trust you, but I need your help, I don’t even know what to pray." And the Holy Spirit picks up the other end of the log that we cannot carry.

 

It is not as if we do not pray, but we do not know how to pray or what to pray, because we don’t know all that God is doing in a given trial that we are going through. Our prayers, like in James, so often go amiss. We always pray in light of what we think is best for us. But, we don’t know how to pray.

 

So the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to help us, to pick up the end of the log we cannot carry. The problem is that we do not always look at life the way God does and when we pray we don’t know how or even what to ask.

 

But, the power, the ability of the Holy Spirit is that He knows exactly how to pray and what to ask for us: "but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Oh, this gets good. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what is going on in our lives and knows exactly what to pray, for He is God. The Holy Spirit when He sees we do not know how to pray, immediately steps in and prays for us.

 

Most of the time, when we are in the midst of suffering, we are inclined to pray for our problem’s removal. Waiting and believing God that He is using this for greater purposes seems too difficult. Even the apostle Paul prayed three times that God would remove the thorn in his flesh. The answer he received should have been what he prayed—No. But, the Holy Spirit makes good these deficiencies in our prayers.

 

"But the Spirit Himself intercedes." The verb is in the present tense. This is at any time, all the time when it is needed. He intercedes "for us." The meaning here is that the Holy Spirit happens upon us and acts in behalf of us. The Holy Spirit works all that is "spiritual" in us, even our praying.

 

The verse goes on to say "with groanings too deep for words." Oh, the many views on this verse. Some say this is speaking in tongues. But in no way is this some mystical prayer language that a believer says he has. The word "groanings" is that which no language of any kind could ever express. These groanings are the communication between the Spirit and the Father.

 

Notice the verse says "the Spirit Himself" intercedes. Some say thi