MSEP04 – Groanings Which Cannot Be Uttered

I present to you another episode of Misapplied Series on Grace Tidings. Misapplied is a Bible Study series in which I address some of the Bible verses that have been misused or taken out of context by many people. This series is a great chance for Bible studies. To learn more about the series, please visit Introduction to Misapplied Series.

This episode, #MSEP04, addresses a popular verse in the Epistle of Paul to the Christians, Romans 8:26, which is being misapplied by some believers today:

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The goal of this lesson is to explain in context what this verse is saying, and what it means by what it’s saying. I’m persuaded that this knowledge will help many believers better understand their blessings in Christ. As usual I will begin by sharing with you the popular and wrong application of the verse.

When I was in the Pentecostal movement, I was taught that the “groanings which cannot be uttered” in Romans 8:26 refers to speaking in tongues. This is an effort on their part to encourage the people to pray in the Spirit (See Ephesian 6:18; Jude 20-21). So according to them, praying “in the Spirit” means praying in tongues. That in itself is contrary to the Scriptures. It is another confusion that results from the Pentecostal theology. But that is what many of them use this verse to teach.

Many Pentecostal people hold the belief that the expression “groanings which cannot be uttered” refers to the words that they speak without meaning to them or to anyone else. The ministers in this movement will often encourage their followers to start speaking anything even if they have no idea what they’re talking about. Some have even taken it to the level of singing in tongues.

This interpretation, though, is totally foreign to the Romans 8 or to the entire Epistle.

What’s the Scriptural basis for the above interpretation? None! These are just some assumptions from some so-called anointed men of God. The interpretation does not fit into the context of the Chapter for the following reasons:

Firstly, the word “groanings” in the verse is a qualifier for the intercession which the Holy Spirit makes on our behalf. We do not make the groanings, the Holy Spirit does.

The word groaning (according to Webster 1828) means “Uttering a low mournful sound”. It can also be seen as “A deep sound uttered in pain or sorrow”. In this passage, we see about 3 occasions of groanings:

In verse 22, we see a groaning by “the whole creation”. And then in verse 23, we “ourselves” groan, and wait… But the groanings in verse 26 is by the Holy Spirit on our behalf.

Secondly, the verse says the “groanings” “cannot be uttered“. This means it cannot be verbally expressed. So why do we try to express it with gibberish?

Thirdly, the interpretation disregards the purpose of the miracle of tongues. It was never meant to be used to pray, to sing, or to get the Christians closer to God. It was used to witness about Christ, and the audience heard the spoken words and understood in their own languages. For instance, as a result of this miracle, 3,000 souls were saved on the Day of Pentecost. Nowhere in the Scripture are we told that speaking or praying in tongues makes the believers stronger, more spiritual, or closer to God.

And fourthly, praying and worshiping God are meant to be done with understanding, i.e. with your heart, soul, and mind engaged.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

You cannot worship or pray to God with your mind disconnected. One of the major problem with this interpretation is the fact it distracts the believers from the true and crucial message of the passage.

As always, this is the section where we need to read the Chapter in context, the same thing which false teachers do not like to do.

Reading the Chapter in Context

The Epistle to the Romans begins by narrating who we are and what God did for us, this ends in Chapter 5. Chapters 6 and 7 tell us how we should respond to what Christ did for us. This Chapter, Romans 8, shows us how the Holy Spirit helps us to respond properly. In Romans 8, we see the believers’ lives progress from justification to being right with God and then to the adoption of sons (children).

Romans 8:26 begins with the word “Likewise”. In simple English comprehension, this means the word has a connection with the preceding verses. These preceding verses discuss the blessings of the gospel. Verse 1-17 discuss the redemption of the believers, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the role which the Spirit plays in the lives of the believers.

Beginning from Verse 18, the Chapter is about how the creation is delivered from sufferings and death, and kept for the sons of God. Verses 23-25 talk about how we patiently wait for the “redemption of our body”. We are hopeful that this day will come. But our hope is based upon our faith in the Word of God.

Romans 8:23-25 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

In addition to the hope of this redemption, Verse 26 starts a new paragraph of what the Holy Spirit is currently doing for us. This particular role of the Spirit is connected to the infirmities of the believers. The verse tells us what the infirmity is and how the Spirit helps to overcome it.

Our Infirmities

The word “infirmities in Romans 8:26 means weakness or limitations. This weakness is about our inability to always know the purpose of God for our lives, which in turn makes us pray the wrong prayers.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Many believers often pray the wrong prayers! We all do it. The way we do this is by asking for things that have no connection with God’s purpose for our lives. James writes about this in his Epistle:

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

To ask “amiss” is to ask improperly or to ask for the wrong things. The word “lusts” in the verse can also be seen as pleasures. So the reason we pray without receiving the desired answers is because we ask for the wrong things in order to fulfill our fleshly or selfish desires and pleasures. God is not under the obligation to grant requests which have no connection with His purpose for our lives.

Therefore, regardless of how much extra works we add to our prayers, such as fasting, vigils, screaming, long prayers or long prayer-points, praying at midnight, sowing seeds, etc., God will not answer those prayer if our requests are contrary to God’s plan for us at the time. This means our requests in prayers must be directed to seeking and doing the will of God. This is where the believers are sometimes wanting. And this is one of our greatest infirmities!

Our understandings are weak, particularly in the things of God our desires are weak; our prayers are weak. We know not – Many times. What we should pray for – Much less are we able to pray for it as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us – In our hearts, even as Christ does in heaven. With groanings – The matter of which is from ourselves, but the Spirit forms them; and they are frequently inexpressible, even by the faithful themselves. – John Wesley Notes on the Bible – Romans 8:26.

The Intercession of the Spirit

So we’re incapable of asking for the right thing at the right time. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. He helps us pray the right prayers at all times.

The first thing to note is that the true identity of the believer is that of a child of God. This is made possible by the regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, we can boldly approach the throne of grace to obtain the needed mercy:

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

As children of God, we have two divine Advocates between us and our Heavenly Father:

1. Christ our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1), and
2. the Holy Spirit our advocate with us (John 14:16).

It is in the Name of Jesus Christ that our requested are granted by the Father. But our requests get to the Father through the intercession of the Spirit.

Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Both Jews and Gentiles have access to God through Christ by the Spirit. That is, by Christ’s accomplishment, we are reconciled to God and granted access to Him. But our access to God is through the help of His Spirit that dwells in us. When the Spirit goes to God on our behalf, He goes in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Verse 27 reminds us that God sees and knows everything, even before we speak (Matthew 6:8; Hebrews 4:13). He knows what the Spirit will request for on our behalf as He intercedes for us because the Spirit makes intercession in accordance with the will of God.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Praying in Jesus Name

As pointed out above, the intercession of the Spirit on our behalf is through Christ. It is therefore of paramount importance that our prayers are rendered in the name of Jesus Christ – we get to the Father through Him. This is why the Christians often pray in Jesus Name.

But this idea has been taken out of context by many believers. To a lot of people, praying in Jesus name means to simply use the phrase “in Jesus name” in prayers – whether at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the prayers. There are people who will even use the phrase repeatedly before they finish praying. This is obviously not what it means to pray in Jesus name.

In praying in Jesus name, you are praying in accordance with the purpose of Christ. You’re after the things that Christ would pursue. You’re asking for things that Christ would endorse. Your prayers are driven by your desire to please Him. That is what it means to prayer in Jesus name. Think of it as you asking someone for something on behalf of someone else.

Christ Himself speaks with regards to this:

John 14:12-13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If I give my child a job or a project to complete, he will definitely not have trouble getting from me the supplies for that project. If you’re answering the call of Christ, and your prayers are driven by your desires to fulfill that call, you’re guaranteed answers to your prayers. This is what the Apostle John means when he writes about asking “according to His will”:

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Salvation is what takes us to this point. But being saved alone does not guarantee that all our prayers will be answered if we do not pray according to the will of God.

This therefore calls for our submission to the leading of the Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit will not intercede for us on matters contrary to the will of God. The believers who understand this are those with the secret to answered prayers and not the ones who pray the loudest or the longest.

When your prayers line up with what God already wants to do, answers come fast. But if your prayers are driven by fleshly lusts and desires, then you got a problem! This is an obvious lesson from today’s passage.

The result of all these is the truth that all things will work together for good for the genuine believers.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We must not miss the connection between verses 26 and 28, though it is not very clear in our version. It is, “We do not know what we should pray for as we ought . . . but we do know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” This thing and that thing may appear to work evil, but together they work for our spiritual good. This must be so, inasmuch as the Spirit indwells us, helping our weaknesses and interceding in our perplexities; and also in the light of the fact that God has taken us up according to His purpose, which nothing can thwart. – F. B. Hole on Romans 8.

Because of Christ and His Spirit that indwells us, we are guaranteed to receive ALL that we need.

Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

But not only that, we are also guaranteed that there will no longer be any condemnation for the true believers! Do you know why? it is because Christ “ever liveth to make intercession” for us with the Father (Hebrews 7:25). Have you noticed the two forms of intercession in this lesson? Christ interceding for us with the Father; and His Spirit interceding for us from within us. This is an amazing blessing of salvation!

Romans 8:33-34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

These all led to the inseparable union between the believers and Christ affirmed in the final verses of the Chapter:

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This ought to make anyone who is unsaved want to get saved!