SPIRITUAL GROANINGS
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. 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.
That word, “groanings” is made up of two Greek words. It comes from the word translated, “he sighed” in Mark 7:34, and from the word translated “with grief” in Hebrews 13:17. Therefore to groan is “to sigh with grief.”
And these groanings of the true believer are but the indwelling Spirit of God effectually communing an acceptable intercession to God on our behalf. For God is by the indwelling Holy Spirit monitoring our thoughts. He is by the mind of the Spirit always searching our hearts. And truly, one of our spiritual “infirmities” is the matter of proper, spiritual prayer.
We are commanded to “pray without ceasing.” Yet the religious system has taught us that prayer involves closing our eyes and speaking out audible sentences to an invisible God of our imagination. But we cannot do that “without ceasing.” The lamp in the holy place of the temple was never to go out. And our communion with the Lord is never to cease. Therefore we must restructure our thinking concerning just what prayer truly is.
It must reside more in our God-consciousness than in our religious expressions. And it must reside more in the Holy Spirit’s mind as God searches our hearts. Before the infant learns to speak, the mother must discern from the facial expressions, physical gestures, and cries, just what the child is trying to communicate. She must interpret from the child’s groanings just what he intends to be uttered. And this is properly accomplished for us “according to the will of God” by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Here are but a few verses to introduce us to God’s involvement in our thoughts: Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Psalm 94:7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. 8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? 9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? 11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Psalm 139:1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
And the Apostle Paul, (the apostle to the Gentiles, who were not brought up under the Rabbinical system of the law), had this to say regarding them having their inner consciousness of the law by the Holy Spirit. Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Truly, regenerating grace causes old things to pass away and all things to become new in the souls of those born of the Spirit! Now the newly born believer begins to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lusts and inclinations of the fleshy, old nature. He is born of the Spirit. He walks in the Spirit. And his communion to the Father must also be of, and by, the Spirit.
The Psalmist was once in such a miserable state that he could not accomplish religion’s concept of ‘prayer!’ His heart was so ‘disquieted’ within him that, like an animal, he went roaring all the day long. Yet even in this state, he was sure those groans were not hidden from God! Psalm 38:6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
Sadly our religion has attempted to form God into our image, and not us into his! We do not fully realize the absolute truth of that which our Lord Jesus taught us concerning the Father. “God is spirit: and they that worship him MUST worship him in spirit and truth!” John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 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 Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Far too often we go away from our houses of religion, assured within ourselves that we have truly satisfied our responsibility to please God with our worship. Yet we have merely participated in a form of religious godliness! For consider what we are told is to come forth in these last days! 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Let us consider more closely just how heaven communicates with itself. First we see the fiery, glorious appearance of God to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. (Amber is the color associated with the glory of God. See Ezekiel 8:2,4)
And was it not with the sound of a rushing, mighty wind, and with cloven tongues of fire by which the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost? Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Then we see the life of God in the soul of man presented to the prophet in the four living creations. (See also Revelation 4:6,7. The lion reveals Matthew in his presentation of Christ’s kingdom. The calf represents Mark, the suffering servant. The man represents Luke, the physician. And the flying eagle represents John, with his gospel uniquely different from the others. And it was to John, to whom the Lord Jesus appeared to reveal His Revelation.) Ezekiel 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
Now we come to see the traits of the man indwelt by the Spirit. The spirit within the regenerate man is conquered and controlled by the Holy Spirit! Ezekiel 1:12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
The spiritual man lives, like the Hebrew children in the fire, in the holy flames of the living God! Daniel 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Ezekiel 1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Therefore this unbroken contact with heaven is as if with messages of flashing lightning he communicates in the Holy Spirit with God! Ezekiel 1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
For those unutterable groanings are instantaneous awarenesses in both the participants! Let us again refer to Christ’s communion with the Father at Lazarus’ tomb. John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
But we find no instance recorded of religion’s definition of prayer. There was no closing of the eyes, nor do we read of any previously spoken words to “God.” Yet we do read of those lightening flashes communing by unutterable groanings! John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave.
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