Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 276 – Romans 8:26-27- The Spirit Helps Us In Our Weakness- Growing As Disciples
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
Weak Or Strong?
There is no doubt about that. There is no doubt about what? I am weak. How are you weak? How much time do you have? I could go on and on about how weak I am. That wouldn’t be a bad exercise. Why is that? You don’t need to worry so much about your weaknesses. When you should begin to worry is when you begin to think you are strong. Why is that? What do you do when you know you are weak? I come to rely on you. I ask you for your help. What do you do when you begin to think that you are strong? I rely on my own gifts and talents and abilities. I try to go and do your will with my own efforts. You do now see the problem, don’t you? Yes, I do.
You had a very specific weakness in mind when you said there was no doubt about your weakness. Yes, I did. Tell me about the weakness you had in mind. I can’t tell you how often I have not known how to pray. Does that seem like a weakness to you? Yes, it does. Are you sure about that? No, I’m not. If you haven’t known how to pray what have you done? If you don’t know how to pray what will you do? If I don’t know how to pray, I will ask you to show me how to pray. That is what I have done and that is what I will do. When have you been so sure of how to pray that you didn’t need to ask me to show you how to pray? When have you not needed me to guide your prayers? You’ve got me there. I can’t say that I have ever not needed you to guide my prayers. I have always and will always need you to show me how to pray. Yes, you will. Wouldn’t needing and relying on my help be more of a strength than a weakness? Yes, it would. Wouldn’t relying on yourself to come up with your own prayers to pray be more of weakness? Yes, it would. Aren’t you strongest when you rely on me? Yes, I am. Aren’t you weakest when you rely on yourself? Yes, I am. So, what will you do? I will rely on you to show me how to pray. I will let you guide my prayers. That will be very good.
Holy Spirit, often I have no idea how to pray. I have no thoughts to think or words to say. I am left speechless, which is a good thing. I will rely on you to teach me how to pray. Guide my prayers. Intercede for me. Bring my prayers into alignment with God’s will. Amen
For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:
Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.
Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.
By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved Copying not permitted www.GrowingAsDisciples.com
