All things work together for our eschatological glory and good—in part, due to the Spirit’s prayers. What God planned of our salvation from eternity past will certainly come to be. We will be perfectly conformed to the image of His Son and glorified with Him.

The Holy Spirit helps us on our way to heaven. He lives within us, empowering us for good and enabling us for service, and He endeavors by praying for us to the Father. Romans 8:26–27 teaches us about the Spirit’s ministry of intercession.

Some of what Romans 8:26–27 teaches is fairly clear. Our human weakness limits our ability to pray as we ought, and, when our prayers are insufficient or absent due to ignorance, the Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. Other matters are not so clear, however. What are the groanings of the Spirit? And how does the Spirit groan within our hearts?

In context, “groanings” recalls the groaning of creation and the sons of God (cf. Rom 8:22–23). This groaning is a longing to be freed from sin and corruption and to be fully redeemed—to be glorified and thus no longer living in perishing bodies, fighting our indwelling sin, and suffering on occasion. But the Spirit Himself is God and must therefore groan in some other way. As He lives within us, His groanings are for us—not only that He would bring about our glorification one day, but also that He would enable us to overcome until then according to the will of God (cf. Rom 8:18–25).

Read More