NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum.
Bible Passage: Romans 8:26-27
Discussion Questions:
- Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to illuminate your time in the Bible? How does that prayer and mindfulness impact your Bible reading and study?
- How does the above Bible passage give you encouragement and hope, even when your prayers feel feeble and afraid?
Food for thought:
The Holy Spirit does more than help us understand Scripture, but also softens our hearts to help us apply Scripture properly. In prayer, ask the Spirit to help you understand the meaning of Scripture and properly apply that meaning in concrete ways. These applications may take the form of praise offered to God, thanksgiving for His grace and provision, trust in His promises, obedience to His commands or confession of sin. Whatever Scripture calls for in terms of proper application of its rightly understood instructions would apply.
Intercession is an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit on behalf of believers. When we don’t know how or what to pray, the Spirit prays. Paul’s instruction about this work is both honest and hopeful. Paul underscores the groanings of creation: its “labor pains” are due to its fallen condition and yearning for its freedom “from the bondage of decay” (Romans 8: 21-22). He links these groanings of creation with the groanings of Christians: “we ourselves who have the Spirit as the first fruits, we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23).
Paul is honest. Christians struggle to pray because we live as sinful believers in a sinful world. Especially as we have our backs against the wall, we face trials, temptations, loss, persecution and other afflictions. We don’t know how to pray and sometimes don’t know what to pray. As we try to hold back the tears of despair, we can’t even mouth the words of a prayer to God.
Paul’s description of our desperate reality is honest. Paul is also full of hope that in these times, the Holy Spirit prays on behalf of Christians. The Holy Spirit intercedes for distraught Christians, not using human words in English, Korean, Spanish or Italian, but addresses Himself to God “with inexpressible groanings.” This is a divine communication that humans cannot, nor need to, understand. The Spirit appeals on our behalf that the Father will grant comfort, direction, encouragement, hope, relief or whatever is needed in the moment. And the assurance is that the Father, who eternally loves and listens to the Spirit, grants the Spirit’s request. Christians have that for which the Spirit prays.
Masterwork
MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at Lifeway.com/masterwork.
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