Sermon 30th July 2023 – 9th Sunday after Pentecost
Text Romans 8:26-39 – Our Prayer
helper
A couple weeks ago we heard a
heart felt confession by St Paul that must have taken real courage. The good I
want to do I do not do – the evil I do not want to do I keep on doing. That
took a lot of courage and probably reflects most if not all Christians but
sadly because of our pride we don’t like to present ourselves as less that
perfect with our faults visible to others. We like to present ourselves as good
people who try to do the right thing even though sometimes we might not get
everything right. But evil – no. We would like to feel that we are a far cry
from how Paul describes himself – wretched man that I am – who will save me
from this body of death. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I
am the worst of them.
And today I believe we seen
another side of Paul that reflects many of us even though we might not like to
admit it. That Paul seemed to know what it was like to struggle with prayer. Now
that might sound strange for Paul – a person close to God even before his
conversion to Christianity. A person who saw and spoke with the risen Lord
Jesus on his way to Damascus. A man prepared to go to prison – even death – for
the sake of his Christian faith. And yet, he says the Spirit helps us in our
weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought. Notice he says – OUR
weakness – WE do not know how to pray.
Again, I would say that prayer
is another area where many, most, dare I say all, Christians feel they are
challenged. Shouldn’t it be one of the easier tasks Christians to be able to
do? I mean, it’s just talking to God, isn’t it? I’m guessing that many Pastors
would be reluctant to admit that they too struggle in their prayer life because
we are seen as symbols of faith. But in all honesty, I struggle like everyone
else. And, according to Paul, it’s a weakness and we do not know how to pray as
we ought.
Why is it a weakness and what
makes it a weakness? Is it to do with the amount of time we spend in prayer?
Doesn’t Paul say to pray
without ceasing? Or is it to do with the content of our prayers as James tells
us? When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that
you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Do you feel guilty perhaps when
someone asks you to pray for them or you say to someone “I’ll keep you in my
prayers” and you don’t. I think these are perhaps symptoms but not what Paul is
trying to help us understand. These are physical affects on our prayer life of
a much deeper spiritual attack on our prayer life which falls under what we
refer to as “Spiritual Warfare”
In warfare communication is
vital. In relationships communication is vital. So, it’s no surprise that Satan
will attack our communication with God. Communication with God is always under
attack – whether it’s worship – which involves communication - Holy Communion
which has the same root word – or the Communion of Saints where we gather
together which has always been under attack as far back as the first churches
which the writer to the Hebrews says: Let us not give up meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as
you see the Day approaching. There is the Word of God communicating to us his
word of Grace and forgiveness. But here Paul is particularly talking about our
communicating with God in our prayer life.
But the Good News is that God
is on the offensive in this spiritual warfare by sending in his own Holy Spirit
as Paul says: The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to
pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for
words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints – you and me = according to the
will of God.
How beautiful is that. Just
like his wretched body of death and who will save me – Thanks be to God, who delivers me through
Jesus Christ our Lord. So too here, God, through his Holy Spirit rescues us. And
even the Holy Spirit knows the scars of battle in Spiritual Warfare: That very
Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
We must never underestimate
the battle that wages around us. We cannot see it with our physical sight –
just like Jacob couldn’t see the angels ascending and descending the ladder
from heaven to earth. Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord
is in this place—and I did not know it!” John, in the Book of Revelation, saw
the battle raging around us with the beast and the dragon waging war against
God’s elect.
Should we be afraid? Definitely
not because, as Paul says, What then are
we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is
against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us,
will he not with him also give us everything else? Despite the war being waged
against God’s elect, Paul says we are protected. Who will bring any charge
against God's elect? It is God who
justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was
raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. So not
only do we have the Holy Spirit praying on our behalf, we have Jesus Christ
himself interceding for us.
Maybe your prayer life is far
from perfect but that’s what Satan will use against you. He will make you feel
guilty – inadequate – unworthy. He will condemn you but Paul reminds us that
only God can condemn but it is God who makes us right through Jesus who died
for us. Satan would like us to believe that because of our inadequate prayer
life that God doesn’t love us. But again, nothing could be further from the
truth. As Paul says: He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for
all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? And because of
that assurance there is nothing that should make you feel separated from God; Nothing.
For neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. May God bless you as you
allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in your prayers and our Lord Jesus to comfort
you as he intercedes with his Father and your Father in Heaven.
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