Wresting Romans 8:26...don't do it.

"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." - Romans 8:26

Romans 8:26....a verse that has been wrested to the destruction of many denominations, let alone mere pastors, people, or ministries. How so? Because of the misunderstanding. One such example is this:

"Speaking in Tongues" article from 1976 - "It is the Spirit of God interceding for man. Man prays (forms the words, etc.), but utterance is given by the Holy Spirit." (and then Romans 8:26 is presented as the "evidence" for this statement).

So.....man prays....then the Holy Spirit takes the words, and says to God "let me tell you what they really meant to say, God....allow me to give you utterance for your clarification....?" Does God need clarification? Is he dull of understanding? Was there something he didn't hear regarding our prayers in the first place? No. God is omnipotent and omnipresent, knowing all things. The Holy Spirit doesn't need to be "given" by the Holy Spirit to God once we pray. As for "praying in tongues"...that's a whole other can of worms to the which I'll simply state: It's wrong, it has ceased, and if you think you're praying in tongues today, you're not. you're just mumbling nonsense awkwardly.

Getting back to Romans 8:26, and the "Speaking in Tongues" article, they've got the very context of the scripture way off base. They're in the wrong area to begin with, however that's the point of having an agenda.

They haven't come to this verse because they're looking to have an understanding of what Paul says in Romans chapter 8. They've come here to look for a verse that feeds into their agenda of "Tongues is what I want; Tongues is what I believe in; Thus, Tongues is what I'm going to look for in any bible verse I can find".

Let's look at Romans 8:26 pointblank.

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:" Why did Paul start out by saying this? Because in Romans Chapter 8, he's talking about suffering in a sin cursed world as an ambassador, and how it's the norm.

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." - Romans 8:18

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." - Romans 8:23-24

With the sufferings of this present time, and groaning and travailing in pain, infirmities are the norm. Mumbling awkwardly does nothing.

"for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:" Who is the "we" that Paul is talking about here? It's the Body of Christ, of course...specifically, it's to the Romans he's writing to that need to be stabilized in doctrine. They know not what they should pray for as they ought. But as they study and learn from this epistle, they'll see how they'll pray to press on irregardless of the infirmity, not to pray for God to zap it away.

"but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." How does the Spirit maketh intercession? When a believer goes through an infirmity, open your bible, your Spirit inspired book, and find out what it is that the Spirit wrote, so that you can get through your infirmity...for we have instruction and doctrine to get us through it.

There is our Spirit inspired intercession. And it works.

The groanings that cannot be uttered would be the groanings that actually SHOULD be uttered, but they're not happening (by the believer) at least not yet. Due to the fact that the believer hasn't learned the doctrine yet.

If a believer stubbed his toe, in this minor example, and not much doctrine is in him? He may groan "God, take away the pain!" However the groaning that can not be uttered (because he hasn't taken in all of what Paul's saying in Romans) is that his groaning should be more of "God, I'm pressing on even though the pain hurts! Ow!"

I personally haven't heard that before in prayer, but as mentioned, it's a minor example of how this is meant. Not a Holy Spirit explaining to God what prayer "really" means when someone mumbles nonsense meaninglessly. What a difference.

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