I. Intro – Romans 8:18-27
II. The Groan
A. The groan of creation
B. The groan of the children of God
C. The groan of the Holy Spirit
III. The groan comes from our connection with ______________ and _________________
· Proximity
· Praying with others = letting the withness inform our prayers
IV. Conclusion
I have always enjoyed this passage where Paul explains that not only we but all of creation groans for restoration. Thinking of that is amazing. And the fact that the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf when we can’t come up with words – how beautiful is that? It just shows again that it’s a “heart thing,” and God the Father understands our heart better than we can imagine.
ReplyDeleteI did try the route you mentioned where for about 4 years I did the “Christian only” thing… Christian music, friends, activities, etc. And it’s interesting that indeed, it presented its own sense of challenges and problems. Certainly the end result was not what I had originally thought it would be. I’m sure that much of my decision to try that was because, as you said, I wanted to avoid the “groans” that had seemingly plagued my past. But God has a way of revealing that our efforts (apart from His empowerment) and His grace do not have an equal sign between them, as He did with me over time.
Good point also that praying from a distance is nowhere near as effective (for lack of a better word) as entering into the life of another, sharing in their groans and suffering, in effect bringing a little bit of heaven into their lives. That act of love and sacrifice speaks louder than any prayer that I know of.
Thanks Bro, and glad you’re feeling better, btw. TA