“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.” “Helps” is from the Greek, sunantilambano, which is three conjoined Greek words with a three part meaning: sun= together with, anti= against, lambano= to take hold. The Holy Spirit takes hold together with us against any weakness of body, soul or spirit. “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought.” “As we ought” is the Greek, katho dei, what is necessary in any given case. The thought here is not that we “should know”, but that we do not have the fullness of knowledge required to know the particular “what” requiring prayer in each prayer circumstance, and we never will. “But the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us…” The Holy Spirit of God Himself pleads our case before the throne of God. “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is.” This “He” has the definite article which identifies the “He” as God (1 Chron. 28:9; Jer. 17:10), and in the present participle denotes a continuous, moment by moment activity. God, the heart searcher, continually searches our hearts for movement toward Himself, knowing fully the intentions of the Holy Spirit. “Because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” This “He” contextually is the Holy Spirit who pleads our weaknesses, our needs, before God and prays the Father’s will, His Kingdom, into our circumstances. His intercession for us is deeply intimate – He shares all that is hidden, the desires, mistakes and pain of our condition, with the Father then pleads for grace and mercy on our behalf in harmony with God’s will for us. And Christ, our Lord and Savior, who also searches our hearts (Rev. 2:23), and “ever lives to make intercession” (Heb. 7:25) for us, is personally making this same intercession “at the right hand of God” (vs. 34). With Jesus and the Holy Spirit both interceding for us before the Father, we need only join in on their petition. We are truly blessed!
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