Peter Barnes | Romans 8:26-27
SERMON NOTES
GROANING IN PRAYER
(Romans 8:26-27)
– J. C. Ryle says prayer is like breathing to the Christian, but it often isn’t.
1. We are weak at prayer.
– 8:26; compare our prayers to Daniel 9:1-19; John 17; Eph.3:14-19
– ‘watch and pray’ in the Garden of Gethsemane, but the disciples fell asleep!
– we get it wrong (Job 6:9; Matt.20:20-21)
2. The Spirit helps in prayer.
– 8:26; it is surely we who groan (as in Gal.4:6 where the Spirit causes Christians to cry out to the Father)
– we run out of words sometimes (Ps.77:4; in Luke 7:37-38, 48, 50 the woman does not actually say anything)
3. How the Spirit helps us.
– 8:27; He is always heard, like Christ (John 11:41-42); see 1 Cor.2:10-11
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.