Intro: Our nine-month-old granddaughter is starting to baby talk. Like many infants, her favorite word thus far is “dada.” Of course, our son smiles all over when she says it and reaches for him. He basks in the glory of her identity as his beautiful child.
When we accept Christ as our Savior for the forgiveness of our sin against God, as the reborn of God, we receive the Holy Spirit as a Gift. When we welcome the Spirit and obediently follow his guidance for our lives, we become heirs to all God has promised to those who “belong” to Jesus. We share in the glory of the One and Only firstborn Son.
The Spirit affirms our identity as a son or daughter of Father God. The Holy Spirit brings the power of the Living God to our lives, so we can know what pleases our Abba [Aramaic Father]. Abba signifies the close, intimate relationship of a father and his child, as well as the childlike trust that a young child puts in his or her “daddy.” When believers pray and ask for security and the power of God to hold us and move in our behalf, we are crying out, “Abba!”
In our passage today from the Apostle Paul, we are reminded when we do not know how to pray about something, the Holy Spirit prays through us for the will of God. We do not have to cope with our problems alone; God desires to be our Helper. So, do not be afraid to ask God for what you need, because even if you cannot articulate perfectly, the Spirit knows God’s plan for you, is speaking it to Abba, and ready to act in your behalf. Holiness is God’s Way for you.
Romans 8:26-27 NLT 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for the Gift of the Holy Spirit who helps me with all things in my life including the content and power of my prayers. Holy Spirit, I honor you for making my prayers align with Abba’s holy plans for blessing me and others. I believe you have only good things in store for me and the promises you are holding—waiting for me to ask and receive—are for your glory. May everything the Spirit prays for me, be manifest in Jesus’ name. Amen.