Tag: Romans 8:26-27

Spiritual GPS

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Over the past couple of weeks, we have been talking about prayer. We have talked about what prayer is (a conversation with a God who loves us), and one powerful thing prayer can accomplish in our lives (bring God’s peace). But experiencing these things doesn’t seem to be something we can do on our own. We need help. Thankfully God provides that help for us. As we wrap up our series, Talking to God, today, we are talking about this help and how we can receive it.

Spiritual GPS

Alright, I’m going to split the room into two groups for a minute this morning: those folks 40 and up, and those folks 40 and under. Now, for the first group, do you remember navigating new places before GPS? I remember needing to drive around the city of Phoenix for a couple of days many years ago. Before my trip down there, I got on Google Maps and printed out individual maps of all the places I needed to go—several of them actually. I’m not any good with written or spoken directions. You can tell me how to get somewhere and it will zoom in one ear and out the other. I have to actually see it so I can form a mental map. Then I’m good to go. I suspect that most folks of a certain age have distinct memories of pulling out a map of a new city or maybe even a whole atlas for a long car trip, and navigating your way to your destination. 

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 8:26-27

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“In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One of the most basic and essential spiritual disciplines that followers of Jesus need to be regularly practicing if they want to grow in their faith is prayer. Prayer is something most everybody intuitively understands, and which the vast majority of the population reports doing on at least an occasional basis, but how exactly does it work? Let’s talk about the discipline of prayer, what it really should be, and why it can be such an effective faith-growing tool.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 8:26-27

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“In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

My church is enjoying the blessing of little ones right now. We have hit one of those seasons where we have several of our younger couples all having kids at about the same time. The result is the sheer delight of a number of little ones running around underfoot. This is especially true on Wednesday nights when we all gather for dinner together before our various Bible study groups. There are always at least two or three under the age of four in the room including one sweetheart who just goes around giving everybody hugs. That’s all just to make you smile. Where I’m getting to here is this: With all of these kids running around the church, I have been reminded what one of the most natural and instinctive gestures is for a little one to make. Any guesses as to what it is? Reaching up. Both arms go up over their heads as they reach out to a tall person they know and trust. It may be that they have a need they can’t meet on their own, but it may also be that they simply want to be held. Either way, reaching up is normal. As adults, we don’t make that gesture very often. At least we don’t physically. But as the nation collectively watched a potential tragedy unfold a couple of weeks ago, it seems that we haven’t forgotten how to make that gesture spiritually. Let’s talk for a minute this morning about Damar Hamlin and prayer.

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