EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers can be assured that the Holy Spirit is interceding to the Father for them.
26 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.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God.
As humans we can feel overwhelmed by our circumstances,
which makes it hard to articulate our heart to God.
This is why we need the Spirit’s help in prayer.
We can be especially thankful for [the Spirit’s] help in moments of weakness.
Weakness often shows up as confusion or uncertainty that leads to frustration.
In those times, even knowing what to pray for can feel overwhelming.
We simply don’t know what to ask.
When we face such perplexing situations, we can rejoice in the Spirit’s help.
He intercedes for us when words fail.
He carries our burdens to God when we cannot express them ourselves. (PSG, p. 70)
Between the Holy Spirit praying for us and God the Father searching our hearts,
we have many reasons to rejoice.
We can be confident that we have access to the Father through Christ,
hope for the future, and the Holy Spirit supporting us when we feel weak.
Review these bullet points from Apply the Text on page 72 of the Personal Study Guide.
Lead the group to evaluate their own response to the following statements on a scale of 1-5, with one being “seldom” and five being “often”:
Direct adults to read and respond to the first set of questions on page 72 of the PSG. Lead a brief discussion on what it means to be part of God’s family.
Encourage the group to reflect on this question regularly during the week. Challenge them to depend more on the Holy Spirit’s leadership, especially when they don’t know how to pray. Close in prayer, thanking God for His Spirit’s work in our lives.
Reinforce the session by sending the group a text or email that reminds them the Holy Spirit is praying for them. Encourage them to spend time meditating on Romans 8:15, this session’s memory verse. Challenge them to consider their adoption and to ask God to help them live it out in practical ways each day.
Session 7
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. (See
2 Corinthians 4:17; Revelation 21:1.)
Use a Bible Dictionary to learn more about the Holy Spirit.
Use a Bible dictionary to learn more about what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. Reflect on these questions: How did the Holy Spirit’s work differ in the Old and New Testaments? What kind of work does the Holy Spirit do in the life of a believer in the New Testament? Note any findings about the Holy Spirit that were new for you.