Romans 8:26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
The will of God is the law written upon our heart. We ought to know what laws are written there, but we do not. The Spirit of holiness knows what is written there, however, and he will fulfill the laws written there as we allow him by faith.
In spite of not knowing how to pray, Jesus told us how to get around this problem. He said to pray this prayer:
Matthew 6:10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.
We are to ask God to do his will in us, just like it is done in the kingdom of heaven. We do not know what that will is, but the Spirit does, and he intervenes for us using his strength where we are without strength, showing himself strong on our behalf. He helps, he teams up with us. Our infirmities are not that we are sick, but that we are without strength.
The groaning has nothing to do with making sounds. Groaning is straining against constraints. That which cannot be uttered are the limitations of the Spirit, constraints of the laws written upon our hearts. The Spirit cannot fulfill laws where there are no laws. In the terms of the parable of the talents, the servants could not gain talents they had not been given.
Romans 8:27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.
He that searcheth the hearts is the Spirit. He knows the will of God and makes intercession accordingly.
Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.
We know that all things we do together with God are good. Not all things we do are done with God. Not all things are good, but all things we do together with God are good.
Matthew 7:11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
If there is a talent that you would like to have, that you would be pleased to gain additional talents, just ask. And this is how you ask.
When Requesting Grace
Four times in the Old Testament, someone was offered a blank check. “Request anything you want” was the invitation. In each case, the request was based on the interests of the one who made the offer, and in each case the requestor was granted their wish with excellent results.
A Wise Man
I Kings 3:5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 9 Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
The Lord came to Solomon and invited him to request anything at all. Solomon’s request was for wisdom, but the basis for his request reveals that he already had a good measure of wisdom.
Solomon could have asked for the same thing, but with selfish motives, “That everyone will be impressed with my wisdom.” Or, not asking selfishly, he may have based his request on the interests of the people; “That I could serve the people with justice.” He may have provided no basis at all, in which case his motives would have only been known to God. Instead, Solomon based his request on God’s interests, “That I may lead Your people.” God was pleased to give him what he requested, and much more.
A Wise Woman
Esther 5:1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. 2And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. 3Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
Queen Esther, in her time of desperate need, came uninvited into the king’s presence. Knowing that she would not have risked coming unless she had an urgent request, the king invited her to make her request known.
Esther 5:4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.
Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. To understand Esther’s strategy, we must first understand the interests of the king.
Esther 1:5 And the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace. 10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded… 11To bring Vashti the queen before the king, to shew the people and the princes her beauty. 12But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
Because the former queen, Vashti, refused to come to the king’s banquet she had been banished from the kingdom and Esther had become queen. Esther, understanding this, based her request on the king’s interests, and he was pleased to come.
Esther 5:6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. 7Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; 8If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.
At the end of the banquet, the king once again offered the queen whatever she requested. Again the queen invited him and Haman to a banquet that she would prepare the following night.
Queen Esther was offered three times whatever she wished. Like a genie granting her three wishes, she seemingly wasted two of her wishes inviting the king to a banquet. But Esther was careful to make her requests wisely, taking care to base each request on the interests of the king. Her plan was intricate, its execution flawless.
Esther used her first two requests to create in the king a new interest upon which she would base her final request. By the end of the second banquet, the king’s chief interest was Esther.
Esther 7:2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom. 3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
Esther’s final request was that the king would spare her life, and the lives of her people. The king, filled with rage that anyone would dare threaten the queen, did not have to ponder what his answer would be. He immediately made arrangements to for Haman to be hanged. Esther and her people were delivered from the enemy.
The New Testament
Two times in the New Testament the offer was made; “anything you want.” In both cases the answer was based on personal interests. In one case the wish was granted; in the other it was denied. Both had disastrous results.
Two Foolish Women
Matthew 14:6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. 9And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
In the New Testament King Herod, pleased by the dancing entertainment provided by his daughter at a banquet, offered her anything she wished. After consulting with her mother, she requested the head of John the Baptist in a charger. Because he liked John, King Herod was not pleased to grant her request, but could not renege on his promise. John’s head was delivered, but I expect Herod’s relationship with both his wife and his daughter suffered.
Two Foolish Men
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
In the New Testament, Jesus promised his disciples anything you ask in my name.
Mark 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. 38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: 40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
James and John based their request on their own interests. They would have been better off not asking for anything.
The Present
John 15:7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
The offer is extended to us. This invitation to ask even comes with instructions. If you are not sure about what the will of God is, verse 8 offers a clue: God’s interest is that we bear fruit. A good place to start is to ask for something that would help us bear fruit.
James 4:2Ye have not, because ye ask not. 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
James confirms this principle. When we base our request on our own interests, we should not expect to receive an answer. When we base our prayer on God’s interests, we position ourselves to receive the answer, for we will know what to do when we receive the answer.
Considering first the interests of God in a matter, making our request with specifics, verbalizing the basis for our request, we are not left to wonder whether we are praying in God’s will. Make no mistake; this is not a technique to manipulate God. Those who attempt to con God will suffer ruin, but sincere appeals will produce favorable results.
I have tested this and it works!
New Wine 