August 29, 2018

Author: Pastor Gordon Cook
August 29, 2018

Romans 8: 26

If I were to ask what is the most crucial doctrine when it comes to prayer, what would you say? The doctrine of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It should shape our Christian lives more than anything else. The doctrine of the Trinity is probably the most important doctrine in the Bible.

When we think of prayer, we should think of the Triune God. Each member of the Godhead plays an active part in our prayers. How do we know this from our Bibles? Starting with God the Father, we can think back to what we heard last Sunday night: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” How do we know that the Father cares for us? We can go to the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7) where Jesus tells us, the Father knows and answers our prayer. As fathers, we know that the most heart-rending things in life have to do with our children. We have the tenderest concern for our children just as our Heavenly Father pities His children. God, our Father, cares for us perfectly.

How do we know God the Son cares? Hebrews 4:14-16 speaks of Christ as the Great High Priest. He is sympathetic. He cares. He understands our weaknesses and the temptations we face. He knows our infirmities, was tempted in all points as we are.

We can also argue that the Holy Spirit cares, using our text: Romans 8. He groans and sighs on our behalf. Doesn’t that express His care for us? There is something mysterious, what exactly happens, when we pray with the Holy Spirit engaged. Verse 26, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” He groans, he sighs, he deeply cares. He comes alongside struggling saints to help us pray. He knows our weaknesses, our discouragements. He knows that sometimes we don’t know what to pray.     

The greatest incentive, the greatest encouragement, when we come to pray should be God Himself. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit care for us.

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