1. He hears the intercession of Christ for us.
ive Holy Spirit and Prayer us what to pray for; as a sanctifying Spirit He works and excites praying graces; as a comforting Spirit He silences our fears and helps us over all of our discouragements. He is the spring of all our desires and breathings toward God.
2. With unutterable groanings. The strength and fervency of those desires which the Holy Spirit works are hereby intimated. There may be praying in the Spirit where there is not a word spoken; as Moses (Exodus 14:15) and Hannah (I Samuel 1:13) prayed. It is not the rhetoric and eloquence, but the faith and fervency of our prayers that the Spirit works, as an intercessor, in us.
3. According to God's will. The Spirit in the heart never contradicts the Spirit in the Word. Those desires that are contrary to the will of God do not come from the Spirit. The Spirit interceding in us evermore melts our wills into the will of God. "Not as I will but as Thou wilt"
III. THE SUCCESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT'S AID IN PRAYER.
A. God Knows Our Need. This is assured because He searches the heart.
1. This Divine heart searching is a disturbing truth to the hypocrite. To the - hypocrite, whose religion lies in his tongue, nothing is more dreadful than - the fact that God searches the heart and sees through all of his disguises.
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2. This Divine heart searching is a comforting truth to the believer. To a _ sincere Christian, who makes heart work of his duty, nothing is more comfortable than the fact that God searches the heart, for then He will hear and answer those desires which we lack words to express. He knows "what we have need of before we ask" (Matthew 6:8).
B. God Knows the Mind of the Spirit.
He knows what is the mind of His own Spirit in us. As He always hears the Son interceding for us (John 11:42), so He always hears the Spirit Ruy interceding in us, because His intercession is according to the will of God.
1. He hears the intercession of Christ for us.
2. He hears the intercession of the Sptrit in us.