Intercessory Prayer

I want you to imagine, I want you to imagine that you wake up tomorrow morning and something

really quite amazing is going to happen to you. I want you just to think for a few moments,

it could be anything at all, and don't worry by the way, this is not one of those moments

where I'm going to ask you then to turn to the person next to you and tell them, all

right, this is just between you and your imagination. It could be anything. For example, perhaps

you might wake up tomorrow morning and whatever aches or pains you might have, perhaps for

a long time, they've just completely gone. You're completely restored. Perhaps you wake

up tomorrow morning and you can suddenly do something that you've always wanted to do.

You've suddenly acquired a set of skills or an ability. Perhaps you could suddenly speak

loads of languages that you've always wanted to speak, or you're suddenly really good at

a certain sport, or you can fly an aeroplane and play a musical instrument, whatever. Perhaps

you wake up tomorrow morning and you suddenly discover you've come into a vast, vast sum of

money. Or perhaps you've inherited a stately home and fully kitted out with all the servants

that you need. You never have to do anything for yourself again. Just spend a few moments

in that place of imagination and just think for a few moments that something really, really

is going to happen tomorrow.

Now, imagining that this isn't just hypothetical, but it's reality, I want to ask you the question.

If you knew, you knew that actually that was going to take place tomorrow morning,

how would it change your life today, on Sunday the 7th of August 2022?

I want to suggest that it would probably impact, it would probably shape the way you live your

life today. Whatever frustrations you have on this very day right now, whatever it is that

you might be anxious about, afraid of, worried about, whatever's on your heart or mind, somehow

you'd probably cope with it a bit differently. You'd see it differently. You'd engage with it

differently. Why? Well, at the risk of oversimplifying things, simply put, you would live today

in the light of tomorrow.

And I want to suggest that it's that theme of living today in the light of tomorrow,

as tomorrow meaning eternity, living today in the light of our eternal tomorrow.

That was the very thing that was going on in Paul's mind as he wrote Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

He said that, you know, when we think about, I consider our present sufferings, and remember,

Paul had lots of them. He was in prison, he was beaten up, he was tortured, eventually paid

the ultimate sacrifice for his faith. And he knew what it was to go without, he knew what

it was like to be slandered, he knew what it was like to face injustice, he had a tough

time of it. But Paul writes this, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing

with the glory that will be revealed in us.

And so he goes on to unpack that, and he talks about prayer in a very practical way.

Now, when it comes to prayer, we've said this lots of times before, prayer is not just an activity

that you do. Like, I'm going to go off now and just do my prayers. Now, there's a sense in which

it does become a focus in our lives. But in Christian discipleship, if you're a follower

of Jesus, it's not a case that God's just interested in different compartments. You know, the bits

that you do on a Sunday in church, if you go to a home group, perhaps, or perhaps when

you then sit down and read your Bible. As important as those activities are, prayer means something

far bigger and deeper, because Christian faith is about a whole-of-life engagement in communion

with the risen Jesus. That means there is not a single moment of your life, waking or sleeping,

that is not connected with him. So when we think about prayer, we're not just talking about going

off and saying your prayers or doing prayers, although there are times when that focus and

that concentration needs to happen. But rather, we're talking about that broader thing, that everything

we do, everything we experience, we do for better or for worse, it's all caught up in our relationship

with God. It's a lifelong conversation, a lifelong communion with God the Father. So when we think

about praying, interceding, intercession, praying for situations of suffering in the world, Paul

is talking not just about an isolated activity when our concentration is specifically focused,

but our whole lives and what that means to carry that in relationship with Jesus. And he gives us a

really helpful, I think, set of images in this passage. He talks about groaning.

He talks about the groaning that's going on. Groaning there is kind of a shorthand for suffering of

any kind in the widest sense. Whether that is personal, individual suffering that you are experiencing,

whatever that may look like for you right now. Or whether it's a sense of carrying that sense of

pain of the whole world as we think of situations such as Ukraine, Yemen. We think of situations in

Afghanistan. We think of situations of torture or crime or hunger or sickness or disease. Whatever it

may be, either in the widest sense or the very focused sense, it all comes down to this same thing, groaning.

And Paul gives us this image that there is this groaning that pervades literally everything.

But as a Christian believer, when you pray, that groaning takes on a new dimension.

You are connected spiritually to the living eternal God. And therefore that groaning means something

quite different. So what is it? You see, that groaning is not just for us as Christians, it's not just

an outward expression into a sense of emptiness. But rather it is something that connects us to our

eternal tomorrow, in which we are to live in the light of now. Paul talks about three types of groaning here.

The first type of groaning he talks about is the groaning of the whole creation. In verse 22, he writes this.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

When you experience groaning, when we experience groaning, remember, a shorthand for suffering here,

in the widest and broadest sense, is part of the human condition. It's not something that's wrong or weird

about you. It is something that is wrong with the whole creation. But what it means is that according

to the vision that Paul is setting before us, is that the whole of the cosmos is part of this. We're in

this together. Things are not right. We live in that place of tension and contrast and contradiction

between the way things are and the way things God wants them to be and ultimately will be.

We are not there yet, but for now we live in that place of tension and that place of groaning.

And I want to suggest that there's a sense in which when we understand it that way,

it can actually be quite helpful and empowering.

Because it means that next time you're experiencing that groaning, whatever that means,

you may know that you're not on your own in it.

It's to be expected. Every human being ever is part of it. And it's not just human beings

as individuals. It's in the broadest sense. Even after two world wars, war still rages.

We live in a war-torn, violent and unjust world. And it goes far beyond humanity, or should I

say inhumanity. We see the ravage, the destruction we do to the environment. Nature itself, the creation,

is groaning under this strain of the way in which we as a race have abused it.

But if in that sense of groaning, sometimes we feel bad about that sense of groaning,

we're actually told by Paul here that that is in fact for a Christian to be part of our prayer,

or is to be our prayer of intercession.

Very often, when we're in a low place, it can be because our focus has become

on the things that are making us groan.

Because we meditate on things, we contemplate, we find things going around in our heads all the time,

whatever it is that's going wrong, it consumes us.

It absorbs us.

I've said before, if you know how to worry, you know how to pray.

Think about it.

It's about meditation and focus and contemplation and mulling over things.

Paul gives us this image of when that groaning is happening in us,

we can see things in a different light.

Yes, we can mull things over, we can contemplate, but we don't do so with that emptiness.

But rather, our groaning is with that sense of Godward yearning,

which is the second type of groaning that Paul mentions.

If the first one is that the whole of creation is groaning,

the second thing is that Paul mentions that not only is everyone and everything groaning,

but the believer groans in a very specific way.

He writes this in verse 23.

In other words, Paul says that when you know Jesus, when you do this groaning,

not just in isolation from God, but in connection with God,

it's a different type of groaning.

It is a type of yearning, a Godward yearning,

that our focus is on that tomorrow in which we live in the light of,

that future that is eternal.

But we live in that place of tension between that eternal future and the present suffering.

And we are to understand our prayers, our groaning in that light.

And he gives us a very specific focus here,

because Paul says that our focus is to be on the God who lies at our future

and therefore is to be experienced in the present.

And he says that we will wait for our redemption, for our adoption.

We await our adoption as children of God.

That's a really important word that comes up several times in the New Testament,

as Paul uses that word adoption to describe the relationship that we have with God.

That God is our Father and adopts us even though we are broken

and even though we've messed up.

He adopts us into his family.

And having the right image of God in our minds is really important here.

A few years ago, I remember going with Tamara to,

first time, I've been to a couple of these now,

but first time went to a court,

what they call a celebration hearing for the adoption of a child.

And it was a wonderful experience.

I really didn't quite know what to expect,

but everyone went in, we were smartly dressed,

we were there with a few other friends and family,

of the family of the people that were adopting this child.

And when we went in, the judge came out

and dealt with all of the formalities that had to be dealt with for the adoption.

Then it came to basically what was the celebration part of the occasion.

And I'll never forget, he got out of his judge's chair

and the child came up to him and he took his wig off

and he let her wear his wig,

handed over the documents

and allowed her to actually seal the seal on the document.

Photographs were taken

and this judge said to this child in front of the whole of the courtroom,

you know, sometimes people ask me,

what does adoption mean?

And he said, very often people will find themselves in that place

having come through a whole story of brokenness

and a sense of rejection.

He says, adoption, to me, he said, means one thing.

Adoption means forever.

I've never forgotten that image

and I think it's so important

because when we think of God,

very often people think of God as the judge,

as a judge, as an image that is distant,

it may be an unfair image,

but an image of a God who is just about executing justice

in a very cold and detached way.

Now whilst justice and judgment is a theme within scripture,

it's not the first theme.

It's certainly not a theme that exists in detachment

from the theme of love and mercy and grace.

When we think about this theme of adoption,

it says to us that whatever our human experience has been in this life,

God reaches out to us in Christ

and says, you are my child

and you are my child forever.

Now that's something we can know now.

It's not realised in full reality just yet

because we are in that place of tension.

We still live in a world of suffering.

But as we groan in that world of suffering

and with that world of suffering,

we look to that eternal God

whose promises to us are forever.

So the whole creation groans, says Paul,

and the believer groans,

but he goes even further

and says

that the spirit of God himself groans.

Verse 26, Paul writes this,

We do not know what to pray for,

but the spirit himself intercedes for us

with groans that words can't express.

You know, we find ourselves in positions,

places of situations of suffering, don't we,

where we ask that question,

where is God,

and we just can't find the right words.

You know, we should never attempt

to give pat answers

to deep searching questions

such as that.

But, you know, we do,

when we talk about suffering

and we experience suffering,

we point to the cross

and we see on the cross

that there is God

in the midst of suffering,

groaning on the cross,

that God knows what it is to suffer.

Why?

Because he is there

on the cross of Jesus with us.

But, of course,

the cross is not the end of the story

because Jesus is risen

and so we talk of the risen Jesus.

But we also talk, of course,

of the Holy Spirit,

that Jesus returned to his Father in heaven

but came as his Holy Spirit

and is present with us.

So, as a believer in Jesus,

you can talk not only of God

being with you

but God being inside you.

God dwells in you

by his Spirit.

He's here right now.

And he'll be with you tomorrow morning

and the next day and the next day

whether you are conscious of it or not.

But, you know,

we can become conscious of it

and that's the thing.

That when we're groaning,

we're not just groaning

with the rest of creation

and we're not just groaning

with a sense of hope

but we're actually groaning

with the presence of God within us.

Such, says Paul,

that it is God himself who groans.

His Spirit groans inside you.

When you sense that groaning,

whatever it is that is driving it,

know that it is God's Spirit himself

that is groaning within you.

That means that when we suffer,

when we groan,

when we worry,

when we pray,

it's not just praying as a human activity

but the living presence of the living God

inside you

is actually groaning inside you.

And sometimes when we,

situations happen

and we can't find the right words,

this reminds us that it doesn't matter

what words we use in prayer.

You can't be misunderstood

because God sees far deeper

than just words.

You know, sometimes people will say,

you know,

please don't ever ask me to say prayers

in public

or in a group or anything

because I'm so worried

I'm going to say the wrong words.

I'm going to mess it up.

Well, sometimes people even say,

I worry that I've said the wrong thing.

I've asked them,

I've used the wrong words.

You don't have to worry

about being misinterpreted by God.

You can't be.

I don't know if you've ever sent a text

and it's done autocorrect.

Yeah, have you done that?

Either you've been talking into your phone

or you've just been typing it

and it automatically corrects it

and then you send it

and then you read it back

and you realise

you've accidentally sent the wrong message.

If you're familiar with that experience,

it suggests other words

and it's too late,

you've gone and sent it.

I did search this online

for some funny examples

and they were hilarious

but they were way too rude

to actually share in a Sunday service.

If you want to go home and Google it,

then you can decide

whether it's appropriate or not.

But the point is,

you can't be misinterpreted

or misunderstood

in that kind of way with God.

You can't.

Why?

Because God is so much bigger than language.

When you connect with him,

you connect at a far deeper level

than the words that you use.

Whether you get them right

or whether you make a total lash-up of them.

Because God sees so much deeper.

And so it is

that Paul talks

about when we find ourselves in that place

where we are just lost for words,

we may be reminded

that it is the spirit of God within us

that is actually groaning.

We are connected

not to an empty future

but to that future in Christ

that begins now.

So stay focused on Jesus

and on his promises.

There's one last image

that I want to close us with

as we go in to pray

and to share communion.

I just want to come back

to where we started

with these words of Paul

where he says,

I consider that our present sufferings

are not worth comparing

with the glory

that will be revealed in us.

But for this image

I was trying to get hold

of a set of those old-fashioned scales

that actually work with the weights.

I couldn't find them.

So I'll just pretend

to be a set of scales.

Imagine I'm a set of scales.

And in my right hand

looking to your left

I want you to imagine

that I'm holding

all of the weights

and burdens of the world.

Whether that could be

your personal things

whatever it is

that's on your heart

and mind right now

that weighs you down.

Whether it's something

that's going on within the world

that's weighing you down.

Whatever it may be

but just imagine

that it's in that hand.

And it's like this, isn't it?

It's just weighs

it's too heavy

it's too much.

We've grown under the weight

of all of that.

Now imagine

that you take

all of the promises of God

and the future

that eternal future

that we are called

to live in the light of

and you place it

into this set

this side of the set of scales.

What happens when we do that?

Paul says

this

that future

that eternal tomorrow

is literally

off the scale.

I consider

that our present

sufferings

are not worth

comparing

with the glory

that will be revealed

in us.

Let's be a people

who've grown

who've grown

with and alongside

the whole of creation

who've grown

not just an empty

groan

but grown

as believers

in the risen Jesus

and because we do that

we know that

that groaning

is not just

our human groaning

but the spirit

of God

within us

connecting us

to that future God

who we can know

now by faith.

Let's pray together

now.

Just a moment

as I

say the words

Lord in your mercy

please respond

with hear

our prayer

Lord in your mercy

hear

our prayer.

Lord we thank you

that even though

we live in a world

that is groaning

that it doesn't

stop there

it doesn't end

there

but that you

point us

in Jesus

from groaning

to glory.

So we ask

that whatever

may be going on

in our lives

whatever weights

we may carry

whatever it is

that makes us groan

may that groaning

point us

to your glory.

Lord in your mercy

hear our prayer.

Lord we pray

for peace

as the world

groans

with war

and with violence

we pray

for Ukraine

and for the

situation

that exists

between Ukraine

and Russia.

We pray

for the situation

in Israel

and Palestine

China

and Taiwan

and that region

Sri Lanka

Yemen

Myanmar

and so many

other parts

we pray

for those

who have

fled their

home country

in search

of refuge.

Lord in your

mercy

hear our prayer.

Lord we groan

as we pray

for the future

of our country

and its leadership.

worship

we pray

for our

government

for our

leaders

for all

who sit

in parliament

we pray

for wisdom

integrity

and compassion

Lord in your

mercy

hear our

prayer.

Lord we

think of

everybody

who

mourns

the loss

of loved

ones

through

death

and we

groan

alongside

them

we groan

with all

those who

face difficult

situations

of change

and uncertainty

fill them

and surround

them and renew

them in your

perfect peace

we pray

Lord in your

mercy

hear our

prayer.

Lord we

groan with

all who are

sick

for those

who are in

hospital

for those

who are at

home

for those

who need

access to

hospitals

but don't

have it.

We pray

for healing

and restoration

of health

Lord in your

mercy

hear our

prayer.

And Lord we

groan with

your church

in the

widest sense

we pray

for the

renewal

for the

revival of

your church

in this

country

and throughout

the world.

At this

time we

pray

particularly

for all

the different

festivals

and camps

and gatherings

taking place

during the

summer season

new wine

falcon camps

ventures

limitless

some of our

young people

are at

these things

right now

and we pray

for all those

involved in

these activities

Lord may your

spirit move

in and through

these things

Lord in your

mercy

hear our

prayer

Lord we

take a few

moments as we

bring before

you whatever

is on our

own hearts

and minds

that causes

us to groan

right now

as we hold

them before

you

point us

from groaning

to glory

Lord in your

mercy

hear our

prayer

and we

join our

prayers together

in the name

of Jesus

Amen