Let's open our Bibles to Romans 8:26-27.

Knowing that the Holy Spirit tenderly prays for us in our weakness should encourage us to pray

1. All of us are weak, which is why we need to pray

a. A sense of our weakness will drive us to pray

i. Paul included himself with us as one who was weak

ii. We fail to pray because we think we are strong enough to handle life without God

b. Our weakness extends to our prayer lives

i. Concerning his thorn in the flesh, Paul didn't know what he should pray for

2. God graciously gives the Holy Spirit to help us by interceding for us in our weakness

a. The Holy Spirit is a person, the third member of the Godhead

i. The fact that the Spirit prays for us shows that He is distinct from the Father, to whom He prays

b. The Holy Spirit helps us

i. To help means to come alongside someone and take the other end and bear the burden with him

c. The Holy Spirit helps us by interceding for us on an emotional level

i. These may be the groans of the Spirit Himself, of which we are not aware

d. The Holy Spirit helps us by interceding for us according to the will of God

i. The Spirit takes our deepest feelings and unexpressed needs to the Father, who understands everything perfectly

e. The Holy Spirit's prayers for us are always according to God's will and thus are always answered

i. We should pray according to God's will as best as we can, but if God's decreed will differs from our prayers, the Spirit will correct our requests to line up with God's sovereign will

Don't let the fact that you don't know how to pray as you should discourage you from praying
Don't let the fact that prayer isn't easy discourage you from praying
Don't let the fact that your prayers don't seem to be answered keep you from praying