Romans 8:26-27,34 (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God….Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Because we live in a fallen and broken world, there will be sufferings in this world. Although Christians are not exempt from them, we are extremely blessed because these Scriptures reveal to us the Holy Spirit is interceding through us, and Jesus is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father. Therefore, don’t be discouraged when you are hard pressed on every side, because not only is God on your side, but Jesus is also interceding for you. Think of and meditate on this truth next time you are anxious and lacking in peace.
If Jesus is interceding for us and the Holy Spirit is praying through us, God can’t be the source of our tribulation, but the devil is. Therefore, we should stop blaming God, but instead deal with the attacks of the evil one and the work of our flesh, and at the same time ask ourselves whether we have contributed to the crisis that we are facing through the work of the flesh or wrong choices which we may have made. We have a responsibility to close all the gaps in the hedge of protection that God has built around us. For example, if we are experiencing oppression, we should ask ourselves whether we had brought something unclean home from our travels or business dealings, such as Idols, objects or worship and philosophical scripts, or whether we’ve partnered with someone who is engaged in occult practices, been living in a lifestyle of sin, or engaging in unethical practices?
We also need to realise that when we choose to stand in the gap between God and the onslaught of the devil, we are protecting our loved ones by shielding them from the fiery darts of the evil one, and we can take heart that we are interceding from the position of victory and enforcing the victory of Jesus Christ by using His name. Therefore, we should trust that God will act in the spiritual realm while we wait for the result to be manifested in the physical realm.
Prayer and intercession move God to act, and through intercession, we are partnering with God in prayers because He has a heart of compassion towards all people, whether they are Christians or otherwise.
Sermon Series: Partnering God in Prayer
在祷告中与神同工
罗马书 8:26-27,34 况且，我们的软弱有圣灵帮助；我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告。鉴察人心的，晓得圣灵的意思，因为圣灵照着 神的旨意替圣徒祈求……谁能定他们的罪呢？有基督耶稣已经死了，而且从死里复活，现今在 神的右边，也替我们祈求。
由于我们生活在一个堕落和破碎的世界，因此在世上有苦难。尽管基督徒也不能幸免，但是我们是无比蒙福的，因这些经文向我们显明圣灵藉着我们祷告，耶稣也在神的右边替我们祈求。所以当我们四面受敌的时候也不气馁,因为不单神在你这边，耶稣也正在为你代祷。下一次当你心中焦虑没有平安的时候，请思考和默想这个真理。
如果耶稣在为我们代求,圣灵也藉着我们祷告，那么我们苦难的源头不可能是神，而是魔鬼。因此，我们应该停止埋怨神，并对付那恶者的攻击和我们肉体上的软弱，同时也需要问问自己，是否我们让肉体的作为和错误的选择导致了所面对的这场危机。我们有责任堵住神在我们四周筑起的围篱上的所有破口。例如，如果我们正在经历邪灵压迫，我们应该问自己是否在旅行或商业交易中带回了一些不洁净的东西，如偶像，物件或敬拜和哲学的文稿等等。或者我们与之合作的人有操练异端的行为，正活在罪恶的生活方式之中，或正在进行不道德的行为。
我们也需要意识到，当我们选择站在神和张牙舞爪的魔鬼之间的破口中时，我们是为所爱的人抵挡那恶者的火箭，从而保护了他们，我们能够鼓起勇气站在得胜的位置来代祷，并奉耶稣基督的名来强调祂的胜利。因此，我们应相信当我们在现实世界中等候结果彰显时，神会在灵界动工。
祷告和代祷感动神动工，藉着代祷，我们在祷告中与神同工，因为祂对所有人都有一颗怜悯的心，无论他们是不是基督徒。
讲章系列: 在祷告中与神同工
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