Romans 8:26-28 (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. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
How do you usually release stress? As Christians, we can take comfort in knowing that the Holy Spirit is our best stress release valve.
Romans 8:28 is often misquoted when taken out of context. The prerequisite for “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” is that we have taken time to allow the Holy Spirit to intercede for us in accordance with God’s will when we were weak and under stress. The Holy Spirit, being omniscient, knows what is best for us and will speak to the Heavenly Father through intercessory prayer. However, we need to be open to the way the Holy Spirit prays through us, even when it is in a language unknown to us.
The Holy Spirit is willing to help us at any time. Yet when we are under stress, the Holy Spirit is often the last person we think of asking for help. Nonetheless, following Christ’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit is our designated Helper, Comforter, and Counsellor. In John chapter 14, Jesus said He had to return to the Heavenly Father so that the Helper could come to be with us during the church age. Romans 8:26 says we can reach a point where we are so stressed that we are helpless and speechless. What a privilege it is to have God help us pray at times like these!
Romans 8:31,34 (NJKV) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?… 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.
From the opening passage, we can conclude that God is not the source of our tribulation, famine, nakedness, persecution, distress, peril, or sword. Romans 8:31 further tells us that God is for us and not against us. With Jesus interceding for us at the right hand of the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit praying through us when we do not know what to pray, we have the assurance that our prayers are heard by the Heavenly Father because two of the three Persons of the Godhead are praying for us.
Reflection: Who or what do you usually turn to when you feel stressed and weak? How is the Holy Spirit inviting you to turn to Him first the next time you need help?
Sermon Series: The Holy Spirit is our best stress release valve
最好的压力释放阀
罗马书 8:26–28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祈求。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。我们晓得，万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处，就是按祂旨意被召的人。
你通常会如何释放压力？身为基督徒，我们可以从一个事实中得着安慰：圣灵是我们最好的“减压阀”。
罗马书 8:28 常常因为脱离上下文而被误解。经文所说“万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处，就是按祂旨意被召的人”，其前提是：当我们处于软弱和压力之中时，我们愿意花时间让圣灵按着神的旨意为我们代求。圣灵全知全能，祂知道什么对我们是最好的，并会借着代求向天父表达祂的心意。然而，我们也需要愿意顺服圣灵借着我们发出的祷告，即使那是我们自己听不懂的语言。
圣灵随时都愿意帮助我们。然而，当我们承受压力时，圣灵往往是我们最容易忽略、最后才想到寻求帮助的一位。但在基督复活之后，圣灵就是神赐给我们的帮助者、安慰者和辅导者。耶稣在约翰福音第14章告诉门徒，祂必须回到天父那里，好让这位帮助者在教会时代与我们同在。罗马书 8:26 告诉我们，人有时会承受极大的压力，以至于无助、甚至不知道该如何祷告。何等宝贵的是，在这样的时刻，神亲自帮助我们祷告！
罗马书 8:31、34 既是这样，还有什么说的呢？神若帮助我们，谁能敌挡我们呢？……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。
从今天的经文中，我们可以清楚知道，患难、困苦、逼迫、饥饿、赤身露体、危险或刀剑，都不是出于神。罗马书 8:31 更告诉我们，神是帮助我们的，不是敌对我们的。当耶稣在天父右边不断为我们代求，而圣灵又在我们不知道如何祷告的时候借着我们祷告，我们便可以确信：我们的祷告必定蒙天父垂听，因为三一神中的两个位格——圣子和圣灵——正在为我们代求。
默想：
当你感到压力和软弱时，你通常会先转向谁，或寻求什么来帮助自己？下一次面对压力时，圣灵正在怎样邀请你先来到祂面前，寻求祂的帮助？
讲章系列：圣灵是我们最好的“减压阀”