26Likewise 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. 27 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. 28 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….. 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 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. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:26-28,33-35 (NKJV)
Discussion Questions:
- When people are under stress, what are the most common ways they try to cope, and what tends to actually help in real life? What does it really mean that the Holy Spirit “intercedes for us” and how should we understand that today? （Romans 8:26-28,33-35）
- In everyday church life or personal experience, what are some ways people try to “measure” whether someone is truly spiritual or filled with the Holy Spirit? What are some practical ways a believer can grow in being “sensitive to the Holy Spirit” in prayer without it becoming complicated or intimidating? （John 20:22; Acts 19:2,4-6; 1 Cor 14: 2,4,14-15,18）
- In what ways do believers usually recognize that they are spiritually “drained,” and how does that compare with physical or emotional exhaustion? If the Holy Spirit prays “according to the will of God”, how do we hold that together with the reality that believers still go through unanswered prayers, delay, or suffering? (1Thes 5:23; Heb 4:12; Eph 3:16 )
Sermon Summary
This week’s sermon starts with a simple but powerful idea: in seasons of weakness, confusion, or pressure, we are not left to struggle alone. Drawing from Epistle to the Romans 8:26–28, the message highlights how the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, especially when we do not know what to pray, interceding according to God’s will. Believers are reminded that God is for them, not against them, and nothing can separate them from His love. The sermon also explains two experiences of the Holy Spirit—being sealed at salvation and being filled for empowerment. A key emphasis is praying in the Spirit (including tongues) as a way to build up the inner person, align with God’s will, and find strength in the midst of stress. In this way, prayer becomes both a partnership with God and a place of rest, where faith rises above anxiety and the Spirit brings renewal from within.