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. (Romans 8:26-27)

Paul begins this passage by saying that “the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.” What weakness is Paul referring to? The answer: “For we do not know what we should pray…but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Simply put, our weakness is that we have limited understanding of what is going on in our world. Therefore, there are times when we do not know how to pray. But when we rely on and intercede in the Spirit (who knows all things), He prays the perfect will of God through us.

When I was in college, I led a Bible study that reached out to fraternities and sororities on Purdue’s campus. It was attended by about sixty students, some with no church background, and others from various church denominations. One girl who attended the study had been raised in a denomination that believed tongues have passed away. After hearing me teach on the Holy Spirit one night, she realized, Tongues are for today! There it is in the Bible! That same night she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

The next day, I was awakened by a call at 6:30 a.m.—far earlier than I, a college student, wanted to be awake! I was being summoned to meet the girl from the Bible study, whose sorority was across the street from my fraternity house. I dragged myself out of bed and walked outside to where she was waiting for me.

I was half asleep and a little irritated by the early morning interruption. She, on the other hand, was ecstatic. I said, “What’s going on?”

She replied, “God woke me up at five o’clock. I felt this urge to pray in tongues, so I just started praying. It really felt like I was interceding. I asked God to show me why I was praying so fervently in tongues. The Lord said, ‘You’re praying and interceding for an older man’s life.’ So I just kept praying in tongues.

“Then at six o’clock, my roommate got an emergency call. She was told that her grandfather had experienced a heart attack and had been rushed to the hospital. They were able to save him.”

She continued, “The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘You were praying for him.’” This is a perfect example of tongues spoken for intercession. She had no idea that this man’s life was in jeopardy, but the Holy Spirit knew. If she could only pray with her understanding she wouldn’t have been able to intercede for him.