One of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit on behalf of the Church is one that satan has fought forcefully and with ferocity for centuries. The ministry of the Intercessor is one of the greatest works for the Kingdom of God and for the individual Christian in the Church.
Satan has been very successful in quelling the level of faith in the finished work of Calvary and silencing the teaching about the Holy Spirit and His ministry over decades. As the teaching and revealing of the Holy Spirit has declined, so has the power in the Church.
Jesus told His disciples to,"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature" in Mark 16:15-20 (Amplified) saying in Verse 20, "Jesus said, that He went out with them confirming the Word by the attesting signs." Jesus confirms the Word through the ministry of the Holy Spirit Who is now in the world and in power. No Word means no confirmation.
Jesus didn't confirm the disciples, but He confirmed what they preached. Since we , the Church, haven't been preaching the ministry of the Holy Spirit, there has been very little movement of His Own presence in power.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit as our Intercessor has been nearly extinct in many churches. Most Christians are aware of Romans 8:28, but have neglected the previous verse. These two verses must be paired together or they lose their power.
Paul hadn't been speaking about how "You never what God will do," but in Verse 25, he spoke about the hope given to the Church through Jesus. Then in Verse 26 Paul speaks about the Holy Spirit in connection with that hope, saying, "So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weaknesses, For we do not know what prayer to offer, nor how to offer it worthily as we ought." Paul speak her about the "manifestation" of "hope" in our lives. Hope isn't always fulfilled because we don't know how to pray or what we need to bring it to pass.
The remainder of Romans 8:26 (Amplified) says, "But, the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads on our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance." Verse 27 goes on to tell us what these "deep utterances" are, saying, "And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit (what His intent is), because the Spirit intercedes and pleads (before God) on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will."
The Holy Spirit is the Intercessor and the One Who "speaks in tongues with "groans and utterances. He speaks the perfect will of God on our behalf. Verse 28 says, "And we are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor) all things work together and are fitting into a plan for good to and for those who love God and are called according to (His) design and purpose."
We have used Verse 28 to justify "all things" to include such things as car accidents, cancer, child abuse and other things and as being the "all things are working together for our good." This is not what He said!
1Corinthians 14:2 (Amplified) tells us, "For one who speaks in and unknown tongue, speaks not to men but to God for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the Holy Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things not obvious to the understanding."
The ministry of intercession is exactly what we found in Romans 8 which says, "When we don't know how to pray as we ought." This too is the "mysteries and hidden things not obvious to our understanding." This is why we're not speaking to men, but to God. We can pray in the Holy Spirit and pray about things we don't understand or pray about matters we cannot articulate on our own. We are trying to bring the "hope" into manifestation by faith in our lives or the lives of others. Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for and the proof of things we do not see, and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)."
Through the Holy Spirit's interceding through us, we have the ability to pray the very heart and will of God and to bring forth faith in things our natural mind cannot even comprehend. Your natural mind can't conceive "healing" in your body by simply praying and believing God for it. It's a "hope," but may not be faith. The Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) can transmit this "hope" before God and build the faith in what we hope for.
Jude 1:20-21 (Amplified) says, "But you beloved, build yourselves up (founded) on your most holy faith (make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher), Praying in the Holy Spirit. Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God, expect and wait patiently for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (which will bring you) unto life eternal."
The "praying in the Holy Spirit" above, is the same "praying by the Holy Spirit" we read about in both Romans 8 and 1Corinthians 14. This is your spirit, through and by the Holy Spirit, praying things that only the spirit can know and receive. When we "Don't know how to pray as we should," we pray in the Holy Spirit. I don't know about you, but I find myself in that place many times.
Thank God for the Intercessor's praying through us with "groanings that cannot be uttered" in an articulate language. You might ask, "Why can't we just pray in English?" Because, you don't know how to pray in English as we ought. Our prayers are limited to our own vocabulary, but His are unlimited.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is one of the most crucial ministries of God's entire purpose to the Church. When the devil fights so hard against the speaking in tongues, I want to know why. This applies to the message in Romans 8:14 (Amplified) which says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God!"
Only "sons" (children of God's family) have the ability and privilege of being led by the Spirit of God. The world can't be led by the Spirit of God until they are born of the Spirit of God. When we pray in and through the Holy Spirit, we can learn how to pray before something happens instead of waiting for the devil to tear something up and praying to repair it. This is being led by the Holy Spirit.
Both 1Corinthians 14:4 and Jude 1:20 teach about "speaking in tongues (unknown tongues)" and praying in the Holy Spirit. Both speak about building up the one who is praying or speaking in tongues. The purpose is for revelation of things we don't understand or "secret truths and hidden things." The other purpose of speaking in tongues is the building up your most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit. 1Corinthians 14:4 (Amplified) says, "He who speaks in a (strange) unknown tongue, edifies and improves himself." Jude 1:20 (Amplified) says, "Building up your most holy faith (like an edifice) praying in the Holy Spirit." Romans 8:26 (Amplified) says, "When we don't know how to pray as we ought to, He (the Holy Spirit) will pray through us." This presents the perfect prayer and reveals things that we don't know in our natural minds into our spirits to be revealed by God.
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