When Your Stomach Growls? This is not my text, but John 7:38-39 says, He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures says, From His innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit. The word innermost being is translated belly in the King James and rightly so. It is translated heart in NKJV. But the word means whole belly, the entire cavity, even the lower belly, the lower region, and even can mean the womb where the fetus is conceived and nourished until birth. It is the innermost part of man, the soul, the heart as the seat of thought, feeling. We call it heart. but the Hebrews in the Old Testament would call the seat of emotions the belly. Is it not true that when we are weeping uncontrollable, that it is in the belly area that we feel it the most? Then it is interesting that Jesus said that from this region would flow rivers of living water and Jesus said that river is the Holy Spirit. So, I want to ask you this morning, Is your Stomach Growling? And I want to ask it in a spiritual sense. The essence of the text in Romans 8 is that the Holy Spirit prompts us with groanings that can not be expressed with words and they rise up to the Father through the Spirit s intercession. Let s look at that type of praying. Praying without words.
I. Prerequisite for this type of praying This type of praying is only for those who have the Spirit living within them. The main person in this process of praying is not us, but the Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within us. The Divine lives with us. Now this is true for anyone who has been born again for to even be a believer, to be saved, to be converted means you have been born of the Spirit, born from above. Three times in John 3: 5,6, and 8 Jesus says you needs to be born of the Spirit. The real question this morning is not if you possess Jesus, but does Jesus possess you through the Spirit? And it is for the saints in verse 27. II. Prompter of this type of praying There are two prompters of this type of praying: A. Groanings within us This word is a sigh. It is only used here and in Acts 7:34 I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt and heard their groaning. The companion word is used many times: Mark 7:34 it was used of Jesus when they brought one who was deaf and impediment of speech. Jesus took him aside,
put his fingers in his ears and spit and touched his tongue, looked up to Heaven and sighed. He cried, Be opened. and his ears were opened and he spoke. Romans 8:23 we groan within ourselves. II Cor. 5:2 In this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. II Cor. 5:4 In this tabernacle we groan. Heb. 13:17 in the context of obeying your elders, we do it so the elders may lead with joy and not grief. NIV says, burden. James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another. The ASV says murmur. NAS says, complain NAS in Romans 8:25 groanings too deep Psalm 42:7 deep calls unto deep B. God through His Spirit within us But these groanings do not come from the flesh or us. These groanings are prompted by the Spirit. Spurgeon said, It cannot be meant that the Holy Spirit ever groans or personally prays, but that He excites intense desire and created unutterable groanings in us. III. Problem that advocates this type of praying A. Our weaknesses that causes us to pray Verse 25 says that it is our weaknesses that causes us to pray like this. What are those weaknesses?
The word weaknesses is interesting. It is 29 times in the New Testament and it is most often translated infirmity. Matthew 8:17 quoting Isaiah He took our infirmities. Luke 8:2 woman who was healed of infirmities Luke 13:11; John 5:5, Romans 6:19, II Cor. 12: 9-10 But it also can mean sickness. John 11:4 Lazarus was described to have a sickness not unto death. Acts 28:9 diseases I Tim. 5:23 Paul tells Timothy to drink some wine for the stomach s sake and for your infirmities. And it can also mean weakness. I Cor. 2:3 I was with you in weakness. II Cor. 12: 9-10 When I am weak, then I am strong. II Cor. 13:4 weak So the word carries the meanings of weak, infirmity, want of strength, feebleness of health, sickness of the soul, disease. It is also interesting that the word is a feminine noun carrying even more the thought of the weakness of a female in contrast to that of a male. B. Our weakness of not being able to put our feelings into words Our infirmities that cause these groanings are so intense that Paul says they can not be uttered. It is the only time
this word is used in all the New Testament meaning it cannot be expressed in words. Hezekiah said in Isaiah 38:14 like a crane or a swallow did I chatter, I mourned like a dove. Psalm 38:8 I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. Psalm 6:8 For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. One commentary says that he pleads with unuttered groanings or with sighs that baffle words. IV.Pattern of this type of praying A. The prayer begins with the Spirit helping us who knows the mind and will of God. Verse 26 says the Spirit helps us. Oh, how beautiful. It is the thought of laying hold along with, to strive to obtain with others, to lend a hand together, at the same time with. It is only used here and in Luke 10:40 when Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping her. The Holy Spirit helps us - He comes alongside us (Paraclete) in just the right time (never late) to lay hold along with us for the load we are trying to carry. He joins us to help. He never permits us to drop the load or the load to break us. He comes before it is too late.
He helps us because we don t know what to pray that is right and proper. The word literally means that we don t know as it is necessary. This situation is brought on by circumstances or by the conduct of others toward us. But He prays for us for He knows the mind of our God. and according to the will of God. (vs. 27). What a mind the Spirit has. When there was chaos over all the creation, the Holy Spirit brooded over it bringing harmony and unity. And it was over on the face of the deep that Genesis 1:2 says the Spirit worked. The Spirit specializes in working in deep things. Note, Paul does not condemn us for this weakness. We know that we have the mind of God (Phil 2:5), but if we don t concerning a particular situation, then we have the Holy Spirit who does. B. The prayer moves to groanings within us. Then the Spirit prompts these groanings which are prayers without words. The stomach begins to growl. There is an intensity in our belly that we can not explain. Verse 25 says the Spirit makes intercession. This word is used only once in all the NT. The Holy Spirit causes the intercession. He goes to meet a person for a purpose. In
this case, we are the person He meets for the purpose of expressing our groanings. C. The prayer goes to the Jesus who intercedes to the Father. Then these prayers without words go to Jesus. Hebrews 4:15 We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Romans 8:34 is speaking of Christ who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. I John 2:1 We have an advocate with the Father in heaven in the person of Jesus Christ. So, here it is. The Holy Spirit comes alongside of us in our weakness, trouble, infirmity to cause us to have groanings that we cannot express in words but are clearly known in Heaven by Jesus who is touched with our infirmities and accepted by Jesus for they reflect the mind and will of God who intercedes to the Father on our behalf providing us with the needed resources to survive with hope through all circumstances.