Romans 8:27, commentary and pictures

He who searches hearts knows what is on the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit pleads for God's people in harmony with God's will. Believers are not left alone in weakness and ignorance in prayer, for when they do not know what to ask for as they should, the Spirit helps their frailty and pleads for them with longings too deep for words. Acceptable prayer depends on the Spirit, who softens the heart, opens the mind to see its need, awakens hunger for righteousness, gives clear views of God's power and grace to help, and stirs confidence in His word. Christ and the Holy Spirit both plead but in different ways, for Christ presents His shed blood and offers petitions in heaven, while the Spirit does not plead there but works within hearts to draw out prayer, repentance, praise, and thanksgiving. When saints ask for what is not according to God's will and not best for them, God understands their true need and Christ reshapes the prayer into what they ought to receive, so the answer gives what is best.

Searcher Who Knows Hearts

He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Acceptable prayer depends on this work of the Spirit, who softens the heart, enlightens the mind to discern its own wants and needs, quickens desires so the suppliant hungers and thirsts after righteousness, and intercedes in behalf of the sincere suppliant. Believers are not left alone in weakness and ignorance in prayer, for when they do not know what to pray for as they ought the Spirit helps their infirmities and intercedes for them with groanings that cannot be uttered. This intercession is the present healing help of the great Physician for every malady, sustaining believers through trials and suffering in Christian service, and it belongs to the hope by which they are saved as they patiently wait for what they do not yet see. When people pray for things that are not God's will and not best for them, God understands their need and turns the prayer into a request for what they truly need and should receive, Christ taking and presenting that prayer to God. This work of the Holy Spirit is not to be disregarded, but is part of Christ's work of reform to be carried on in every place by church members, and belief in this word gives joy and peace.

The Holy Spirit Himself searches hearts and knows character, thoughts, purposes, and motives. He communicates God's truth to humanity and serves as Christ's faithful representative, true witness of the Word, and witness to humanity. He brings even the thoughts into harmony with God and with the will of God, and can correct selfishness and shape and refine character. He is the source of power for restoring the moral image of God in man and for establishing a living connection between earth and heaven, and He is greatly needed in schools. When teachers open their hearts to His indwelling and welcome Him as heavenly Guest, God makes them laborers together with Him, and in cooperation with the Master Teacher selfishness is expelled and wonderful transformation takes place.

God searches human hearts and knows the motives behind every act. Every act, whether praised or censured, is judged by Him according to the motive that prompted it. Even praised and apparently good deeds are judged in this way, for acts that win human approval may be found to spring from selfishness or hypocrisy. By knowing the intent of the Spirit He knows all who love Him. He sees their dangers and the weight of their burdens and remembers their need of strength. Even when enemies plot against them because they do not see the value He places on His chosen, and when they are misrepresented, misjudged, and compassed with discouragements, He still knows them as His own, and if they walk humbly before Him and make Him their trust He honors them, gives them help in time of need, and enables them to resist every temptation.

As the Heart Searcher and searcher of hearts the Father knows every phase of the difficulties His people will meet and knows the outcome of the powers of darkness working to restrict religious liberty and compel service and worship of an idol sabbath. Every question is open as day before Him, and He sees with a larger vision than is possible for man, for His ideals are higher than human conceptions. He reads every purpose of hearts that league against God and cooperate with evil angels to overthrow the righteous and suppress truth and liberty to believe truth. He sees the effort made to influence a child in the wrong direction, and as the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity He will not overlook anyone who works counter to His will in tainting and corrupting human minds, for God knows and God understands. God Himself alone as He that searcheth the hearts knows the battles fought when workers are driven to prayer and to God for counsel in hard cases, holding others firmly by faith, praying for them and clinging to them with kindness and tenderness while laboring as for their salvation.

Spirit Intercedes for Saints

Believers are not left alone in their weakness and ignorance in prayer, for when they do not know what to pray for as they ought the Spirit helps their infirmities and intercedes for them with groanings that cannot be uttered. This help meets human weakness in prayer even when people do not know what to ask, and this intercession is in harmony with and as prompted by the will of God. This work of the Holy Spirit is not to be disregarded but is part of the work of reform to be carried on in every place by church members, and belief in this word gives joy and peace. Those who give themselves fully in body, mind, and soul and come in humility with thorough consecration will be received and strengthened for service as laborers together with God, and because they do not know what to pray for as they ought they are to ask earnestly for help trusting this intercession.

Acceptable prayer depends on the work of the Spirit in behalf of the sincere suppliant. The Spirit softens the heart to feel its wants, enlightens the mind to see and discern them, and quickens desires so the suppliant hungers and thirsts after righteousness. He gives clear views of divine power, wisdom, and grace to relieve, and stirs confidence in the Word that forbids all wavering. The acceptable prayer is the prayer of faith offered in the Holy Spirit by clinging to the Mighty One and holding firm by faith with whole trust in God. The Spirit enlightens the mind of the one who depends on the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour and gives a prayer of confession and repentance that is acceptable to God.

When saints pray for things that are not according to the will of God and not best for them, God understands their need and turns the prayer into a request for what they truly need and should receive. Christ takes that mistaken prayer and presents and offers it to God, translating it into the very things needed that should have been asked for, so the answer gives what is best and what is truly wanted. God who searches hearts and tries the inner life corrects in this way, knowing the Spirit's mind as the Spirit intercedes in harmony with His will.

Christ and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding, but in different ways. Christ advocates in heaven by presenting His blood shed from the foundation of the world and pouring out petitions, while the Holy Spirit does not plead in that way but works upon hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude that flows from lips is the result of the Spirit striking the cords of the soul with holy memories and awakening the music of the heart. The Spirit guides in counsel and pleads within believers, while Christ advocates for them, so that the one whose God is God is safe from Satan's suggestions and blind human advice contrary to God's mind and can show perfect trust by going to the fountain of wisdom rather than inquiring of false guides or depending on worldly wisdom pronounced foolishness.

The groanings and longings of the Spirit are the expression of Christ's intercession in behalf of His people according to the will of God. They come from God and are returned to Him in silent and in audible prayer when all are in harmony with the mind of the Spirit, so there is no confusion. When all are in that harmony the Spirit fills the whole being and moves the mind to pray in accordance with the will of God, and this spirit of intercession cleanses from discord and strife, draws members close in fellowship, breaks down barriers separating mind from mind, and brings unity of speech as a gift of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit authors all genuine prayer and intercedes for the believer and for all saints whose intercessions and prayers are according to the will of God and never contrary to it. This means praying in conformity to revealed will and in submission to His will where it is not known, relying on His Word, with the will submitted and with action with His Spirit so that it is no more self that lives but Christ that lives within. While Jesus as Intercessor pleads in heaven and waits to give disciples the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit and vital influence from Himself as the glory the Father gave Him, the Holy Spirit works within believers to will and to do God's good pleasure, controls all their spiritual exercises, and gives them the spirit of intercession by which to plead with God as a man pleads with a friend.

This intercession is the present healing help of the great Physician for every malady, and it belongs to the hope by which believers are saved as they patiently wait for what they do not yet see. The Spirit's intercession helps believers in weakness when they do not know how to pray as they should, sustaining them through trials and suffering in Christian service. Christ hears the prayers of repenting, believing saints rescued from the fire and intercedes for them according to the will of God. God recognizes their repentance, senses their humbled shame over sin, notes their sorrow for sin which they cannot remove themselves, regenerates the sinner, and grants pardon with pardon written off. Because these prayers are heard Satan stands by to resist Christ and stirs to opposition, stepping between the repenting soul and Christ to cast his hellish shadow to dampen faith, make the Word of none effect, eclipse Christ's light, righteousness, love, acceptance and pardon, weaken faith and obscure Christ's light and righteousness, and drive man to strive to prepare his own robe of righteousness to cover deformity and sin. Christ rebukes Satan to let His light and righteousness shine into the heart, wanting the sinner to come just as he is and believe in Him as personal Saviour, so the forgiving Father arrays the returning child in His best robe.

Unity, Trust and Service

The pleading described in the verse is now active for professed believers who claim faith yet live without unity, jealous and suspicious and passing judgment on one another. Christ as the Angel of the covenant opens His lips in supplication and pours out petitions to God for them, while the Spirit helps their infirmity when they do not know what to pray for as they ought by making intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered. That intercession works to stop their judging of one another because such judging blocks the working of the Spirit, to prevent division, and to restore healthy heartbeats of love for one another so God can give an enlarged current of His love to His people. When all are in harmony with the mind of the Holy Spirit there is no confusion, for the Spirit fills the whole being and moves the mind to pray in accordance with the will of God, and the groanings and longings of the Spirit are the expression of Christ's intercession for His people according to the will of God, coming from God and returned to Him in silent and audible prayer. This spirit of intercession cleanses from discord and strife, draws members close together in Christian fellowship, breaks down barriers separating mind from mind, and brings unity in speech as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

He who searches the heart knows what is in the heart of every person, and that searching knowledge exposes attitudes toward brethren and requires a decided change in that attitude. The soul-temple must be softened, criticism and the feeling that brethren are all in the wrong put away, and believers must love as brethren, be pitiful and courteous, and receive the working of the Holy Spirit on the heart. When that oneness with brethren takes place as represented in John 17, the love and power of God flow in rich currents into the soul, because the work of God is one and any separation between lines of His work, such as between medical missionary work and the ministry, shows the Holy Spirit is not working upon hearts. The verse therefore calls for casting all selfishness away, living for the Master, helping one another, and working constantly for the oneness Christ prayed for among believers and with Him. Before undertaking anything believers are to ask whether it will please the Saviour and agree with the will of God, and bringing the life of Christ into daily experience gives sacred dignity to everyday duties, produces faithfulness in all work so the Master is honored, shows the world what Christianity accomplishes for sinful people, gives constantly increasing efficiency for service in this life, and prepares for the higher life in the world to come.

God knows human infirmities and the mind of the Spirit who intercedes for the saints according to the will of God, so those who give themselves to Him fully in body, mind, and soul and come to Him in humility with thorough consecration will be received and strengthened for service as laborers together with Him. Because they do not know what to pray for as they ought, they are to ask earnestly for help, trusting the Spirit's intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered. The Holy Spirit comes to the world as Christ's representative and is greatly needed in schools, as the faithful and true witness of the Word of God and the searcher of the thoughts and purposes of the heart. He is the source of power for restoring the moral image of God in man, bringing even the thoughts into harmony with the will of God and establishing a living connection between earth and heaven, so that when teachers open their hearts to His indwelling and welcome Him as heavenly Guest, God makes them laborers together with Him, and in cooperation with the Master Teacher selfishness is expelled and wonderful transformation takes place.

The Spirit guides in counsel within believers while Christ advocates for them, so they can trust God rather than seek guidance from those who reject Him. Christ as Advocate pleads in behalf of sinners before God while the Spirit pleads with sinners, leading and guiding them and making them sure in counsel according to God's mind and will. The person whose God is God is therefore safe from Satan's suggestions and blind human advice contrary to God's mind and will, and can show perfect trust in the Leader by going to the fountain of wisdom for help instead of inquiring of false guides or depending on men of the world whose wisdom God pronounces foolishness. Those who serve intelligently, humbly, and in the light God has given need not labor in human strength. God who searches hearts knows the intent of the Spirit and by that knows all who love Him, sees their dangers and the weight of their burdens and remembers their need of strength, and still knows them as His own even when enemies plot against them and they are misrepresented, misjudged, and compassed with discouragements. If they walk humbly before Him and make Him their trust, He honors them, gives them help in time of need, and enables them to resist every temptation. The mind of the Spirit is met when believers are one in heart and sentiment about the great need for workers to get the truth before the people in the mission fields, and join in earnest desire and earnest efforts with fervent prayer to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His vineyard.