Daily Word

What is the will of God?

To give birth anew to us and to all of creation, that is, to restore and transform humanity and creation into the glory He originally intended for them: Christ, the goal of all that exists.

What is the meaning of the Spirit’s inexpressible groanings within us?

It is the birth pains in which all of creation writhes, longing for its transformation, a longing that every born-again Christian is called to express through the Holy Spirit.

Our prayers play a central role in the realization of God’s eternal purposes for all of creation.

But not just any prayers.

These are prayers of travail, prayers that give voice to the inexpressible groanings that all of creation, at its deepest level, carries within itself.

How is this done?

We do not know, says Paul.

Only the Holy Spirit knows, and He helps us in our inability.

He helps us to give verbal expression to the groanings “which cannot be uttered” of the Holy Spirit within our own spirit.

An intense battle takes place in the invisible realm for every person who is to be born again.

We bear a twofold responsibility toward them: to sow the life-giving Seed into their hearts, and then to strive in the prayer of travail for them until they pass through the narrow gate into life, much like the process of a physical birth.

Thus, there is a clear parallel between physical and spiritual birth.

Everything is born in pain.

And when anyone goes astray, we must once again undergo birth pains for them until Christ has been formed in them, says Paul in Galatians 4:19.

In other words, we must not ‘let go’ of a person until we see Christ formed in them and they are making steady progress.

May the Spirit do this work through you?