Rest and Protection
And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26 NASB
Intercedes – Paul’s word for intercedes is a very special word that he made up just to paint a very special picture. The word is huperentugchano, another tongue twister. Once again we will see the meaning as we break the word into its parts. Huper is a prefix that means, “on behalf of or for the protection of.” The next part is en, meaning, “to rest in or rest on.” Finally we come to tugchano, a verb that means, “to fall in with people, to meet them.” Do you see this beautiful picture? The Spirit falls in with us for the purpose of providing rest and protection. That’s what intercession means! Someone comes to you and lifts your burden. You are given rest. And at the same time, that helper surrounds you with protection so that the weight you were carrying does not fall back on you. Rest and protection. Exactly what we need!
When we come to YHWH with prayers so heavy on our souls we can barely carry them, the Spirit falls in with us. God is right there on His knees with us. He leans toward us, face-to-face, and gently lifts the burden. “Rest in me,” He whispers. “Let me pray for you.” And while we kneel next to the Spirit, we feel His mighty arm of protection, giving us a firm squeeze. “I know what you need to say, my child.”
Intercession is a wonderful word. It is the word that let’s me rest in the arms of the Father, knowing that the Spirit is pleading my concerns before the throne of grace. The most amazing fact of Paul’s proclamation of prayer is this: Prayer is God’s work too. Paul tells us that God is the active agent in intercession. We are carried along by His effort. This is not a demand for me to reach heavenly realms with soul-wrenching pleadings. This is a statement that God Himself brings my deepest cares to the Light. I do not serve a God Who waits for me to find the secret formula of effective prayer before He answers. I serve a God Who rushes to my side, lifts my burdens and gives expression to my unutterable concerns. I serve a God Who knows exactly what I need to pray and then does it for me.
The next time you are on your knees, struggling with the deepest longings of your heart, listen! You will hear the Spirit right beside you; speaking the words you could not find about the thoughts you could not comprehend. Our God is the God of the most intimate places.
Topical Index: prayer, intercession, huperentugchano, Romans 8:26
This comes at the right time for me – as I am struggling through issues and having to find a way to act according to HaShem’s will in difficult situations.
Also the heart with which it is written, speaks to me.
Thank you…
This is excellent! Well said. It makes us feel so secure.
What a wonderful life is ours, those of us who belong to Him. We, the sheep of His pasture, are under the ever watchful protection, provision and peace of our compassionate ABBA Father, and our never changing, “always faithful” Friend.
~There is a Friend, (we now have a Friend) Who is closer than a brother! ~ In returning and rest shall be your strength..~ ADONAI, teach us to pray!
Pardon for sin
and a peace that endureth..
Thine own dear Presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today
and bright Hope for tomorrow..
Blessings, all mine..-with ten thousand beside.
Is this a “command” to obey? ~ Pray for one another that you may be healed..~ Is prayer, for us, for those who belong to the Shepherd-King, a drudgery, duty. or “delight?” ~ (Learn by doing!)
~ What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ~
~ If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ~ (Matthew 7.11)
Comforting.
Speaking of rest and protection, I was just walking my dog Max on our twice daily jaunt
Through the park across the street and around the grammar school, which my children attended
And heard a soft voice say “sir, sir”
And when I turned around, “I’m sorry, but because of what happened on Friday you can’t walk here”
The young female teacher was very apologetic, but I obviously understood her concern
After the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre
At the same time as I walked away I could not help but think of the absurdity of the situation
If I had been a psychopath with a semi-automatic weapon I would have just shot her
And all the kids on the playground
On my way home, I wondered why we allow people to own semi-automatic weapons
And then when I returned home I read “rest and protection”
It called to mind a campground tent, with a Hook that secures the tent to the ground
And a storm called Sandy that also killed a lot of innocent people
Speaking of weapons, I heard about this guy who became “responsible” for a lot of deaths, however it wasn’t by use of a semi-automatic weapon but rather a piece of fruit. It doesn’t seem, to me at least, that the elimination of the weapon of choice (so to speak) is the solution to the problem, but rather the right use of it in the right hands with a right heart. 🙂 just sayin’
“It doesn’t seem, to me at least, that the elimination of the weapon of choice (so to speak) is the solution to the problem, but rather the right use of it in the right hands with a right heart.”
Hi Robert,
The problem is that nobody with the right heart is going to shoot an innocent person
And that it is very difficult for the average security guard with a pistol
To handle a lunatic armed like Rambo
A truly American dream 🙂
“The problem is that nobody with the right heart is going to shoot an innocent person”
And until we address those issues as directed by YHWH we’ll continue unabated toward the destruction ahead. What did we think would happen if we tried it “our way,” it’s not like we haven’t been told. Do we insist on continuing resolving problems our way and yet expect a different outcome? Statisics show that more people die of injuries from baseball bats than guns, ban them.
“And until we address those issues as directed by YHWH”
Hi Robert,
The problem with your argument is that most people in our society don’t know YHVH
And probably would not want to be directed by YHVH if they did
My point was that if everyone were like Mother Theresa, we wouldn’t carry guns
And there would be no problem
But a lot of good people want to play with guns, so we will probably always have them
It seems to me that we should make some compromise with the good people
Who do not play with guns and want their children protected from lunatics
With automatic assault weapons
Robert, I agree with you. We have to work on renewing the minds.
In South Africa the police recently had a campaign against the carrying of knives, because so many people in South Africa are killed with knives daily. (My husband was even threatened by a traffic officer with one when my husband refused to pay a bribe and wanted to take the case to the police – that same officer has since killed someone with that same knife).
But, how do you ban knives?
Until the hearts are softened and obedience to YHWH had become the norm again, and not the exception, we can ban as much as we want, we will not be able to keep a gun from a crazy person or a knife from a murderer.
And again I feel that Today’s Word is where our answer lies – groaning with the LORD until we know what to do.
Until we ban evil hearts, none are safe. But since only God (and obviously not EVERY god) can ban evil hearts, we must look to Him for safety. And in this world, where the consequences of acts of evil hearts are not immediately checked, our safety cannot be life’s greatest concern. Rather we must seek Him and His will – and leave the rest until He comes again.
The feeling I get from this post is like the sigh my little 22-month old gives after I pick him up from a nap when he wakes crying, inconsolably it seems. He nestles in on my lap, his head on my chest, his arm around my neck, and I sense his feelings: peace, safety, comfort……..
Thanks, Skip.
This strikes me as being an apt explanation of the Holy Spirit as paraclete.
A certain man and woman who had EVERYTHING and lacked for nothing, lived in a perfect world. Their Father was very wealthy, took care of them, praised them, blessed them, and lavished His Love on them.
They were “armed” with a weapon of mass destruction…willful disobedience…And they both used it. How do you ban that?
Mary,- may I “borrow” your words?
Carl, of course you may.