God's Prerogative
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"And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:27
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." "The Lord searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts." "Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men?" The ever-present, omniscient God, is ever active, inspecting, examining, and observing all things, especially the heart of man. "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro, throughout the whole earth." Hence that affecting testimony of Jeremiah, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
The Lord searches all hearts, and knows what is hidden in every mind. He must do so as the Creator: "He who planted the ear—shall he not hear? He who formed the eye—shall he not see? He who teaches man knowledge, shall not he know? The Lord knows the thoughts of man." As the ever-present God: "The Lord looks from heaven; he beholds all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts alike; he considers all their works." Also as the Governor of the world: he is not far from every one of us: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being—For we are also his offspring." Hence the striking statement of the apostle, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
Well then may the psalmist, filled with profound and adoring reverence, exclaim, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast!" Psalm 139:7-10
This solemn fact should be realized by us, in order to deepen our devotion and render our reverence more profound. Solomon felt it at the dedication of his magnificent temple, and therefore said, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built?" And, pleading with God to hear the prayers of his people, he said, "Hear in heaven your dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart you know."
This would prevent our dissembling, or falling into the sin of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied unto God; and make us sincere in all we say and do. Then we should worship God in sincerity and truth; which is the worship he requires and approves. "He who comes to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him."
God knows our persons, our circumstances, and our experience; and Jesus has said, "All the churches shall know, that I am he who searches the thoughts and the heart." The Lord ever hears our prayers, and understands them, whether we make our desires intelligible or not. Nothing is hidden from him, nothing can be; for each of us may say with David, "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue—you know it completely, O Lord." Psalm 139:1-4. His eye is ever fixed on the heart: he turns over its folds, and sees all that is working there.
The Apostle's Conclusion. "He knows what is the mind of the Spirit." That is, of the Holy Spirit, who is working within us. He knows, though men may not. Man may be ignorant; "but he who searches the heart, he knows what is the mind of the Spirit." In praying, we exercise the natural spirit, or the human soul; the new nature, or that which is born of the Spirit; in addition to which we have help that is supernatural, even the help of the Holy Spirit. He knows and recognizes the working of the heart though we do not speak, though we cannot speak—though, through guilt or fear, we dare not speak.
God ever knows what his Spirit produces. Not only so—but he approves and accepts. The carnal mind is enmity against God—but the mind of the Spirit is agreeable, acceptable, and pleasant to God. Oh, what a mercy, God knows our desires and our wishes—what we would be, what we would do, and what we would say! When we feel as if we could not pray, or feel ashamed and deeply humbled on account of the carnality, worldliness, and wandering of our minds in prayer; all our desire is before him, and our groaning is not hidden from him. He knows the desires we cannot express, the purposes we cannot perform, and the wishes we cannot accomplish. Oh, infinitely blessed God, I thank and praise your holy name, that, as the searcher of the heart, you know, observe, and approve of my willing and desiring—as weak and feeble as they are.
The Reason Why Prayer Succeeds. "Because he makes intercession for the saints, according to the will of God.'" Mark the character, "for the saints." He regenerates the sinner; he intercedes for the saints. That is, those who are set apart for God by the decree of election; separated from the world by the power of divine grace; united to Jesus by faith and love; and made fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
Observe what he DOES, "makes intercession." He excites the mind—and disposes it to pray; he directs the mind—and teaches it to pray; and he assists the mind—and enables it to pray. All real prayer is from the Holy Spirit; yet it is the believer's prayer. If there is the mind without the Spirit, there is no prayer; if there be the Spirit without the mind, there is no prayer; but the Spirit influencing the mind, the saint prays.
Mark HOW the Spirit intercedes, "according to the will of God," but never contrary to it. The Spirit, being God, knows the mind of God, understands clearly and fully the will of God: for as no man knows the things of a man—but the spirit of a man which is in him; even so the things of God knows no man—but the Spirit of God. This is proof of the personality and divinity of the Spirit; for he searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. Knowing all God's purposes, promises, and designs, he directs and enables the soul to pray in accordance therewith.
If, therefore, we are taught of God, we shall pray in conformity with the revealed will of God, or in submission to his secret will. The one we know in all its grand outlines by his word; and to the other we yield ready submission, knowing that it is holy, just, and good. A consciousness that we are praying in accordance with God's will, inspires us with confidence and courage; hence John says, "This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us: and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."
As what we pray for accords with God's will, so the manner in which we pray, when the Spirit makes intercession for us, is well pleasing to God; and we have liberty to open the mouth, speak boldly, ask largely, and expect without doubting. For through Jesus we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Oh, to experience more of the presence, power, and assistance of the Holy Spirit in prayer!
In prayer there should be faith, fervour, humility, and aiming at a right end; but this will not, cannot be the case without the Spirit. Unless we have confidence in God, plead fervently with God, lie low before God, and aim at the glory of God—how can we expect to succeed? But can we thus pray without the special help of the Spirit? Never! Therefore let us ask for the Spirit, look for the Spirit, and yield to the gentle working of the Spirit.
Some things we pray for may be lawful—but that is all; some are commanded, and should, therefore, be earnestly sought; and some are good and necessary, and on these our hearts should be set. The Spirit first sanctifies, and then intercedes. He sets us apart for God, and then gives us power with God. He imparts life, gives light, produces appetite, awakens desire, leads us to the throne of grace, and lovingly assists us there.
In prayer, there are three things which should greatly encourage us:
God's heart is toward us,
Jesus in heaven pleads for us, and
the Holy Spirit works within us.
God loves us,
Jesus is in office for us, and
the blessed Spirit makes intercession within us.
The intercession of the Spirit in the heart is the echo of the intercession of Christ in heaven. What Christ pleads for with the Father above, the Holy Spirit disposes us to desire and pray for on earth.
See, then:
the party praying—a saint;
the petition presented—it is for something lawful, desirable, commendable;
the end aimed at—something good, worthy of the Spirit's attention; the state of the heart—it is warm, enlightened, excited, and energetic.
"The fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much."
May we ever live as under God's all-seeing eye, and do everything as in his immediate presence. May we never forget that God knows by intuition all that we think, desire, purpose, or plan, in the deep recesses of the soul. Everything is uncovered before him. The first springs of thought and volition are fathomed and examined by him.
He knows what the Spirit intends, by the impressions he makes, the thoughts he suggests, the feelings he produces, the desires he kindles, and the emotions he awakens in the soul. Next to Jesus, our best friend is the Holy Comforter. As Jesus manages our affairs in heaven—so the Holy Spirit manages our affairs in the heart. The Father gave his Son for us, the Son sent the Spirit to us; and the Spirit leads us, through the Son, to the Father, enabling us to plead with him as a man pleads with his friend.
O what a glorious mystery is the experience of the Christian!—his heart knows the bitterness that arises from sin, and it knows, too, the exquisite joy that flows from sovereign grace! Lord, give me a more full, powerful, and abiding acquaintance with it, that I may live as in your sight, walk as under your eye, realize that you are searching my heart, and enjoy the sweet and holy influences of the blessed Spirit, making intercession for me with groanings which may not be uttered.
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