Understanding Infirmities: Prayer, Surrender, and Divine Assistance

"Infirmity is not sinful in and of itself. There is a difference between infirmities and sins. Our infirmities may lead us to sin, but our infirmities in and of themselves are not sinful. They are undoubtedly the result and the consequences of the original fall of man because there were no infirmities in man as God made him." [00:17:30]

"Even in the Christian, though we are saved and though our Salvation is absolutely certain and sure, though we are dead to sin, dead to the law, dead to any possible condemnation, we are still not perfect. We are still encompassed with many infirmities. That is why, you see, he says in verse 23 that even we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves." [00:19:43]

"Things happen to us, other people do things, circumstances are so arranged that they become a discouragement to us. We become perplexed. We don't know what to do. We don't know where to turn. Well, and the result is that because of our lack of understanding and of knowledge, these things affect us in a depressing manner, and thus we groan within ourselves." [00:21:24]

"Because of our infirmity, we know not what to pray for as we ought. That's the one he's particularly interested in. There are many others, as I've told you, but here's the one he takes up, and of course, it is the crucial one because there is nothing that is more important than our relationship with God, our ability to speak to God and to listen to God." [00:23:34]

"The problem is this: what to pray for in particular and in certain given circumstances. Now, this isn't just my idea. I maintain that what the Apostle actually wrote in the original compels us to say this. Now take this word 'what.' You will find in the original that the article is before it. It is 'the what.'" [00:26:24]

"We may pray for the wrong thing because we don't understand. We don't always know what is best for us, what is right for us, and we may very well pray for the wrong thing. Greater men than any of us here tonight have done so. Let me give you one example immediately: Moses." [00:31:13]

"Moses offered a petition there which he shouldn't have offered. That's the kind of difficulty that the Apostle is dealing with. But come, let me give you one another one with which you are more familiar. It is perhaps in many ways the classic classical example of this very matter with which we're dealing: turn to 2 Corinthians 12." [00:33:36]

"The Apostle was in trouble. Thorn in the flesh comes, and he acts in a very natural way in terms of human reason. This is going to my work. This is going to put a limit upon my efficacy. Obviously, this is wrong, so he prays God to remove it, and he did so three times." [00:35:08]

"Better than rushing into prayer and offering a wrong petition, better to talk to ourselves about it and to consider it as the Psalmist did there and as Paul did subsequently. He should have done it before, but he didn't. Let's talk to ourselves about it and recognize our infirmity." [00:38:44]

"It is better still to acknowledge our perplexity. In other words, if you're in doubt and if you are uncertain and if you don't know the what to pray for as you want, well, don't be afraid or don't be ashamed of admitting it and confessing it and doing so quite openly." [00:39:42]

"Now I say it is better, if necessary, that we should acknowledge the perplexity and take it to God and tell God that we don't know. Leave it entirely in his hands. That's much better than forcing ourselves to a decision or rushing to offer a petition that seems to us to be natural and quite good." [00:40:57]

"The Spirit himself helpeth our infirmities. He maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered, and what he thus produces in us is known to God and of God. Indeed, it is originated by God himself as a part of this process of our ultimate glorification." [00:45:26]