Tag Archives: Romans 8:26

Prayers, Tongues

Tongues as Deep Spiritual Groanings

Intercessory Travail

Unlocking the Mystery: The Four Kinds of Tongues in the Bible – Part 4

There are moments in the life of a believer when words fail, and prayer moves beyond language into the realm of deep spiritual groanings. This is not the formal tongues spoken in public, nor even the personal prayer language; it is Spirit-led intercession so profound that it cannot be expressed in human speech.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26, NASB)

These are the times when the Holy Spirit prays through us — birthing, warring, and interceding for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

What Are Deep Spiritual Groanings?

Unlike other kinds of tongues where structured speech is given, deep spiritual groanings are the sighs, cries, and wordless utterances born from the deepest part of the soul. The believer’s spirit, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, utters what the mind cannot conceive.

Paul describes it as a kind of divine burden:

“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” (Romans 8:22, NASB)

Just as creation groans for redemption, so believers sometimes enter into deep spiritual travail — groaning with God’s Spirit for breakthrough, for nations, for revival, or for the salvation of souls.

Why Deep Spiritual Groanings Matter

These moments are not simply emotional experiences; they are spiritual transactions. In these times:

  • The Holy Spirit aligns our prayers with the perfect will of God.
  • Intercession becomes deeper and more effective, bypassing human limitations.
  • Spiritual breakthroughs are birthed unseen, but felt powerfully.

When we are too weak, too burdened, or too confused to know how to pray, the Spirit steps in — carrying our prayer life beyond what our minds can comprehend.

Travail for Revival

In the late 20th century, before a major revival broke out in Brownsville, Florida, a small group of intercessors gathered weekly. During those gatherings, prayer often moved beyond words. People groaned and cried out under the weight of a burden they couldn’t articulate. Shortly after, a wave of revival swept through their church, impacting thousands with salvation and restoration — a visible answer to the invisible groanings of the Spirit.

The Labor Pains of New Birth

Paul compares the work of prayer to childbirth:

“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19, NASB)

Labor is intense, exhausting, and filled with groanings. But labor results in new life. So it is with deep spiritual groanings — they are the labor pains of birthing God’s purposes into reality.

Self-Examination Questions

  • Have I invited the Holy Spirit to lead me beyond my own understanding in prayer?
  • Do I press deeper when prayer becomes difficult, trusting the Spirit to intercede through me?
  • Am I willing to carry burdens in prayer until breakthrough comes?
A woman in quiet prayer, building faith in the unseen—trusting God before the storm comes.

Groanings Too Deep for Words

Deep spiritual groanings are not signs of weakness; they are evidence of the Spirit’s strength working through us. In these moments, the believer touches the heart of God, interceding not with eloquence, but with the raw, Spirit-born language of heaven.

“He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27, NASB)

Yield to these groanings. Trust that God hears them. They are powerful, effective, and they move heaven and earth.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, thank You for helping us when we are weak. Teach us to trust You when words fail and to surrender to the deep groanings You birth within us. Let our prayers align with God’s perfect will. Move through us to bring revival, healing, and salvation to the earth. In Yeshua’s name we pray, amen.

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See Also

Kept reading eh?

https://www.133.church/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Groanings-Too-Deep-for-Words.mp3

“Groanings Too Deep for Words”

Lyrics:

[Verse 1]
When words fall silent, and my heart can’t speak,
Your Spirit prays for me, when I am weak.
Groanings rise like rivers unseen,
You carry my soul where I’ve never been.

[Pre-Chorus]
In the stillness, You are near,
Breaking through every doubt and fear.

[Chorus]
Groanings too deep for words,
Spirit, You move in the unseen surge.
Heaven and earth align,
In the soundless cry that touches the divine.

[Verse 2]
You intercede with holy fire,
Breathing life to my silent desire.
When my strength is gone and hope feels blurred,
You speak for me in groanings unheard.

[Pre-Chorus]
In the stillness, You are near,
Breaking through every doubt and fear.

[Chorus]
Groanings too deep for words,
Spirit, You move in the unseen surge.
Heaven and earth align,
In the soundless cry that touches the divine.

[Bridge]
Birth in me what eyes can’t see,
Move in power, set captives free.
Groanings rise, the battle turns,
As heaven bends to Spirit yearns.

[Chorus]
Groanings too deep for words,
Spirit, You move in the unseen surge.
Heaven and earth align,
In the soundless cry that touches the divine.

[Outro]
Groanings too deep… too deep for words,
Spirit, speak what can’t be heard.

Prayers

True Prayer and the Cross

Crawling onto the Altar of Surrender

Beloved, hear me: true prayer does not begin with words. It begins when the soul bends low and the heart breaks open before the Lord.

Many pray, but few surrender. We talk much. We ask much. But the kind of prayer that moves Heaven is the kind that empties the self. It is not polished. It is not always eloquent. But it is raw, real, and costly. True prayer is born at the foot of the Cross. And it demands something of you.

When Yeshua said, “If anyone wishes to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23 NASB), He was not inviting you into comfort. He was calling you to die. Not once, but daily. He was calling you to the altar.

This is where true prayer and the cross meet.

You must crawl up on your own cross. Not just to endure hardship, but to lay down your will. To crucify the flesh, silence your striving, and say with Yeshua in the garden, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42 NASB). This is the language of true prayer.

We don’t often speak of the cross like this. We prefer victories, blessings, open doors. But the Cross is the door. And the way into the presence of El Shaddai is paved with surrender.

Have you crawled up there lately? Have you died again today?

True prayer sounds less like petitions and more like groans. It is the Spirit interceding for you “with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26 AMP). When you run out of things to say, you begin to pray rightly. The altar of your heart catches fire when the wood of your pride is broken.

This is where Heaven leans in.

Prayer is not for the strong. It is for the weak. The weary. The ones who have tried everything else and found it lacking. Prayer is the cry of the desperate soul. It is not a technique, but a surrender. Not a ritual, but a sacrifice. When you offer up your reputation, your plans, your comfort—He meets you there.

God honors the altar. Always.

Your tears become incense (Revelation 5:8). Your silence becomes worship. Your groan becomes thunder in the throne room. And the Father—who sees in secret—draws near to the broken and contrite (Psalm 51:17 AMP).

If you are wondering why you feel distant from Him, ask yourself: have you died today? Have you laid it all down? Or are you still clutching your own will, your own strength, your own script?

Beloved, crawl up again. Let it all go. And meet Him there.

He does not ask for perfect words. He asks for a laid-down life. The Cross is not just where Yeshua died—it is where you must die so that He might live in you.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 NASB).

This is not a metaphor. It is your invitation. True prayer is your cross. And the fire falls on sacrifice.

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Upon the altar still I lay,
My pride now ashes swept away.
No crown I wear, no boast I bring—
Just thirsting for my risen King.

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Closing Prayer:

Father, teach me to pray by way of the Cross. Let me not come with empty words, but with emptied hands. I crawl up on the altar again. Not with fear, but with longing. Burn away all that is false. Strip me of self. Let my groans rise like incense. Let Your Spirit pray through me. I do not want a form of godliness without power. I want You. All of You. More of You and less of me. Meet me on the Cross. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

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See Also