SEPTEMBER 12
THE PURPOSE OF GROANING
OLUBI JOHNSON
Isaiah 42:13-15 KJV
The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
The scripture reveals to us three groups who are groaning and travailing (Rom. 8:19-23):
1. Creation, including the spirits, souls and bodies of natural men.
2. The souls and physical bodies of the saints (their spirits are free from the bondage of corruption).
3. God the Lord Holy Spirit.
Why?
Creation has been subject to the bondage of corruption because of the sin of Adam (Gen. 3:17-18).
Not only was the ground cursed, the geographic and climatic conditions of the earth became greatly distorted and corrupted.
This corruption and distortion has increased gradually over the millennia, making certain regions of the earth increasingly difficult for human habitation and survival: like the deserts and arctic poles.
Satan took over legal spiritual control of the planet after Adam’s fall. This satanic spiritual control is responsible for the dominion of sin, sickness, poverty and death we see all around us today (Lk. 4:5-6; Jn. 10:10).
However, God had a plan and hope that one day the Seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent and restore God’s dominion through man on the earth, and so deliver the creation from the bondage of corruption (Gen. 3:15).
This is why the Lord Jesus had to become a Man and suffer and die to pay the price for our sins. By His victory over sin and death, has given us back legal, spiritual dominion over the planet (Heb. 2:14-15).
However, Satan being an outlaw still continues to exercise his dominion over the planet, and can only be dominated by spiritual warfare through prayer (Eph. 6:10-12; Matt. 11:12).
God the Lord Holy Spirit helps us: takes hold together with us against the satanic corruption and distortions in our physical bodies, souls and creation as we pray in the Spirit. This push or exertion, against the satanic opposition enforcing the distortions is released through wordless groans (Rom. 8:26).
As we groan in prayer in the Spirit, divine life and power is injected into our souls, bodies, the air to deliver and free us and the creation around us, including men, from the bondage of corruption, so destroying the works of the devil like the Lord Jesus did (1Jn. 3:8).
To do this regularly and systematically, we must first fill our hearts with the life and power of God, using scriptures that promise us the life of God, before praying with tongues and groanings, in the same way a woman has to be pregnant before travailing to give birth to a baby (2Pt. 1:4; Prov. 18:20-21).
We pray with tongues and groanings in this manner daily, weekly and monthly for:
Ourselves: for Christ to be formed (Gal. 4:19) in us (daily or weekly).
Your household (wife, children) daily or weekly.
The Church, the nation and other men and circumstances (weekly or monthly).
For more on today’s study visit:
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