Add parallel Print Page Options

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

Read full chapter

20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Read full chapter

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 6:18 Greek all of God’s holy people.

And because we[a] are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”[b]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 4:6a Greek you.
  2. 4:6b Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,[a] 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 20 Greek pray in the Holy Spirit.

18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Read full chapter

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[a] who will never leave you.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 14:16 Or Comforter, or Encourager, or Counselor. Greek reads Paraclete; also in 14:26.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[a] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[b]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 8:15a Greek you received a spirit of sonship.
  2. 8:15b Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”

44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 22:43-44 Verses 43 and 44 are not included in the most ancient manuscripts.

The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord will answer my prayer.

Read full chapter

And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

Read full chapter

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Read full chapter

While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.

Read full chapter

Living to Please Others

15 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves.

Read full chapter

10 “Then I will pour out a spirit[a] of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 12:10 Or the Spirit.

That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Read full chapter

I am losing all hope;
    I am paralyzed with fear.
I remember the days of old.
    I ponder all your great works
    and think about what you have done.
I lift my hands to you in prayer.
    I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude

Come quickly, Lord, and answer me,
    for my depression deepens.
Don’t turn away from me,
    or I will die.

Read full chapter

Psalm 77

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
    Oh, that God would listen to me!
When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted.
I think of God, and I moan,
    overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude

Read full chapter

Psalm 55

For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

Listen to my prayer, O God.
    Do not ignore my cry for help!
Please listen and answer me,
    for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 55:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.

22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

Read full chapter

Book two (Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

For the choir director: A psalm[a] of the descendants of Korah.

As the deer longs for streams of water,
    so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
    When can I go and stand before him?
Day and night I have only tears for food,
    while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

My heart is breaking
    as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
    leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
    amid the sound of a great celebration!

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 42:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.

17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
    Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

Read full chapter

Kaph

81 I am worn out waiting for your rescue,
    but I have put my hope in your word.
82 My eyes are straining to see your promises come true.
    When will you comfort me?

Read full chapter

Teaching about Prayer

11 Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:[a]

“Father, may your name be kept holy.
    May your Kingdom come soon.
Give us each day the food we need,[b]
and forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.[c]

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.[d]

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “You fathers—if your children ask[e] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 11:2 Some manuscripts add additional phrases from the Lord’s Prayer as it reads in Matt 6:9-13.
  2. 11:3 Or Give us each day our food for the day; or Give us each day our food for tomorrow.
  3. 11:4 Or And keep us from being tested.
  4. 11:8 Or in order to avoid shame, or so his reputation won’t be damaged.
  5. 11:11 Some manuscripts add for bread, do you give them a stone? Or [if they ask].

20     to hear the groans of the prisoners,
    to release those condemned to die.

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends