Prayer And The Spirit

Similiter autem et spiritus adjuvat infirmitatem nostrae orationis... Quoniam superius ingemiscere nos, et precari liberationem memoravit, et in dolore positi, aut quae longe futura dicta sunt, mox fieri volumus, aut cito tolli, per quae ad meritum perveniamus; et videmur imbecilla oratione precari, dum illi denegatur effectus. Infirma est enim, qui contra rationem postulat: ac per hoc infirmitatem hanc a sancto Spiritu dato nobis adjuvari ostendit. Adjuvat autem, quia quae aut ante petuntur, quam peti debeant, aut sunt contraria, non sinit fieri. ...Nam quid oremus sicut oportet, nescimus... Infirmitatem orationis nostrae ignorantiam significare declaravit; fallimur enim putantes prodesse quae poscimus, cum non prosint. Denique eidem Apostolo tertio deprecanti, ut tentationes ab eo cessarent, quia crebrae erant, dictum a Domino est: Sufficit tibi gratia mea; nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur, id est, sic meritum quis collocat, dum in tribulationibus patiens invenitur. Didicit ergo contra se esse quod petebat. Est et aliquando superba et stulta petitio, sicut fuit duorum apostolorum Jacobi et Joannis, quibus incongrua et immensa petentibus dictum est: Nescitis quid petatis. Sed ipse Spiritus postulat pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilibus. Non humanis eloquiis postulare pro nobis dicitur Spiritus Domini, sed more naturae suae. Cum enim quod de Deo est, Deo loquitur; eo more loquatur necesse est, quo ille loquitur, de quo est. Nemo enim cum cive suo alia lingua loquitur. Superfundit enim se precibus nostris Spiritus datus nobis; ut imperitiam, et improvidentiam nostram motu suo operiat; et illa nobis a Deo petat, quae prosint nobis. Ambrosiaster, In Epistolam ad Romanos, Caput VIII Source: Migne PL 17.126d-127b

Likewise the Spirit helps us in the weakness of our prayer... 1 Because he mentioned above that we groan and pray for deliverance 2 and set in sorrow either desire that which is far off in the future should soon happen, or to be quickly taken away, which we shall come to by merit, so while the outcome is denied we appear to pray with a weak prayer. And it is weak because it asks for what is contrary to reason, and because of this he shows that this weakness is helped by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. But He helps because He does not allow us to ask for anything before the proper time, or for anything inappropriate. ...For we do not know what we should pray for... He declares that the weakness of our prayer signifies ignorance, for we err in thinking that the things we ask for will benefit us, but they do not. For when this same Apostle prayed three times that his trials might pass from him, because they were happening so often, the Lord said: 'My grace is enough for you, virtue is made perfect in weakness.' 3 That is, a man will gain merit when he is found to be patient in tribulation. Therefore he teaches that what he was asking for was opposed to him. And sometimes a petition can be arrogant and foolish, like the one made by the two Apostles James and John, whose inappropriate and weighty entreaties were answered: 'You do not know for what you ask.' 4 ...But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. He says that the Spirit of the Lord does not intercede for us with human speech but according to the manner of His own nature. For when what is from God speaks to God, it is necessary that He will speak in the same way as the One from whom He is. No one speaks in another tongue to a compatriot. And the Spirit given to us overflows with our prayers, so that He might cover our ignorance and lack of forethought by His action, and ask for us from God the things that will be of benefit to us. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Letter of Saint Paul To The Romans, Chapter 8 1 Rom 8.26 2 Rom 8.23 3 2 Cor 12.7-9 4 Mt 20.22