The theme for today is: Groaning 5.0.

We groan. Creation groans. The Holy Spirit groans. We all groan for glory.

Before Jesus ascended, he promised that he would send the Holy Spirit. Help was on the way. “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27).

The Holy Spirit. Our helper. Time for a quick Greek lesson. The word for helper is ‘Paraklētos.’ This word literally means ‘one called alongside.’ The Holy Spirit dwells in us, works in us, and comes alongside us.

The Holy Spirit comes alongside us in many ways. The Holy Spirit is our helper. He is our comforter, counsellor, friend, intercessor, and strengthener. He is our Paraklete. He is our groaner.

How do you groan perfectly? You don’t. The Holy Spirit does. How do you pray perfectly? You don’t. The Holy Spirit does. He participates in our prayers. He perfects our prayers. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

The prayers never cease because the ‘one called alongside’ doesn’t cease. The groans never cease because the ‘one called alongside’ doesn’t cease.

The answers never cease because the ‘one called alongside’ doesn’t cease.

Does God answer our prayers? Yes. Does God accept our prayers? Yes. Because He knows. He knows the ‘one called alongside.’ “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27).

The Holy Spirit. The helper. The one who groans with us. The one who groans for us. He is “parakleting” Zach and us along this gruelling race course. Helping us with groans too deep for words. We can’t run without Him.

Today’s Updates:

Zach had a restless night last night. His heart rate went quite high and he was very agitated. They gave him some calming medications this morning which eventually relaxed him and slowed down his heart rate. Please pray that Zach will be able to remain calm and have a more restful night tonight.

They gave Zach extra sedation today to keep him relaxed and still for a CT scan of his chest. They were able to decrease his sedation after his scan was done. The results of the CT scan will help the doctors decide what to do with Zach’s left chest tube. We are still awaiting the CT results at the time of writing this update. Zach continues to do well on the trach mask with low levels of oxygen support, which we are happy to see.

They moved Zach back to his old room in the quieter section of the ICU for longer term ICU patients now that he’s stable. Zach’s heart rate decreased significantly once he was settled in his room and he had a relaxing afternoon. We are thankful that Zach was still able to have some rest today to allow his body to heal.

Zach’s sodium levels are improving but are still higher than normal, so they are giving him continuous IV fluids and lots of water in his PEG tube to keep him hydrated. Please pray for continued healing of Zach’s body and brain. Pray that he might be able to be calm and that the peace of God may rest on him.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

(John 16:4-15)