“And it came to pass in the process of time that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of their bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” Exodus 2:23-25.

“…the children of Israel sighed (anah) groaned, moaned, mourned, and they cried (tza’aq) to call out to, weep aloud, howl, and God heard (shema) hear, listen, obeyed their groaning…” They were afflicted and in bondage (boda) slavery, forced labor and about to be exterminated, chapter one. So, they sighed, cried, groaned, moaned and shrieked to God, wouldn’t you? They were desperate, destitute and in distress and they finally turned to the One who could help, God! The word groan (ne-aqa) means to sigh, moan or groan and comes from a word meaning to weep in sorrow, usually referring to mourning for the dead. Could it be this mourning was for the dead male children in Exodus 1:15-22 which were being killed by the Egyptians, even being fed alive to the crocodiles in the Nile?

“They cried out,” v.23; To shriek out from anguish, fear or danger; to cry out for help in time of distress; but more frequently it is a cry directed to God! This is a cry of those approaching the ‘Breaking Point!’ Have you been there? At the breaking point that is? Then you know this kind of prayer; prayer that groans, prayer that moans, prayer that cries, prayer that sweats drops of blood if necessary! (hematohidrosis) God’s response to Israel’s ‘Groaning Prayer’ is seen in v. 24-25 and He responds in four specific ways, and you need to note them: 1st – He heard (shema) their groaning, to hear intelligently, to hearken with obedience, diligently; like the Shema in Deut. 6:4, To hear and do something about it: 2nd – He remembered (zakar) His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The word remembered refers to an inward mental act accompanied by an appropriate external act. To bring to mind, and to do something about it: 3rd – He looked (ra’a) To see, plain and simple; to look, view, see, to inspect. He looked, He saw, He gazed upon from heaven; They had His undivided attention, as you do right now: 4th – He knew (yada) their plight, their problem, their dilemma, He acknowledged the problem. To know and ascertain by seeing, feeling, and hearing. To have first hand knowledge, to acknowledge their acquaintance, become a familiar friend, to know intimately. God heard their groaning, remembered His covenant, saw their need, and acknowledged their acquaintance. They were His people! Are you or someone you know at the ‘Breaking Point’ today, right now? I am, it’s interesting that I should be writing this today as my wife was diagnosed with cancer last week. Then ‘Groaning in Prayer’ is not so unfamiliar is it?

God hears our prayers and cries today and remembers His promises not only to us but to His Son, ‘Jesus The Christ’ as well. He sees us and our needs and He acknowledges us, not only as familiar friends, but as sons and daughters as well. Prayer is no different today for the Christian than it was for the Israelite yesterday, except it is even more intimate today because we have an Advocate, ‘Jesus Christ The Righteous;’ I John 2:1.

Exodus 3:7-9 are a repeat of Exodus 2:23-25 with a tremendous promise added on for Israel’s benefit and ours; v.7 says, “I have seen the affliction, I have heard their cry, I know their sorrows; v.8, And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a land flowing with milk and honey;” He will snatch them away, deliver them, defend them and rescue them; He will do whatever it takes to save His children, wouldn’t you to save yours? Psalm 65:2 says, “He hears the prayers of all mankind;” This is true, but He especially hears and answers the prayer that groans, prayer that moans, prayer that cries and sweats. James 5:16 says, “It is the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails much.” It’s that hot, glowing, fervent prayer, picked up with those tongs, by one of His angels, off the incense altar before God, that will really move that mountain for God. Amen?

It’s only recorded that Yeshua/Jesus groaned twice in His spirit at Lazarus’ grave in John 11:33; 38. Paul refers to the whole creation groaning in Rom. 8:22 and all of us groaning within ourselves in v.23. He also refers to the Holy Spirit making groanings in v.26, “But the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Christ receives our sighs, groans and moans in His prayer censer, because He Who made them knows what they are all about. In fact the Holy Spirit Who also makes them knows what they are. The Spirit makes groanings for us and God answers  them, because we don’t know what to pray for as we ought and He knows the mind of God and the hearts of saints. So, spiritual groanings, many times are the perfect answer to our spiritual dilemma when the request is to heavy for words like Job in 23:2; or David in Ps. 6:6; 38:9 or Hannah, Eliezer, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.  In I Sam. 1:9-18, Hannah the mother of Samuel prayed in her heart so fervently that Eli the priest thought she was drunk, but she, “poured out her soul before the LORD.” Mental prayer is not unheard, when the heart is so full of grief that it can only groan in prayer, God writes it down in His prayer book. C. H. Spurgeon once said, “Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” I like that!                         “…Between The Lines…”

“LORD, Thank You that You hear, see, know, remember, and deliver us out of our dilemmas every moment of every day. You are truly our (ezer-ezer) our ‘Life-Savor! And whether we verbally cry out to You or groan from the depths of our hearts, You know and hear our every need and word, expressed or unexpressed through the groanings of the Holy Spirit, what a comfort. In ha shem Yeshua we thank You, Amen!”

“Portraits of Prayer in Exodus”  ‘Groaning in Prayer – Ex. 2:23-25’