22. We know that all that God created has been groaning. It is in pain as if it were giving birth to a child. The created world continues to groan even now.
23. And that's not all. We have the Holy Spirit as the promise of future blessing. But we also groan inside ourselves as we look forward to the time when God will adopt us as full members of his family. Then he will give us everything he has for us. He will raise our bodies and give glory to them.
24. That's the hope we had when we were saved. But hope that can be seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25. We hope for what we don't have yet. So we are patient as we wait for it.
26. In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak. We don't know what we should pray for. But the Spirit himself prays for us. He prays with groans too deep for words.
27. God, who looks into our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit. And the Spirit prays for God's people just as God wants him to pray.
28. We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with his purpose.