21 that creation would be set free from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children.
22 We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.
23 The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free.
24 And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping.
25 However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.
26 In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.
27 All our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people.