We must never discount the prayer ministry of Jesus Christ. Once we realize that the Godhead – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – is involved in the prayer life of the believer, a new confidence is born in our hearts. “Why,” our spirit says when a sudden opportunity or word of wisdom visits us, “this is God’s idea, not mine!” The ministry of our great High Priest is shown in the book of Hebrews 5:4-7.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16).
This passage not only talks about us feeling confidence in approaching a holy God with our requests, it also speaks of the fact that Jesus is praying for us even as we pray for others! What an incredible thought! Stop right now and tell yourself, “Jesus is praying for me.”
This was brought home to me in the most dramatic fashion one day, at a low point in my life. Lying in bed one morning, I willed myself to get up and face the day. As I readied myself, I found my spirits lifting. By the time I had eaten breakfast, my soul was tap dancing. Standing quite still in the kitchen, I said to myself, Someone must be praying for me. Immediately God’s quiet whisper spoke in my mind: I am. I stopped in my tracks, savoring the moment. Jesus was praying for me – no wonder my spirits were soaring!
Not only does Jesus pray for us, but He prays with us. He is infinitely concerned about those we love and for whom we pray, and He wants to pray with us for them. Hallesby writes:
“You will see wonderful things in your prayer room. You will see your eternal High Priest on His knees in prayer. You will see Him beckon to you and ask you to kneel beside Him, and you will hear Him say, “You love these dear ones of yours, but I love them even more. I have created them. I have died for their sins. I have followed them all the way. You and I both love them, now let us both pray them into the kingdom of heaven. Only do not be weary and discouraged if it takes time.” (Prayer, 54)
What are you discounting as you pray? The work of the Holy Spirit or the prayer work of Jesus Christ? You are not alone in this battle of prayer. God is for us, and “if God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom. 8:31)?
