I’m so thankful for friends who pray. Just last week a friend sent a note saying she was praying for me. Another friend, knowing something I had to get done, prayed for me through it. What a gift! And though prayer is still a bit of a mystery to me, I’ve never doubted that I want and need it. I’ll take all God-seeking prayers I can get!
I’m blown away by the fact that Jesus prays for us. Right now, in the midst of all you are going through, with perfect knowledge and insight, Jesus is praying for you.
Jesus is praying for your full salvation.
He prayed you into salvation and He prays now for your ongoing salvation: your daily deliverance from sin.
“Jesus lives forever; He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Our struggle with sin is real. Sometimes it feels quite intense. Jesus knows this firsthand:
“We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Trust me — Jesus knows, and in that knowing, He knows how to pray, whatever the sin, whatever the need or struggle.
Jesus is praying for all things to work together for your good.
Romans 8:34 states, “Christ Jesus who died…who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” You may recognize the chapter in which this verse is written. It’s home to one of the most popular verses in the Bible:
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
God reminds us: Did I not give the life of My Son for you? How could you think I would withhold anything good from you? (Romans 8:32). It’s a great question. God never withholds good from those who love Him and are living for His purposes. Jesus is praying for the good and perfect will of our good and perfect Father to become a reality in our lives.
Jesus prays for you to be conformed to His image.
This truth comes out in Romans 8 also. It’s why God frees you from sin for. God, having justified us (now relating to us as if we’d never sinned), longs to glorify us (Romans 8:29). One day, he’ll take us to heaven and glorify us completely. On this earth, God’s greatest passion, which is also your highest good, is to have the life of His Son formed in you. Christ in us is our hope — our only hope — that the glory of God will shine through us (Colossians 1:27).
Jesus prays you will have faith, even after you’ve failed badly.
Believing God is one of — if not the greatest — struggle we face. We are prone to unbelief when things in life look and feel opposite to what God has promised and says is true. When we fail in faith it can be difficult to recover. Jesus knows this, and what He told Peter is true for us too:
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).
Peter failed badly, but then returned to Jesus and lived out the remainder of his life in great boldness for God. Jesus prays our faith won’t fail. He knows God’s promises and blessings come through faith; He doesn’t want us to miss a single one. But if our faith falters, Jesus prays we’ll turn back to God quickly. He prays we’ll use our failings to strengthen others.
Way #43 of 52 Ways to Glorify God is something you can rest in. You can face each new day with confidence and joy as you:
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