Our Ever-Present Intercessor
Our prayers are more than mere requests; they are acts of faith that align us with Christ's own life within us.
But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not. --Luke 22:32
I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you. --John 16:26
He ever lives to make intercession.--Hebrews 7:25
In the journey of faith, understanding Jesus Christ's role as our intercessor brings profound comfort and strength. Instead of tirelessly striving to live uprightly, believers can find peace by resting in Christ and relying on His intercession to navigate life's challenges.
Today we’ll look into the depth of Christ's intercessory role, highlighting how His prayerful action empowers us to live victoriously through faith.
Christ's Resting Place for Believers
Living a Christian life isn't about the endless struggle to get things right. Instead, it's about finding rest in Christ and drawing strength from Him. When we rest in Him, He becomes our source of life, enabling us to engage in life's battles with confidence.
"The Christian life is no longer the vain struggle to live right, but the resting in Christ and finding strength in Him as our life, to fight the fight and gain the victory of faith." (Andrew Murray)
This shift from self-reliance to Christ-dependence transforms how we approach daily challenges. By trusting in His strength, we move from exhaustion to empowerment, experiencing the maturity that comes from genuine faith.
Resting in Christ brings renewed resilience and radiant hope.
The Power of Christ's Prayer
Jesus doesn't just intercede on our behalf; He actively engages in prayer with the Father. His intercession is rooted in a continuous dialogue, ensuring that our needs are presented and addressed.
"And this exercise of His power only takes place through His prayer: He asks of the Father, and receives from the Father. He is able to save to the uttermost, because He ever lives to make intercession." (Andrew Murray)
Through His persistent prayer, Christ extends His saving work to the fullest extent. His ever-present intercession guarantees that our salvation is complete and that His power is always available to aid, guide, and teach us.
Faith-Fueled Prayer
Our prayers are more than mere requests; they are acts of faith that align us with Christ's own life within us. This divine connection infuses our prayers with genuine power and effectiveness.
"Our prayer must be a work of faith in this sense too, that as we know that Jesus communicates His whole life in us, He also out of that prayerfulness which is His alone breathes into us our praying." (Andrew Murray)
When we pray, we are participating in a deeper communion with Christ, allowing His life to flow in and through us. This means our prayers are not just our own but are empowered by His presence and guided by His will.
Faith gently guides our prayers, weaving them seamlessly into the divine tapestry of Christ's purpose.
Embracing Christ as our intercessor shifts our focus from human effort to divine reliance. It transforms prayer from a mere ritual into a powerful exchange where faith meets divine grace. By resting in Jesus and engaging in consistent prayer, we obtain the limitless strength and victory that His unwavering intercession provides.
May this understanding deepen our faith, fuel our prayers, and empower our walk with Christ, today and every day.
NOTE: Many of the most insightful and enduring lessons we learn concerning prayer come from Andrew Murray. This article is based on an earlier post—Christ The Intercessor, which is an excerpt from his work With Christ in the School of Prayer, the Twenty Sixth Lesson: I have prayed for you. It was lightly edited and available here for further reading:
