because he always lives to intercede for them.”
I can’t pray anymore.
I tried, but it felt like my prayers were hitting the proverbial ceiling.
Does God even hear me? Does He still care?
Perhaps you’ve gone through seasons like that, too, where you’re discouraged by your inability to pray or you feel like you don’t know what to say. Maybe you’ve tried to make a new habit of praying this year, but you keep getting distracted as your thoughts Ping-Pong from prayer to your grocery list to that unpaid bill - and it’s so discouraging that you just give up.
Many things keep us from praying. But here’s one good reason to pray anyway: Jesus is praying for and with us.
A few years ago I stumbled on this quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne: “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.”
The first time I encountered that idea, I felt shocked. Really? Praying for us? That’s a lovely idea, but that’s not in the Bible … is it?
So I searched the Scriptures and was surprised by what I discovered. Hebrews 7:24-25 says: “Because 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”.
And again in Romans 8:34, the Bible affirms: “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us”. It seems clear that Jesus is praying for His people every moment of every day.
I don’t know what Jesus is praying, but we glimpse His tender heart in His high priestly prayer in John 17. The Bible also says even in our sorrow, heartache and darkness, and even when we don’t feel Him, Jesus strengthens us and protects us (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
Even when we don’t know what to say, Jesus is praying for us.
Even when we don’t feel like praying, Jesus is praying for us.
Even when we think our prayers don’t make a difference, Jesus is praying for us.
This one conviction has brought such comfort to my heart on hard days: believing Jesus understands what it’s like to be human and He knows exactly what to pray - even when we don’t.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace, knowing Jesus Himself is waiting and praying for you, for me and for us.
Precious Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You care about the details and You pray for us, even now. We join You in our prayers and surrender to You all the hard and heavy burdens in our lives. You are able, and we trust You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"