He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
Most of us are familiar with the biblical title, “The Prince of Peace,” which is often applied to Jesus and rooted in the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6. But there is another title that can be just as aptly applied to our Lord: “The Prince of Prayer.” One of the most neglected understandings of our Lord Jesus Christ in the church today is the continual intercession He is making in heaven on our behalf.
We have a tendency to focus primarily on what God in Christ has done for us in the past and what He has promised to do in the future, but many of us forget what Jesus is doing for us right now. To be sure, we should rejoice and give thanks that everything necessary for our salvation has already been accomplished — not by us but for us — through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection of Jesus Christ. All that work that Jesus completed on our behalf comes under the heading of our justification. But we must never forget that the work of our Lord is not finished when it comes to our sanctification — that is, our growing and maturing in our faith. That ongoing work comes under the heading of His intercession.
I want to be completely clear that this ongoing work of our Lord does not mean that anything related to our right standing before God was left unfinished. When we understand that Jesus is always making intercession for us, we are to see it as the application of what His atonement has accomplished. His intercession is a powerful picture of the fullness of His victory on the cross, because now that “It is finished” (John 19:30), He is able to intercede on our behalf that we may grow and mature and stand firm in our faith.
Here is something to remember that will provide both a comfort and a challenge: Just as Satan is continually accusing us and reminding us of our sins and shortcomings, Jesus is continually interceding for us, which means Satan’s accusations fall on “Divine Deaf Ears.” There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1), and not until that truth seizes us will we be able to withstand the slings and arrows of the evil one.
One final point: Jesus is the One and Only Mediator between you and God; you need no other. The God-man has your back in any and every set of circumstances you may find yourself in. Oh, and Jesus also has your front, sides, and inside too, because Jesus is your Prince of Prayer who is continually making intercession for you. Rejoice, Christian! The One who died for you while you were yet a sinner (Romans 5:8) now lives to pray for you!!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 