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New Article: Everything Starts With Prayer

                Most people know and can articulate Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth.  Luke 19:10 tells us that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  His death, burial and resurrection gained us our salvation.  As 2 Corinthians 5:21 beautifully states, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. 

You likely know what Jesus did, but do you know what he is doing now?   Jesus currently has a one-word job description: He intercedes for us!  “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” (Romans 8:34).  Jesus is making our case on our behalf and provides access to his father’s throne so that we can find grace and mercy (Hebrews 4:14-16).  That is great news!  If there is anyone to have on your team, it is Jesus.

Interestingly, Romans 8 tells us that the Holy Spirit also has a one-word job description.  He, too, intercedes for us. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans…the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (verses 26-27).  You may not know what to pray for, but the Spirit does, and he supplies the words on your behalf.  He says what you would say if you knew what to say.  I do not understand how all that works, but that is worth some thought.

So, if Jesus’ job is to intercede for us, and the Holy Spirit’s job is to intercede for us, what do you think our job might be?  We are to intercede for one another!  “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

We get to participate in the very thing that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are doing.  We get to see God’s power at work in others and us.  We can be part of the process of seeing God’s will accomplished. 

Stop worrying about and for others and start praying for them.  You may be surprised by the results!

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