Great comfort comes in the midst of a hard season when a friend says, "I am praying for you." Even receiving a text with those words changes the atmosphere. The Bible is replete with exhortations concerning prayer as well as testimonies of answered prayers. When a crisis happens we don't need a reminder from the scripture in order to call a family member or friend and say: "Please pray for me!" It is as automatic as breathing. It is comforting to know we have a Friend in Heaven who is always available to pray for us.
Recently I was dealing with some issues and was feeling alone, overwhelmed, and discouraged. One day, out of the blue, almost audibly, I heard Jesus say: "I'm praying for you." The tone of His voice was like warm oil, covering every raw, exposed emotion. I was completely taken off guard. In that suddenly of God, I was transformed. In less than a twinkling of an eye peace returned to my mind and heart. His words were with power during His earthly ministry, and they are still able to stop the winds and waves of any storm in my life today.
While on earth, Jesus modeled a life of prayer, going into the mountain in the evening to spend time in prayer. During the day He prayed as He met people in need of healing, deliverance, forgiveness, and provision. The prayer was always directed to His Father, just as He taught the disciples to address their prayer to the Father. He knew that the one who answered His prayers was our loving Father in heaven.
Not only strangers, but also friends were the beneficiaries of the prayers of Jesus. In the midst of the sacred Passover Meal, the night of His betrayal, Jesus confronted Simon Peter with a word of knowledge. The Holy Spirit had shown Jesus that Satan was going to attack Peter, trying to shake his faith. Jesus said to him: "I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22: 31-33.) Peter was shocked, adamantly rejecting any suggestion of denial. We know as we read those words, that the prayers Jesus prayed for Peter were answered. He made it through this dark patch and has strengthened the Church through the centuries with his writings.
Jesus has continued His intercession for the Church. He had only 3 years of public ministry, but has had over 2,000 years of 24/7 prayer ministry since His resurrection. It is good to know from Scripture that Jesus continues in this activity. However, it is even more powerful when the truth of this intercession intersects with a need in our own life. The revelation I had recently of the reality of His awareness of my needs and constant prayer for me every day has been life changing. I pray today you will hear His compassionate voice say to you: "I am praying for you."