At all times Jesus is interceding, never giving up, and never losing heart!
SHAUNA: I’m Shauna, with Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Thank you for joining us.
JONI: When you pray, how do you picture yourself before God? Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and perhaps you imagine yourself in the throne room of God, on your knees, coming to him with a cap in hand to beg? You feel so unworthy, and a little out of place in the divine throne room. Or maybe you see yourself at a distance from God—timid, shy, but nevertheless, imploring the Lord to fulfill your request. Well, there may be times when it is appropriate to go to God as would a humble beggar. Times when you need to seriously mourn over some awful transgression. But even in those times of remorse, and regret, and sorrow, God wants you to understand – your glorious position in prayer. Ephesians 2, starting with verse 6 says, “…God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Well friend, when you come before God to worship him in spirit and truth and submissively lay your request before him, God’s going to show you the incomparable riches of his grace. He’ll open your eyes to his kindness to you in Christ Jesus. And it will be your privilege and pleasure to join with Jesus where he’s seated at God’s right hand. And in that sacred spot? Even a beggar is looked upon as a precious child of the king, God’s treasured possession as it says in Ephesians.
So, imagine that. Picture that. See yourself as you are. If you love and obey the Lord Jesus, God has raised you up to be seated with him in the heavenly realms. Imagine that! In prayer, you are – you’re up there, seated in a royal palace, not only of privilege but a position of serious responsibility. Because as you pray, you do so alongside Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain; as you pray, you are seated beside your Savior. I mean, when I pray, I love to think that I’m a partner with Christ in spiritual warfare. When I pray for lost souls, I know that Jesus is praying the exact same thing next to me—he has a bigger heart for the lost than I ever will! And because Christ lives to intercede, he’s constantly reminding me that I should do the same—I should live to intercede as well.
Oh, friend, please, sometime this week would you read—and reread—Ephesians 2. Take a little time to ponder your privileged place seated next to Christ up in heaven. That’s not something way in the future. That is right now. Just like Hebrews says, our conversation is in the heavenlies, our citizenship is already there. Reread Ephesians 2 and thank God the Father that he has given you a seat with Christ, right now in real time. When you pray, seated next to your Lord in the heavenlies, remember that your most feeble and faint petition, your confession, or your intercession, and yes, your worship, all of it shakes the hearts of the people for whom you pray. Because Jesus lives to intercede [and that’s what he’s doing right now], it means he is also interceding for that precious one that is on your heart today.
In Luke 18:1, Jesus tells us that at all times we ought to pray and not give up and lose heart. Why? Because at all times Jesus is also interceding, never giving up, and our Lord never loses heart.
© Joni and Friends