September 19: LOVING INTERCESSION

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16:12-14

These words of Jesus describe our spiritual growth when we allow His Holy Spirit to teach us. An ever-growing understanding of His written word is an indescribable joy that fuels the fires of our relationship with Him. Things that we could not bear to accept in our immaturity become the very things we hunger for as we “grow up.” Are we teachable? Even now, He intercedes on our behalf in heaven’s throne room. He is our Great High Priest and our perfect Example. This is the example He desires for us to follow in our life of prayer while we are on this earth. If we wish to truly become like Him, having an eternal impact, we must intercede for others, pleading for victories in the ongoing spiritual battles that comprise the war of the ages, which is soon to come to its prophesied end.

While there is still time, ask the Spirit of God lead your thinking and praying in loving intercession on behalf of others. The Lord’s Spirit is the representative of the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) on the earth. He will bring specific individuals to mind. You will find that negative thoughts toward them, that our fallen human nature can so easily manifest, will melt away and be replaced by the hope of salvation and the joy of anticipating eternity without the tormenting threats and pitfalls of the enemy of souls! Do you believe in the power of God to save to the uttermost?

The greatest enemy of the Lord’s divine work on the earth is our own unbelief (see Matthew 13:58, 17:20, & Romans 11:20). Let us consider that our Savior believed that leaving heaven and laying down His life on earth was a worthy endeavor. It demonstrates, beyond all doubt, that He would rather die than live without us. What amazing love! There is no “commodity” in all the universe as costly as man’s redemption. And then—GLORY!—upon His return to heaven He immediately went to work as our divine Intercessor. If Jesus, in His humanity, had allowed the rudeness, cruelty, or indifference of people to color His attitudes, we would not have this incredibly marvelous statement about His character and power upon which to rely:

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25