In dealing with the subject of intercession, we’ve been mainly talking about how the Lord prays through us.  But keep in mind also that Jesus is the ‘great intercessor’ who is always making intercession for us to the Father. (Heb.7:25)

Rom. 8:34 NIV – 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.
Heb.9:24 AMP – He has entered into Heaven itself, now to appear in the very presence of God on our behalf.

Let’s look at just a couple of ways Jesus intercedes for us.  He prays for us when we are being tested.  Do you remember the night He was betrayed and led away to be crucified?  Putting His own needs aside, he looked at Peter.  Knowing Peter’s weakness, Jesus said to him, “Satan has desired to have you so that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you that your faith fail not.” (Luke 22:31,32)

Wow!  When we face the hardest tests of our lives it’s beyond encouraging to know that Jesus Himself is praying for us!  That’s enough right there to give us all the courage and faith necessary to make it.

The reason behind this is also life changing.  He has this authority to be our High Priest and Intercessor because He became a man and went through everything we have to deal with here.  He understands as no one else could.  He’s been here and lived here.  He was tested in all the same ways we are and yet (as an example of how we can live) He remained without sin. (Heb.4:15)

“It is plain that for this purpose [Christ] did not become an angel; He became a man, in actual fact a descendant of Abraham. It was imperative that He should be made like His brothers in nature, if He were to become a High Priest both compassionate and faithful in the things of God, and at the same time able to make atonement for the sins of the people. For by virtue of His own suffering under temptation He is able to help those who are exposed to temptation.” (Heb.2:16-18 Phillips Translation)

Yes, the Lord Himself intercedes for us when we are tempted.  Here again, Jesus prayed for His disciples, ” I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one.” John 17:15 AMP

He also intercedes for us when we have sinned … “If any man sin, we have an Advocate [an Intercessor] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”  (I John 2:1)  He knows how God’s judicial system works.  He understands the justice of the Father.  He is the Righteous Judge. ( 2 Tim.4:8)  When He intercedes for us to the Father He is not saying, “Oh Father, please have mercy on them.  You know how weak and foolish they are.” No.  It’s a courtroom scene where the high courts of Heaven are set up.  God’s legal system says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. (Heb.9:22)  Jesus, God’s son, is the One who shed His own blood for us.  He stands there as an ever present reminder of that fact.

How can we lose!  God has set things up in our favor over and over again.  When we come up against things we cannot overcome, Christ Himself is interceding for us to the Father.   And if we allow Him to, He also lives His life through us doing things that we can only do “in Him”.   I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  We are more than conquerors when we are in Him.

Having a bad day?  Check out this passage of scripture and read it in several translations until it really hits you and becomes a part of you.

Romans 8:31-39 Amplified Bible (AMP)
31 What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]
32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]
34 Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?
35 Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?
36 Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,
39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For a visual on this, see the photo attached to the previous blog post. Have a wonderful day!

God speaks to us any way He can get our attention!  We are wise to learn to listen to His still, quiet voice so that He doesn’t have to shout.  Sometimes people say to me, “Everything is not prophetic.”  And my reply is usually , “Most things are, if we can only hear or see them.”

Our family has made a cross country move this week.  Part of that journey took us through the mountains of Western Canada.  Amazing!  Spectacular!  I have loved these mountains for the last 7 years that I have lived among them.  So often I find myself thinking of the words that David penned about lifting my eyes to the hills where my help comes from – from the Lord who made Heaven and earth.  And I often hear the voice of the Lord as I gaze on His handiwork.  Being in the mountains on this trip was no exception.

Many mountain roads are on such a well planned grade that it looks as though you’re on a somewhat level road.  It’s difficult to see that you’re actually ascending.  The clues are that the RPMs are increasing, the speed is decreasing and it’s hard to hold your neck in an upright position since it’s being pulled backwards as if you’re on a roller coaster!  Another clue is that the outside temperature is dropping and there is snow on the ground.  All those waterfalls and rushing streams you passed half an hour ago at the lower levels are now frozen and glistening in the sun.  Suddenly you come to a place where you can look down and see how far you’ve climbed.  The view is spectacular and there are eagles flying overhead, calling you ever upward to the higher snow capped peaks still ahead.

Life in the Spirit is this way as well.  There are times when the incline is so gradual you don’t even realize you’ve been climbing.  But there are other times when you suddenly realize that you have just passed a particular test that you had failed many times before.  This time something was very different and you hear Him whisper “Well done” with a smile in His voice.  You have not only passed a test but graduated to a higher level.  The testing now will be more difficult but you will be able to handle it.  It doesn’t get any easier but you get stronger, so it seems easier and you begin to look forward to the challenges.

We cannot rightly judge ourselves or our fruit here in this realm.  It is only there in Heaven after the final term when we really find out what our marks were.  But if we live to love Him instead of just trying to make the grade, our lives will be so full of Him that the marks won’t matter so much to us here.  We live to love Him and spend so much time with Him that we simply absorb and reflect His glory.

There is a new breed of disciple rising up.  They have been in a hidden place of preparation.  Many have experienced severe testing in the fires of God and are now coming forth as gold.  They are stepping into their place and rank in the army of God, clothed in armor and weapons that are not of this world.  They are the burning ones.

Many of these are young, in their 20s and 30s.  Some are even younger.  But their age in years is no match for their maturity in the Spirit.  Some are already becoming high ranking officers under the leadership of the One they love. They are willing to die for Him if necessary and their love for His people is only eclipsed by their love for Him. They are wholly His.

They walk in peace, even in troubled times.  There is a purity of spirit about them that is staggering to the natural mind. It will either draw or repel people.  There is not much middle ground. (2 Cor.2:15,16)  They are unlike any generation before them.  The past with it’s religious entrapments has been cut off.  They have no spiritual baggage to bring with them into the future.  They are completely His … in love, in humility, in joy, in courage and the power of the Holy Spirit.  They are able to see and hear clearly and they are given the wisdom to know what to do with those things that are shown to them.

They have little interest in the things of the world outside of bringing His Kingdom here to change this world. They seek a city whose builder and maker is God. (Heb.11:10,13-16)  They are on a quest for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil.3:14)  They live to be conformed to His image and as a direct result of this, they are able to be used for His Kingdom purposes without their own agenda getting in the way.  They have crucified their own will and now simply have none but His.

This is not just for those who are in a certain age bracket. If you are alive on this earth now, this is your generation. It’s your time. He is inviting you on this high quest of pursuing Him in full surrender.  If your heart is burning within you as you read this, it is His voice calling to you.  And if not?  Ask Him for more hunger and thirst.  Those who hunger and thirst for Him shall be filled. (Matt.5:6)

Don’t allow the busyness of life to keep you from what you were created for – the grandest adventure of all.  It’s a very poor exchange.

This will be a great part of our testing in these last days: to overcome the lies of the enemy against God and His goodness.

We are entering times when mans own choices have lifted the restraining hand of God against evil in our nations.  In some cases those choices are bringing His righteous and holy judgment as His Word said.  Some things will be very clear.  When a nation is being judged or disciplined to bring it back to God, everyone in that nation will be affected in some way.

Other things will be far less easy to understand.  Why does disaster strike?  Why do our friends and loved ones die or experience such hard things when we have prayed and believed?  Once when I was questioning the Lord about many of these things He said to me,

“My bride will have to be so in love with Me that she trusts Me even when she does not understand.”

Of course He loves us individually and has our best interest at heart.  But this is not just about us as individuals.  It’s much bigger than that.  It’s about His eternal plan, of which we have a part.

Fundamentally, at heart level, we must believe that God is good and just and righteous at ALL times in ALL He does.  We must stop blaming God for the works of the enemy!  To misunderstand this could be fatal.  Since we are finite creatures, this will require an ever increasing depth of relationship with Him to bond us so closely that we cannot be separated. (Rom.8:38,39)  This will require much more love than we now possess.  We must ask Him for His love which cannot be shaken. ( Rom.8:35-37 )

Once in a vision the Lord encountered me on a seashore.  He pointed toward a beautiful ship and said to me “That’s my ship and I’m the Captain.  I make the decisions.  The question is, can you sail under My command?”

If this sounds hard and contrary to the nature of a loving God, we have only seen a part of the many facets of His character.  He is the lamb and He also is the lion.  In the midst of the battle you’ll want the lion on your side. All of those blog posts under “Intimacy with the Lord” are true.   In fact, it is that very depth of intimacy that will cause us to keep on holding tightly to Him no matter what happens.   You learn to trust the One you love and love the One you trust.  Because of His deep love for us and ours for Him, we know that we can trust Him and His leadership.  Incidentally, in the last part of the vision I spoke of, Jesus looked deeply into my eyes and opened His hand to reveal my name tattooed on His palm! ( Isa.49:16 )  I was undone once again by His love.

There were times in my life many years ago when I was just beginning to learn these lessons.  When things went from difficult to impossible I fell back into immaturity and began to blame God.  I had prayed and fasted and declared and believed but still He did not answer my prayers.  One day when I was literally yelling at Him He stopped me.  I could hear the pain in His voice as He said to me,

“It hurts me when you publicly disgrace and dishonor Me in this way.”

Silence and shock!  What did He mean by that?  Quietly now He began to explain what I had absolutely no concept of.

“When you rail against Me and blame Me for your trouble it dishonors and disgraces Me.  And yes, it is very public.  You think you are alone here in your room.  But all those in Heaven and the realms below hear what you say.  You disgrace Me before the enemy and all of his hosts.   And you dishonor and accuse Me before all of Heaven, the angels and the great cloud of witnesses.”

That understanding solved something for me and I repented deeply.  When it hits us personally as it has so many times before, when our needs are not met or disaster strikes, the thing of absolute importance is our response to Him.  Will we trust that He loves us and His will is best even when we are hurting, even when we don’t understand?  There are only 2 choices here. The middle ground is running out.

Obviously I am not suggesting that we sit back and receive everything the enemy throws at us, presuming it is God’s will.   We do have authority given to us from the Lord over the evil one.  But what about the delays we don’t understand or the circumstances that we just cannot line up with God’s Word no matter how we try?  We need wisdom to separate these things properly.  However, when it comes down to the bottom line question of “Is God good or has He failed you?” our response must always be in allegiance to Him alone.  Otherwise we find ourselves on very dangerous ground and create much more trouble than we already had.

Help us God!  Give us Your grace to make it!  Strengthen us Oh God!

By the way, there are times when He does just give us strength that we did not possess before … His strength.  However, the #1 way that we gain strength is through testing and training!  Paul talks about exercising to strengthen our mortal bodies to run the race and then compares that to our spiritual life. (1 Cor.9:24-27, Phil. 2:16 )   He also refers to our being soldiers in the army of God.  ( 2 Tim.2:3,4,  2 Thess,1:4, Heb. 12:7 )   A General in the Army started out as a Private.  He became a General through rigorous, hard training and also the battles he fought in.

These last day battles will require God’s people to be high impact and low maintenance.  If we search our hearts and find that is not the case then let us run to the Lord and not away from Him.  Let us repent for our weakness and submit ourselves to Him for His training.  He is the only source of our strength.  He is the goal and He is the reward for those who overcome.