BY PHILIP G. SAMAAN

NE OF MY STUDENTS ONCE CAME BY MY office, asking me to pray for her. She explained that whenever her roommate prayed for her she felt spiritually strong. But now that her roommate had transferred to another university she felt no incentive to pray alone. She felt she was losing her hold on Jesus. Her friend's strong faith in praying for her buttressed her faith and boosted her courage. She felt much better after I prayed for her and assured her that Jesus had joined us in that prayer. I assured her that though her prayer partner left, Jesus was still her mighty intercessor. Indeed she would never have to pray alone--roommate or no roommate--because her powerful prayer Warrior ever lives to pray for her.

I know such moments in my own experience. The earnest prayers of my prayer partners boost my faith, too, in times of need. Some time ago I was agonizing over a tough decision I had to make. I sought out a trustworthy friend, a man of prayer, to pray for me. As he earnestly prayed for me, God seemed so real and near. He prayed with such faith, power, and fervency that my heart was flooded with assurance that God was in control and that things were going to work out. It was evident that my friend was in touch with God, and his sturdy faith bolstered my shaky faith and reconnected me with God.

Reflecting back on these two incidents, I was gripped with this awesome thought: If the prayers of faithful friends can make such a huge impact on our lives, how much more can the mighty prayers of Jesus! He is the perfect prayer partner, possessing infinite faith, who constantly and fervently prays for us. Touching a trickle of cool water can be refreshing, but how much better to plunge into the mighty torrents of a rushing river. What a tremendous difference it would make in our prayer life to live this out as a spiritual reality! His mighty prayers for us are effective and prevailing because they are imbued with His infinite love, wisdom, and power. He discerns our innermost thoughts and feelings, as He also discerns the infinite mind of God. What a rich and indispensable resource of effectual prayer we have in Jesus!

The Mighty Prayer Warrior
Exciting events took place when Jesus prayed for others. Jesus' prayers changed not only the situation but the lives of those involved. Jesus prayed for others even as He prayed for Himself. His prayers were anchored in unbroken communion with His Father. Early mornings and late nights found Him engaged in prayer (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 6:12). At His baptism He raised His gaze to heaven, pouring out a prayer before the formidable challenge awaiting Him in His ministry (Luke 3:21). In Gethsemane, from His broken heart flowed a passionate prayer of sweat and blood, a plea to His Father (Matt. 26:36-44).

John 17 records by far the most extensive intercessory prayer of Jesus. Jesus first prayed for Himself (verses 1-5), then for His disciples (verses 6-19), and finally for all other believers (verses 20-26). He intercedes for specific people and priorities. The thrust of this mighty prayer is Christ's ardent desire for His disciples and all believers to share what He enjoys with the Father: the unity, mutual love and trust, faithfulness, truth, unity, joy, consecration, and mission. Without a doubt this prayer of intercession was--and continues to be--effectual in the lives of believers. And not only that: every time Christ's faithful followers unite themselves with Him in this prayer, His petitions will be fulfilled in their lives.

At times we may excuse ourselves from uniting with Christ in prayer because of our busy schedules. But if we say that we have no time to pray, then in effect we are saying we have no time to live. Since prayer is the "breath of the soul,"¹ such excuses make no sense. How ridiculous it would be for a someone suffocating for lack of air to protest that they have no time to breathe. But isn't this frequently the case in our spiritual lives? Wasn't Jesus' life busy? Yet He constantly made prayer a top priority. It was the breath of His soul as well, the living connection with the Source of power that made His perilous mission possible. "No other life was ever so crowded with labor and responsibility as was that of Jesus; yet how often He was found in prayer! How constant was His communion with God!"²

"I Have Prayed for You"
Anchored in intimate communion with His Father, Jesus' fervent prayers for others were prevailing. Peter was one disciple for whom Jesus prayed, for Jesus knew that Satan was after him. "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat" (Luke 22:31).* When He called Peter to follow Him at the beginning of His ministry (John 1:42), He changed his name from Simon to Cephas (Peter). So why was He now calling Peter by his old name--Simon--and why was He doing so twice? Probably because the name "Simon" in Hebrew refers to hearing. And Jesus wanted Peter to be alert and attentive to what He was about to tell him. What crucial warning did Jesus have for His disciple? A warning about the adversary. Satan was doggedly pursuing Simon Peter, seeking to own him and to destroy his faith as Christ's ministry was coming to an end.

This remains the focused mission of Satan: seek and destroy the faith of Christ's followers. Intimidated by evil, we often stop with verse 31 and do not proceed to the next verse of this human-supernatural encounter. We focus on Satan's attacks instead of joining in Christ's mighty prayers for us. We see Satan lurking around every corner and hiding behind every bush, and Satan delights to have all the attention he can get! Yet what Satan does must never be viewed in isolation from what Christ does. Let Satan desire to have us as much as he wants to: Christ desires to have us infinitely more. His desire eclipses Satan's, rendering it null and void. Verse 32 begins with a rebuttal to the enemy, with what I call the "divine but." "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail." Jesus alerts Peter to his pending peril, but He does not leave him there. Immediately Jesus points Peter to His powerful prayer for him.

Yet in spite of Jesus' prayer for Peter--that his faith should not fail--his faith did fail. He denied His Master three times. Even Christ Himself would not impose His will on Peter; Peter had to choose freely to avail himself of such intercessory prayer. Peter must cooperate with Jesus' powerful prayers for him. He must humble himself in submission, placing his full trust in Jesus. His faith would not have failed if he had anchored his weak faith in the mighty faith of Jesus, and had placed himself in Jesus' domain. It was said of Daniel's and his companions' prayers that "in faith they prayed for wisdom, and they lived their prayers. They placed themselves where God could bless them."³

Not much time elapsed, however, before Peter learned the valuable lesson of humility. With bitter tears of remorse he wholeheartedly repented of his pride and self-sufficiency. He lived his sincere prayers of repentance. Even in this apparent failure Christ gained the final victory in Peter's life. Peter's sincere repentance not only solidified his commitment to Christ but also helped to strengthen the faith of many others.

Imagine for a moment that you are in the midst of a terrible crisis. How would you feel if Jesus addressed you by name and told you that He was praying for you? If a faithful friend says to you that they are praying for you, you feel strengthened and encouraged. But Jesus is no ordinary praying friend. He is called "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6), and He prays for us as He prayed for Peter. Satan can no longer find a foothold here, for he has to deal with Jesus Himself. "Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name [of Jesus]."⁴ If you truly believed that the Son of God Himself is praying for you, wouldn't it revolutionize your prayer life? Yet this is Christ's reality for you: He knows you by name, He is intimately acquainted with your problems, and He cares so much for you that He tailors His prayers to suit your particular needs.

When Jesus prays for us, He "knows all about our burdens, our dangers, and our difficulties; and He fills His mouth with arguments in our behalf. He fits His intercessions to the needs of each soul, as He did in the case of Peter." Moreover, "with upraised hands He pleads, 'I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.' God loves to hear, and responds to the pleadings of His Son."⁵ Isn't it amazing that Jesus not only prays passionately for us but also adapts His mighty prayers to make them fit the specific needs and problems we face? What an act of condescension on His part: To take His perfect prayers and adjust them to our imperfect prayers and short-sighted human petitions!

Perfect Prayer for Perfect Problem
If we think Simon Peter had problems for which Jesus needed to pray, imagine the almost hopeless situation of Mary Magdalene. She had seven colossal problems. Mary was possessed, not by one demon but by seven of them (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9), a number representing both perfection and the immensity of her problem. Yes, the devil was after Peter, but he was after Mary even more with his full hellish force. He desired to have Peter, but Mary was his possession seven times over.

In praying for Mary, Jesus could read the sealed pages of her heart, and fully understand her unfortunate circumstances. He could look beyond the sevenfold demon possession and discern her potential to become one of His most devoted followers. Jesus' faith cut through demonic hell and emerged with glorious hope. "It was He [Jesus] who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in her behalf. . . . and in His strength she had overcome."⁶

Imagine Mary hearing her name on Jesus' praying lips. She listened to His strong cries and realized that such a passionate outpouring of His heart to the Father was just for her. No wonder her life was forever transformed. And if Christ's mighty prayers prevailed in Peter's and Mary's lives, they certainly can prevail in your life and mine. However tightly our apparently insurmountable problems hedge us in, Jesus has a way of escape for us.

For His Friends-And His Enemies
Both Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy remind us that Jesus often prayed for His disciples. It is recorded that even before choosing them, He "went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12). When was the last time you or I prayed all night for someone, or about some important decision? We find ourselves wondering how Jesus could fill the entire night with supplications to the Father for His disciples. Yet Jesus would plead with God for each individual disciple, for his particular needs and challenges. He petitioned His Father that their faith would not fail, for His will to be done in their lives, and for their salvation and the salvation of many through them.

"For hours He continued pleading with God. Not for Himself but for men were those prayers. . . . In travail and conflict of soul He prayed for His disciples. . . . For them the burden was heavy upon His heart, and He poured out His supplications with bitter agony and tears."⁷ This selfless and passionate act of total devotion to them and their ministry reveals the praying heart of Jesus. They were in His heart, and we too are in His heart. He is as willing and committed to pray for us now as He prayed for them then, for "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8).

Jesus prayed not only for His disciples but also for all others who would believe in Him (John 17:6-26). His earnest prayer was saturated with love for all. He prayed that they be one with Him and each other, and that they be with Him forever in glory. On the cross His very first utterances were not about Himself or His disciples, but took the form of a pleading prayer for His bitter enemies. "Father, forgive them," He petitioned, "for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Christ's agonized prayer for those who thought themselves His enemies was indeed answered in many of their lives. Later, at the preaching of Peter and Paul, many repented and were forgiven.

While the best of us would have quickly given up on such seemingly hopeless enemies, Christ would not. He is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance"

(2 Peter 3:9). None of us has ever been mistreated as Jesus was, and His example is a great incentive to join Him in praying for those who mistreat and persecute us, even for those who abuse us the most. Jesus found in the abusive treatment meted out to Him by the very ones He came to save an opportunity to pray for them. To us, such people may appear beyond hope, but Christ's intercessory prayer on the cross assures us that there is hope even for the most hopeless. Only Christ's mighty intercessions could transform such from implacable enemies to loyal friends.

Free Access
When Jesus cried, "It is finished," He died, and "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Mark 15:38). The torn veil to the Most Holy Place represents Christ's broken body tearing asunder any human inaccessibility to God's presence. That torn veil of Christ's broken body freely connects humanity with divinity, giving us free access into the presence of God. That is why the apostle Paul challenges us to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16). The same God who made us alive with His Son, "made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:5, 6). In Jesus, our trustworthy friend and mighty intercessor, "we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Eph. 3:12).

Intercessory prayer is never a human invention, for it issues forth from the heart of God. Ezekiel 22:30 records God as searching for a person to come before Him to intercede. Sadly He returns empty-handed, declaring: "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." What a letdown for the all-searching God to find no one! Yet even when on earth He finds no one, He always finds one in His Son Jesus, who ever lives "to make intercession" for us (Heb. 7:25).

Michael's Mighty Help
There is an unusual reference in the Old Testament to Christ's engagement in Daniel's intercessory prayer. In Daniel 10:11-13 a mysterious curtain is pulled back to reveal a glimpse of what transpires behind the scenes, unseen by human eyes, in response to our sincere prayers. For 21 days Daniel had been humbling himself in earnest prayer for his people's return from the exile. While Daniel was wondering if God was going to respond, the angel Gabriel arrived and informed him that even from the first day of his intercession his words were heard and that Gabriel was there because of them.

During those 21 days the evil forces were busily working on the mind of the Persian king to dissuade him from releasing the Hebrew exiles. What an intense war that must have been! Finally, after three weeks Michael (Christ) joined the struggle and assisted Gabriel in contending with the demonic powers at work. We can't, of course, fathom all the issues involved in this great controversy between good and evil, or know exactly why the mighty Gabriel needed the assistance of the mighty Intercessor. Yet we are certain that the preincarnate Christ was even then personally involved in answering prayers and gaining victories.

None of us need ever fear, even for a moment, that we are alone when we pray. All of heaven, with all its rich resources, is on our side. Gabriel, the glorious angel who stands in the very presence of God, is beside us. The eternal Son of God is always there as our tenacious mighty intercessor.

This Hope Still Moves Us
Nothing so lifts the heart as realizing that Jesus is always engaged in our prayers. When we grow weary, He never tires. When we slumber, He never falls asleep. When we forget, He always remembers. Thank God that even when He searches for an individual to intercede and finds no one, we are sufficiently covered because He always finds One in Jesus. When our prayers seem inadequate, His prayers are all-effective. When our pleas appear sluggish, His pleas are all- fervent. When all our righteousness is like filthy rags, He is "The Lord Our Righteousness" (Jer. 23:6). And when our prayers seem unavailing, His are much availing.

There was a time when I would get discouraged about my prayers as I read the last part of the promise in James 5:16: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." My fervency and faith are not strong, not like Elijah's or Paul's. My righteousness seems so small in comparison to Enoch's or Noah's. And if there is little righteousness in me, it seemed natural to conclude that there is little availing in my prayers. That was my demoralizing dilemma, but what was the solution? To work on my righteousness? No. To work on my faith and fervency? Again, no. The supernatural solution for me was to focus on Christ's faith, fervency, and perfect righteousness. Behold Him, "The Lord Our Righteousness."

While the context of James 5:13-18 speaks about church members praying for each other, it greatly helps me to view my fervency, effectiveness, and availing in the framework of Christ's all-sufficiency. Because my righteousness is as filthy rags, I must have His spotless robe of righteousness. I may accurately say of Christ: the fervent prayer of this Righteous Man avails much. And when He becomes my righteousness, my prayers become availing in His availing prayers. The white robe of His righteousness is all-pervasive and must indeed cover everything about me--even my prayers.

These are the truths I too often forget. And so I must pray each day that the Lord will open my eyes to see the same Jesus, who fervently prayed for His disciples and enemies, praying for me today. I must see His divine arm grasping the throne of God on my behalf. I must hear the pounding of His nailed-scarred hand on heaven's gate for such a sinner as me. I will tremble at the fervency of His powerful petitions, engulfing my faint attempts at petitioning.

Praise God that I am clothed with the robe of His righteousness and the fervency and effectiveness of His intercessions. Praise God for giving me the assurance and security that I am accepted in the Beloved, covered in His atoning blood. In Him all is well, truly well, with my soul.

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*Bible texts in this article are from the New King James Version.

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¹ Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 254.
² White, The Desire of Ages, p. 362.
³ White, Prophets and Kings, p. 486. (Italics supplied.)
⁴ White, The Desire of Ages, p. 131. (Italics supplied.)
⁵ The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 7, pp. 931, 948. (Italics supplied.)
⁶ White, The Desire of Ages, p. 568. (Italics supplied.)
⁷ Ibid., p. 379.

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Philip G. Samaan is a professor in the School of Religion at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee. This article is adapted from his new volume, Christ's Way to Pray: How Christ Prays for Us and With Us, available from the author at 706-935-8800 or 423-238-2976 (e-mail: pgs@southern.edu).