“I have prayed for you” (Luke 22:32)

Our Lord spoke a word of comfort to Peter after He warned him, “Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But ...” But what? Christ could have said, “But go pray for yourself”. That would have been good advice, but that’s not what happened. Christ said, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail” (Luke 22:32). 

 Isn’t it wonderful, that knowing our weaknesses, Christ intercedes for us? When we pray, He pleads for us, but even more wonderful, when we’re not praying, He’s still our Advocate in Heaven. No one on Earth can tell you how many bad things were prevented in your life because He pleads in your behalf. 

 When you reach heaven, and look back on your life, you’ll see all the ways He led you through minefields where one step off the path would have meant disaster. When you look at the lives of unbelievers, you don’t see that kind of record. You see divorces, addictions and train wrecks. You need to thank Him because He never held His peace, but day and night pointed to the wounds upon His hands, and carried your name upon His breastplate! 

 Notice the mercy Christ obtains for saints is preemptive. When He tells Peter, “when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren”, it’s as if it’s already happened. The same foreknowledge that saw Peter’s denial also saw his return. Oh Jesus, what a comfort it is that You plead my cause against my unseen enemies; undoing their plans for evil and unmasking their ambushes. Help me to never take Your help for granted as I present my body a living sacrifice, which is my reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).