What You Don’t See is Who is Praying for Me
By Rev. Jarrett B. Washington, Columnist
Romans 8:31-34 says, “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.”
Believer, what if I told you the enemy has strategically placed people, places, and entities in your pathway that will constantly and consistently remind you of who you were? Furthermore, there are people, places, and entities who have been set up, and in some cases, been given a paycheck and salary to remind you that you aren’t qualified for what God says you can have. Yet and still, you have to live with the constant and considerably heavy understanding that what people don’t know about you is who you have praying for you.
Our study of the biblical text explains to the reader how the Apostle Paul writes to the church at Rome toward the end of his third missionary journey. In this letter, Paul was communicating with what appears to be a firmly-established collection of believers in modern-day Rome. His letter comes years after the expulsion of the Jews from Rome somewhere in late 50 AD. During this time, the believers were worshipping not in church buildings but in church houses. At some point in the letter, Paul addresses the church house of Priscilla and Aquilla, who we met in the book of Acts. These church houses of Rome seemed to be divided into various issues and backgrounds; however, even in their division, we come to understand much of their identity was still the same.
In the eighth chapter of this text, Paul makes a remarkable assertion that oftentimes gets lost in the beautiful prose and meter of the surrounding verses. Paul furthers the biblical truth of how Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God and explains how Jesus is making intercession for us. The powerfulness of the word “intercession” is the idea that one is intervening on the behalf of another or one is simply praying for or on the behalf of another. In this case, the one making intercession is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our knowledge of Christ is deepened because not only is there a recognition of Christ living, dying for our sins, and being risen with all power in His hands but also Christ is playing an active role in praying for us.
What does it really mean on days like today? It says to someone like you and most certainly, someone like me that even if others can’t (or choose not to or don’t know to) call our names in prayer, we have confirmation that Jesus is praying for us. In fact, Jesus is making intercession on our behalves. The previous fact ought to serve as further confirmation that you are never alone in your prayers. What you are believing God for in this season of your life is being lifted in prayer by our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.
Use this knowledge as an opportunity to declare and decree you have someone praying with you. Even when you can’t find the energy to pray, your name is still being placed before God and because God hears, God will deliver.
The Rev. Jarrett Washington is the pastor of Hopewell AME Church in Hemingway, South Carolina. He is a graduate of Turner Theological Seminary at the ITC in Atlanta, Georgia, with both the Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education degrees. Currently, he serves as the co-editor of The Voice of Mission Magazineand layout artist for the Missionary Magazine. He is married to Deronda C. Washington and is the father of one daughter, Braylen Jael.
