And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.
Isaiah 59:16, LSB
How often are we asked to pray for someone? It is these prayers that are meant to come as intercession, asking for Christ’s healing hand to be upon another. Yet, how are we praying? Are we asking with a mind of Christ, or are we seeking God to be bent to do our will and act as though He must listen to our prayers and do as we say? At the time of Isaiah, we find how God is affronted by the lack of people who seek after His face and bring themselves in prayer to Him. He is commenting on the faithlessness of His chosen. Yet, we know that through Christ, we find redemption as He took upon Himself all our sin and shame as He died upon the cross. Jesus defeated death for us on that Cross as He burst open its doors at the Resurrection. As we pray, let us keep that in the forefront of our minds as we pray for the needs of our world. Let the prayers of our Lord in the Garden in which blood poured out as sweat for our sake fill our conscience and lift up all for whom we pray with this ever before us. Let us seek out the intercessor as we intercede in prayer for others, and let us be filled with the compassion of our God.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.