Jesus Prays for You
And the Lord said unto him, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Luke 22:31-32
Christ prayed for Peter. But does Christ pray for you? If you are a believer in him, the answer of our Lord himself is, yes, he does: "Neither pray I for these [the apostles] alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word" (Jn. 17:20). Every believer is prayed over by Christ himself. He intercedes for us (Rom. 8:34). Our Lord has not gone into heaven to forget about us. And so the words of our Lord to Peter, though they were meant to instruct him concerning the situation he was facing, are meant to help us hear our Lord's heart for every believer.
Indeed, can we imagine him praying this for Peter and not praying it for Paul? No, my friend, this is what he prays for all his children. When the storms of tribulation and temptation assault our souls, when our hearts are breaking out of fear and our faith seems ready to give in, he is praying for us that our faith fail not. As the hymn puts it, "He will hold me fast." What comfort! Not, as some folks mistakingly assert, in our Lord letting us go and leaving us to ourselves in this world and then taking us to heaven, but comfort in knowing that our Lord will keep us in faith by his power for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last day (1 Pet. 1:5). And just as it was with Peter, so with us: Peter was converted and he was brought back from his lapse of courage and faith. Jesus will not let us go: he will preserve us so that we persevere to the end.
The saintly Robert Murray M'Cheyne once remarked, "If you knew that Christ was in the next room praying for you, you would not fear ten thousand devils. But distance makes no difference: he prays for you." Indeed, distance makes no difference! Dear wavering and fearful believer, remember this, and be emboldened and encouraged for every future fight of faith.