Fear No Fear

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes, who is risen, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:34, MEV). Jesus loves us enough to intercede for us. Intercession is less about getting God to be willing to do something than it is about cooperating with God to make an opportunity for repentance for others. God wants the best for us more than we want the best for even ourselves (2 Peter 3:9). God wants to move when He wants to move, period. He isn’t waiting for our ‘permission’ per se. What God wants with humanity is cooperation. He delegated authority to us (Genesis 1:26-28). We lost it. Jesus came and got it back and now in Him we have authority again (Matthew 28:18-20). We need to cooperate with Jesus. It’s not about us bringing someone or something to God’s attention. It’s about discovering Jesus’ prayer for that someone or something and aligning with Him. God’s will is easy to discern because it always accords with His Word. So we pray His Word. Over people, over situations, over our own prejudices and ideas. Aligning our thinking and our prayers with the Word (Romans 12:2). We can’t get people saved or set free with our prayers because they have a choice, just like we did. They have more authority over themselves than we do. But when we align with Jesus, we’re interceding for the opportunity for them to choose. For the opportunity for repentance. For the opportunity for deliverance. For the opportunity for them to hear the message that helps them choose to cooperate with God. Our willingness to pray for other people with the same heart that God has creates spiritual opportunities that otherwise might not exist because God set up this world for us to hold authority and to cooperate with Him. When we are praying together for other people – loving them like God loves them – we’re doing things how God set them up to be done. Jesus loves us enough to intercede for us. We need to love each other enough to cooperate with Him.