Christ's intercession for us (Part 2)

A second help to getting our mind around Christ's intercession for us (Romans 8:34) is to look at how he prayed for people during his earthly ministry.  His cry from the Cross jumps immediately to mind: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" (Luke 23:34)  If he prayed for his enemies to be forgiven because of their weakness and ignorance, how much more must he pray for his brethren in our unfaithful failings?

A wonderful example of this is found in Luke 22:31-32.  In the discussion after the Lord's Supper, Jesus says to Peter that Satan had demanded to have the disciples, "that he might sift you [plural] like wheat."  They were going to be severely shaken out.  Then Jesus adds, "But I have prayed for you [singular, referring to Peter] that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."  

Jesus apparently sees no contradiction between Peter's faith not failing on the one hand, and Peter's needing to "turn again" on the other.  In other words, Peter's threefold denial of Jesus, which Jesus foretells in v. 34, does not mean that his faith has ceased to exist or completely deserted him.  (That is the meaning of the Greek word translated "fail".)

So the risen and reigning Christ prays for us that when Satan throws his worst at us, our faith will continue to exist, even if it appears to go underground for awhile.  And when that faith rises again to the surface and we come to ourselves, so to speak (as in Luke 15:17), we will strengthen our neighbors and friends whose faith has been shaken.