What an encouraging thought: right now, at this very moment, your Redeemer is interceding for you. He never stops. Never takes a break. When you pray, he's pleading your case. And when you're not praying? When you're asleep, when you're distracted, when you've forgotten God entirely? He's still advocating for you, shielding you by his prayers from dangers you don't even know exist.

Look at what Jesus said to Peter. "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But..." But what? "But go pray for yourself"? That would be good advice, but that's not what Jesus said. "But I'll keep you alert and watchful"? That would be a wonderful blessing, but no. Here's what he actually said: "But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail."

We have no idea what we owe to our Savior's prayers. No idea. When we finally reach heaven's heights and look back at the winding path God led us down, how we will praise the One who stood before the eternal throne undoing all the damage Satan was plotting on earth! How will we ever thank him? He never once held his peace. Day and night, he pointed to the wounds in his hands. Day and night, he carried our names on his heart.

And catch this: before Satan even started his tempting, Jesus had already beaten him to the courthouse. He'd already filed the motion. Mercy outruns malice every single time.

Notice the tense. Jesus doesn't say, "Satan wants to have you." No. He stops Satan at the level of desire. He cuts it off at the root. And Jesus doesn't say, "I want to pray for you" or "I'm going to pray for you." No! "I have prayed for you." Past tense. Done deal. "I've already been to court. I've already entered my plea. The counterargument is filed before the accusation even gets made."

O Jesus! What comfort to know you have pleaded our cause against enemies we can't even see. You've countermined their mines and unmasked their ambushes. Here is matter for joy, for gratitude, for hope, for confidence!