Prayers of the People: Joining Jesus in Prayer

Jesus is with the Father in the heavenly sanctuary. One of the things he is doing while there is interceding on behalf of the world and the Church. In the economy of the Kingdom the primary pray-er is the risen and ascended Lord Jesus.

Every Sunday in our liturgy we say the prayers of the people. When we pray these prayers we are joining ourselves to the prayers of Jesus. The kinds of things we pray about are the kinds of things (in fact some of the very things) Jesus is praying to the Father.

When we pray the prayers of the people we pray IN CHRIST. We are carrying out our priestly role as God's people (which is a share in Christ's high priestly role) by lifting to the Father the needs of the world and the church.

When we pray the prayers of the people we are doing serious and central Kingdom business. We stand with Jesus and all the saints in heaven and on earth offering the world to the Father that his Kingdom might break into it more and more.

What a great privilege!