Through Jesus, our Great High Priest, we have bold access into the Holy of Holies where we freely embrace Abba Father as he embraces us.  In his embrace, we embrace all people holding them within the sphere of our Father’s promised blessing.

We share in this ministry because, in union with Jesus, we are God’s royal priesthood interceding for humanity in the presence of our Father.  But we only fulfil this calling through the Holy Spirit. For it is the Spirit himself who intercedes within us with goanings too deep for words. And we do not have to first pray the Spirit down.  He’s here!  Always alive in us, and always interceding through us. Through the intercessions of the Spirit, we are connected with the intercessions of Jesus, our Royal Priest in the presence of our Father.

So the priestly ministry of intercession is gift rather than task.  We might say the New Covenant gift of praying is like breathing.  Though not always thinking about it we are always doing it.  For the Spirit is continually welling up within us connecting us with our Royal Priest in his Father’s presence.

We must also stress that this gift of prayer is not just for  a special person at a special time in a special place!  As a kingdom of priests we all share in the ministry of intercession by the Spirit in union with our Royal Priest in the presence of his Father.