What is Jesus doing right now?

I know this is going to sound funny but take a moment and lift both of your hands in the air. Maybe you’re in a coffee shop, or checking emails at work, possibly in bed or out on your patio with a cup of coffee. Did you do it, how did you feel?

The other evening I went for a walk and felt prompted to lift both of my hands in the air. Before I did it I looked around hoping not too many people were on the path before I stretched my hands upward. I did so because it was a reminder to me of what Jesus is doing right this very moment.

Jesus is working in the heavenly realm and one of His main jobs is lifting up our spiritual hands in prayer before the Father to assure victory over all our spiritual enemies.

Listen to a couple of Scriptures, which describe this most powerful work:

“Who then is left to condemn us? Certainly not Jesus, the Anointed One! For He gave His life for us, and even more than that, He has conquered death and is now risen, exalted and enthroned by God at His right hand. So how could He possibly condemn us since He is continually praying for our triumph.” Romans 8:34

“So He is able to save fully from now throughout eternity. Everyone who comes to God through Him, because He lives to pray continually for them.” Hebrews 7:25

The book of Hebrew’s reminds us that we have this Great High Priest who is moment by moment praying for our every need before the Father.

Do you every get overwhelmed by the stress and strain of life? When the news that you have cancer, or a close friend just found out about a brain tumor; sometimes life gets way too much to bear. The financial pressures, the adult child that walked away from the faith, that sin you felt you conquered beat you up again and left you spiritually dead. We have all been in positions where it seems impossible to fight on in prayer and our holy hands fall limp to our side.

This is when Jesus is at His best, as the text above says, “He is continually praying for our triumph!” There is a great story in Exodus 17 that demonstrates what Jesus is doing this very moment for us.

A fierce enemy of the children of Israel was the Amalekites. These just freed slaves who didn’t know how to fight were being attacked and were out matched in this battle. So Moses goes to the top of a mountain to pray and lift up his hands to God. As long as he prayed with hands held high Israel prevailed. But when his hands grew weary and tired the Israelites began to lose.

So Aaron, the high priest, and Hur joined Moses and lifted up his arms until sunset and Israel’s enemy was defeated (vs. 8-15).

We like Moses have encountered this battle raging all around and become weary, but take heart we have a great High Priest! Jesus takes our spiritual hands and lifts them up for us with a mighty and powerful prayer before the Father. But it is not only Jesus, but also the Holy Spirit joining in to give us strength to continue the battle…. praying on our behalf 24/7 for victory (Rom. 8:27). We cannot lose the battle as we put our trust in His powerful prayers.

So go ahead, lift up your arms, as a tangible reminder that through the interceding prayer of Christ and the Holy Spirit at this very moment He is with you. These prayers go before the Father and we know that those who are in Christ are able to triumph over the enemy.