The Royal Interceding Priesthood
By William Covert
IN creation man was made in God's image and given dominion as managing head of affairs in this world. But sin has marred the likeness and disturbed the rule; nevertheless access to God's throne is maintained through the medium of prayer. The Father has given us Christ instead of Adam, and prayer in the place of a crown. Tho man does not rule now as Adam did before the fall, yet the Christian can ask of God and obtain great things, both for himself and for others. And indeed his requests should relate more to the sinner's need than to his own, for he has full provision made for himself in Christ. The child of the great King should know his high privilege in asking for favors from heaven to be given the inhabitants of this world. Indeed the Lord will expect intercessions from His people in behalf of sinners, for He "hath made us kings and priests unto God." "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood." Rev. 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9. And since men are made priests, it becomes their business as priests to intercede for men, "for every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God." "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Heb. 5:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-4. It is not God's pleasure that any person be lost; and so He has made ample provision for the salvation of all, to the end that He may "save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." Heb. 7:25. The Intercessor, in His pleadings for the sinner, and with the sinner, earnestly calls out to "every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat." "Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live." Isa. 55:1, 3. It may be that some will say that these scriptures refer to the intercessions of Christ in heaven for man, and possibly they do in part; but suppose they do; He appears in heaven for us to pass our prayers on to the Father that we may have an answer to them. Does He not work through us to save men? And are we not "laborers together with God"? And we, being royal priests with Christ our High Priest, are engaged in the same work that He is engaged in doing, and are endeavoring in Him and with Him to build up the same kingdom. Our interests are so fully united with Christ that we are accounted as one with Him. Through the Spirit He inspires us to pray in union with His own mind and His own intercession. His mind is what it ever has been, to seek and to save the lost, and so He engages us with Himself to do this same work. As Christ is at the right hand of the Father, so He is when He dwells in us. We can not live with Him without prayer, nor can He live in us without praying for sinners. His words and His life in us are spirit and life incarnate with power to lead unto holiness. Those children of men who study His word and yield to His will are joined with the Lord in His burden for the welfare of the earth. These are they who are His kings and priests, who with Him are interceding for all men, and as princes, like Jacob, have power to prevail with God and with men. See Gen. 32:28 and context. These are children of the King and do prevail with God. They pray, and their prayer in supplication and intercession prevails for man. God does hear, and does answer their prayers. They are the salt of the earth, for through them under God the people of earth are preserved, and the work of saving is perpetually advanced. These have power on earth and for things of the earth to prevail with God. With the work which God has given His people to do in the earth at this time, there should be more prayer and deeper faith in prayer than is now seen and experienced. When there comes into the lives of God's people a consecration that reserves nothing for self, and a faith that trusts all to God, a glorious work will be accomplished. God is willing now to work with and through His people, and He does work as far as their condition will allow. What we need to do is to get acquainted with His thoughts and plans for us and then yield all interests into His hands. Think of some one and pray for that one. Get out of self and plead for others. Do as Paul advises, "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth;" "even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." 1 Cor. 10:24, 33. Be as the soldier who gives himself to his country that others may be protected, or as the seed planted in the ground, which tho it seems to die, yet is multiplied many times. It is by dying to self that we really begin to live unto God and so get the real benefit of life. And by intercessory prayer we live for others and thus we live unto God.