Our Advocate

Advocacy is the main theme of this podcast episode. The host talks about how we all advocate for ourselves and others in different areas of our lives. She explains that in the Bible, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are identified as advocates who champion our cause, defend us, and provide comfort. She emphasizes that we should be thankful for our advocates and put them first in everything we do. The host also encourages listeners to be advocates for others and reminds them that when they pray, they are speaking to their advocate. She quotes Bible verses to illustrate the role of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as advocates and emphasizes the unconditional love and mercy of God. The host concludes by urging listeners to remember that they have an advocate who will fight for them and empower them to do the same for others. Hey there, it's Ana with God's Podcast. In today's episode, we are going to talk about advocacy. We are all advocates in our own right. We advocate for ourselves, for others, in so many different areas of our life. And in today's episode, I want to talk about advocacy in the Bible and what it means. So let us start with prayer. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Father, I come before you through your Son, Jesus Christ. I lift up these people on the other side listening. I ask you to continue to bless them. Please open their ears, open their hearts and their minds so that they align with you, Father, that we come in union today and we get all the understanding, all the wisdom from you, Father, and that I am only being used as a vessel for your glory, for your kingdom. Father, I want to thank you and I want to glorify you and praise you because without you, none of this would be possible. You give me the strength, the courage to keep on fighting the good fight, to keep on spreading your words, your good news. Father, we just want to come in union and pray all of this in Jesus name. Amen. Today's episode, I am going to explain what advocacy means, what an advocate is. It is a person who is publicly supporting or recommends a particular cause or policy, a person who pleads on someone's behalf. And did you know, brothers and sisters, that we have an advocate working for us each and every single day. Our advocate is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is an advocate for each and every one of us. In the Bible, an advocate is someone who champions another's cause, defends them or provides comfort. The term advocate is derived from the Greek word parakedalos, which translates to helper, advisor or counselor. Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are identified as advocates in the Bible. Jesus in 1 John 2 verse 1, he is described as an advocate with the Father. Jesus intercedes for followers of Christ in heaven, guiding them with compassion and wisdom while offering counsel, while they seek help in making choices. The Holy Spirit in John 14, 16, 26 and 16, 7, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the advocate. The Holy Spirit accompanies individuals during their hardships, providing guidance and comfort. Additionally, the Holy Spirit reassures believers that we are indeed children of God. Friends, brothers and sisters, we have an advocate. He is called Jesus. He is called the Holy Spirit and he advocates for us in heaven for our needs and pleads with God for us on our behalf. Thank Jesus. Thank the Holy Spirit. Thank God each and every day because they are advocating on our behalf because they love us and want to see us succeed, want to see us happy. They are advocating for us each and every single day, even when you don't see it. So remember friends, remember brothers and sisters, that our advocate goes before our God on our behalf, advocating our needs, our struggles, and we need to be thankful and give all glory and praise to our Lord and Savior each and every single day. Advocacy comes in many different forms in our world today. You can be an advocate for somebody. You can be an advocate to those you love just as Jesus does, just as the Holy Spirit does. We have the ability to advocate for ourselves as well, just like we do in prayer and just like we do when we go before God and asking for all of his guidance, his wisdom, his strength to get you through whatever it is you're going through, stronger, renewed, refined in him. Don't forget who your advocate is and to put him first in everything you do. I just want to remind you friends that when you are in prayer, you are speaking to your advocate. So do not hold back and when the Holy Spirit is with you, he will guide you. He will continue to give you strength. He will continue to be your advocate. In 1 John chapter 2 verse 1, it says, And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Listen, I knew this, but man, it felt like my heart was being convicted during my moment of struggle. But during my time with God, he swooped in and made his promise hit home. He grabbed my heart and poured into my heart. Remember brothers and sisters that Jesus is our ultimate advocate, our divine lawyer. When we trip up, he's the one doing all the heavy lifting, making those appeals, filing those motions and defending us with a heart full of grace, empathy, and forgiveness. Seriously, having Jesus as your lawyer beats even the brightest, highest Harvard grad. He's the law's MVP, fighting tooth and nail for us, even in the tiniest of cases. He is our retainer, billing us 24-7 and he's here and he is the kicker. He is the son of the judge. He is begging for us to be judged under the law of mercy because he footed the bill for every offense. So even when we mess up, the verdict is not guilty. And guess what? He has a whole squad of angels ready to back his ruling. This guy has never lost a case. Can you imagine? The creator of the universe is our personal attorney. Listen, even when we're chasing after God with all our might, we can still slip up. But fear not, my brothers and sisters, we are not shackled to sin because Jesus has cut those chains. When we stumble, his mercy is right there, reminding us that lawyers are meant to stand up for those who need it most. So please do not forget who you are speaking to. Please do not forget when you are in prayer, he has your back. He will do everything in his power to fight for you, to go forth and beg for you. He has mercy upon you because he gave his life for our sins. So sprint to him. He will unleash you from a life of sin and be your advocate, empowering you to do the same for others. Listen, I want to read in John 14, because brothers and sisters in Christ, God is so merciful, so gracious, so amazing. His love is so unconditional. It is like no other. And we need to know his words, know his verses, know that he loves us. Even though we are full of sin, even though we're gonna fall, even though we're gonna make mistakes. Let's begin with John 14. It says, do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you may also be there where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you're going. So how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, Lord, show us the father, and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered him. Don't you know me, Philip? Even after I have been among you such a long time, anyone who has seen me has seen the father. How can you say, show us the father? Don't you believe that I am in the father and the father is in me? The words I say to you do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am the father and the father is in me, or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the father and I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the father may be glorified in the son. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. If you love me, keep my commands and I will ask the father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever. The spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him or knows him, but you know him for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me because I live. You also will live on that day. You will realize that I am in my father and you are in me and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my father and I too will love them and show myself to them. Then Judas, not Judas Iscariot said, but the Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not the world? Jesus replied, anyone who loves me will obey my teachings. My father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone does not love me will not obey my teachings. These words you hear are not my own. They belong to the father who sent me. All this I have spoken while still with you, but the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. You heard me say, I am going away and I am coming back to you. If you love me, you will be glad that I am going to the father, for the father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the father and do exactly what my father has commanded me. Come now, let us leave. This is just reminding us that Jesus sacrificed his life for us and that even though he could have chose a different way, even though he did not have to go through with this sacrifice, he did for you. And a reminder that he is your advocate and will go to the father and he will advocate on your behalf. So brothers and sisters in Christ, please remember when you are praying, when you are struggling, there is somebody advocating for you. No matter what you are going through, no matter what season you are in, never fear, for God is with you. The Holy Spirit is with you and so is Jesus. Listen, we all have traumatic things happening. We all have seasons of struggle. We all have seasons where we don't know where to turn or what to do next because we allow fear, anxiety, worry to overcome us. But God tells us that is not from him. Do not let that overcome you. Go to the father, advocate for yourself in prayer and ask him to advocate for you. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. I hope you share it with someone in need because we all need God each and every single day. We all need him to be the first thing we think about, the first thing that we praise and thank him each and every morning and make him our foundation, our solid rock so that nothing can break that foundation. Nothing can make that house fall. Nothing can come in the way of you and God, our Lord and Savior, because he loves you and wants a relationship with you. So continue to keep seeking him. Continue to pray. Continue to have relationships with him. Keep bibling. Keep spreading his word and advocate for yourself to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit so that our God knows what you need. And through his name, it can be done. Let us pray. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Father, I come before you through your Son, Jesus Christ, and I just want to say thank you. Thank you for allowing us to come here together and listen to your words, hear your voice, and know that you are our foundation, our solid rock, and that you sent your Son as an advocate. You sent the Holy Spirit to fill us, to guide us, to strengthen us, to refine us. Father, we just want to come in union and praise you and glorify you, because you, Father, are the maker of heaven and earth. You are the head and not the tail. You are above all, and we glorify you and your kingdom. And we pray all of this in Jesus' name, Amen.