One of my kids has been struggling with sleep this month. She used to sleep eleven hours per night; now she can’t fall asleep or sleep longer than a couple hours at a time. We’ve done our best to develop healthy sleep hygiene habits and a consistent bedtime routine, and we’re following a protocol set by her doctor. But nothing is helping (yet).

The other night, out of desperation, I began to write her doctor another message documenting the lack of progress. Because three weeks feels like a long time to not have a good night of sleep.

I decided to write in my journal first, a nightly discipline that has meant so much in this new year. The word “advocate” came to mind.

I believe God has called me to advocate for my children. To speak up for them when they can’t, and also to teach them how to speak up for themselves.

In that moment, God brought “intercessor” to mind. I know God has also called me to intercede for others, to bring them to the altar in prayer and petition.

I have a note in my Bible, next to Isaiah 62:6, that says “I am called! 2006/2007.” The verse reads, “I have posted watchmen on the walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest.” God has called me to be a watchman on the wall, peering out into the distance, aware of the enemy’s schemes, and interceding on behalf of others.

And so I sat with those two words, while my child tried to fall asleep. Advocate, intercessor. Since I write for truth and honesty, I’ll admit: sometimes I feel powerless when I intercede because I’m relying on God to move, to do what only He can do… I’m praying for a change in the spiritual realm. When I advocate, I feel a little more in control, because I’m usually using my voice to do something, to fight on another’s behalf, often for something I can see in the natural.

God reminded me that Holy Spirit is our Advocate. In John 14:15-17, Jesus says, “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 nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (See John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7.)

Jesus is also called our Advocate. 1 John 2:1 says, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”‬‬

The Greek word in each of these passages for Advocate is paraklētos, and it means “an intercessor, consoler; properly, summoned to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid… hence, an advocate; universally, one who pleads another’s cause with one, an intercessor (Jesus); in the widest sense, a helper, succorer, aider, assistant (Holy Spirit); intercessor, defender, advocate.”

Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

Jesus is also our Intercessor. Romans 8:33-34 says, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

And Hebrews 7:24-25 – “… But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

The Greek word for intercede in these passages is entygchanō, and it means “to go to or meet a person, especially for the purpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication; hence, to pray, entreat; to make intercession for anyone.”

Looking at the etymology of these words, Merriam-Webster’s shares that advocate comes from advocāre: “to summon, call to one’s aid.” Intercede comes from cedere in Latin, which means “to go”, “so ‘go between’ is the most literal meaning of intercede.”

Advocate – we call to one’s side. Intercede – we go between.

I love the examples we have of Jesus and Holy Spirit, as Advocate and Intercessor. And I’m grateful for God calling us to be both: Advocate and Intercessor. May we learn to lean into Him as we live with open hands. May we rely on God to be God as we answer the call to partner with Him through advocacy and intercession.