In the Bible, Peter is a perfect example of someone who messed up—a guy who had a massive personal and public failure—and then recovered. But in this story, it wasn’t his prayer or someone else’s prayer that helped him recover; it was Jesus’ prayer.

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him. Peter, of course, was confident it couldn’t be him. He impulsively told Jesus that he would go to prison with him—and would even die for him!

But Jesus said to Peter, “I can guarantee that the rooster won’t crow tonight until you say three times that you don’t know me” (Luke 22:34 GW).

Jesus didn’t just predict Peter’s fall; he also knew Peter would recover and use his failure to help others. Jesus said in Luke 22:31-32, “Satan . . . wants to separate you from me as a farmer separates wheat from husks. But I have prayed for you . . . that your faith will not fail. So when you recover, strengthen the other disciples” (GW).

That’s what Jesus is doing in heaven for us right now. Romans 8:34 says, “For Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (NLT).

He’s praying for you because he knows Satan wants to ruin your life. If Jesus thought there was something more important than praying, he’d be doing that instead. That’s how important prayer is to both the recovery process and the commissioning process. Jesus prayed and commissioned Peter to “strengthen the other disciples”—to encourage his brothers and sisters in God’s family.

And he commissions you to help others too.

You don’t need to worry about how badly you may have fallen in life. Confess your sins and accept God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus. He knew about your mistakes and setbacks long before you did. God is a God of recovery, and he’ll use every circumstance in your life for his purposes.

No matter how far you feel you’ve fallen, know that God’s grace and purpose can redeem every moment.