Discussing Christ's office of Priest in one of the essays in Knots Untied, the late-19th century bishop, J.C. Ryle, offers these words of encouragement and hope to those who may wonder about the efficacy of prayer:

We need not doubt that Christ, as our Priest, presents the prayers and services of His people before God, and obtains for them hearing, acceptance, and favour... This is a great mystery, no doubt, but one full of consolation. It is hard at any time to understand how any word or deed of sinful creatures like us can ever come into the presence of God, or do us any good. But the Priesthood of Christ explains all. Placed in His hands and endorsed by Him, our petitions, like bank-notes duly signed, obtain a value which they have not in themselves. A young Christian once said to an old one, 'My prayers are so poor and weak, that I cannot think they are of any use.' The old Christian replied, with deep wisdom, 'Only place them in Christ's hands, and He makes them look so different in heaven that you would hardly know them again.'

What joy we have with Christ as our Priest. And more, what comfort we have too from Paul's words in Romans, that not only Christ, but also the Spirit comes to our aid in prayer: 'We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will' (Romans 8:26-27).