Jesus imagines relationships with people in which we do not act in anger toward those who discourage or disappoint us (Matt. 5:21-22). He envisions relationships where we reconcile conflict quickly (Matt. 5:23-26). He imagines people who turn the cheek and go the second mile for difficult people (Matt. 5:38-41). He hopes for a community filled with people who love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matt. 5:43-48). Jesus teaches us to pray that God will forgive our debts as we forgive the debts of others (Matt. 6:12).
Intercession is one way to move towards this vision. Petition is prayer dedicated to our own needs. Intercession is prayer dedicated to the needs of others. As we move from the former to the latter, we are “shifting our center of gravity from our own needs to the needs and concerns of others.”[i] Intercession is a way prioritizing and prizing the people in our life.
Intercession is, as Marjorie Thompson explains, the most “concrete expression of the social dimension of prayer.”[ii] Jesus’ vision in his Sermon on the Mount is a social vision—it is a dream about the social connections between people. Jesus does not imagine us as isolated individuals living in intimacy with God. He imagines us as connected individuals—a society—living in intimacy with one another and with God. Intercession puts flesh on this social vision. Douglas Steere writes that “Intercession is the most intensely social act that the human being is capable of.”[iii] There are few things we can do to highlight and strengthen our connections to others than to pray for others. We are created as social creatures. We are thus created for intercession.
Intercession is one of the greatest forms of love. Richard Foster writes, “If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within out power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer. Intercession is a way of loving others.”[iv]
In an effort to love as many as possible, here’s how I’ve organized my intercessory prayers:
| Daily | There are some intercessory prayers I engage in every day. These include specific prayers for my wife, children, extended family members, and individuals who have requested my intercession. |
| Monday | Specific prayers for each staff member and elder in my congregation. |
| Tuesday | Specific prayers for those recently baptized in my congregation and those who are new members in my congregation. |
| Wednesday | Prayers for specific missionaries within and without the United States. |
| Thursday | Prayers for specific friends and colleagues. |
| Friday | Prayers for specific individuals whom I call “kingdom leaders”—ministers, directors of charities, lay leaders, staff and administration at colleges/universities, etc. |
| Saturday | Individuals who’ve requested prayer during the week. |
| Sunday | Individuals who’ve requested prayer during the week. |
Take ten minutes today to make a list of people you can intercede for. Now, intercede.
[i] Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (Harper, 1992), 191
[ii] Marjorie Thompson, Soul Feast (Westminster John Knox, 1995), 37.
[iii] Thompson, 37.
[iv] Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (Harper, 1992), 191.
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