Read- April 28, 2020
Scripture: Psalm 28:8-9
Read this excerpt on prayers of intercession from The Practice of Prayer by Margaret Guenther:
Prayers of intercession move us beyond ourselves into community. Since we are all made in the image of God, united in our sinfulness and our glory, intercession is a democratic kind of prayer: we can all intercede for one another. We can name before God those in any need or trouble, know to us or unknown. This is the prayer of the family of believers, praying through Christ in the company of the faithful.
We intercede publicly in the liturgy, Where the Prayers of the People are like a great net of intercession, taking in the universal church, secular authorities, the welfare of the world as well the concerns of the local community, those who suffer and are in trouble, and the departed.
Intercession is often the most vital part of our solitary prayer, perhaps because we turn to it when we feel most helpless or anxious. I can’t stop a friend’s cancer, but I can at least namee them in my prayers. I cannot undo the destruction caused by a hurricane, but I can remember those made homeless in my prayers.
We usually begin by praying for those with whom we live and work - family, friends, and colleagues - for they are the people closest to our hearts. It is then important to broaden the circle and to pray for those whom we do not know and will probably never see. Prayer, after all, is not something to be got through mechanically as we check items off a list. Intercession lends itself to odd times and odd places: we can pray for others whenever and wherever the spirit comes upon us.
Praying for others is not a means of making ourselves feel better. If we are praying from the depths of our souls, we cannot remain untouched. We grow in awareness of the need to support our prayer with action. Serious intercession leads inevitably to an increase in generosity and acute awareness of injustice.
- Is it easy or hard for you to pray for others? Why?
- Who are some people in our world that need prayers today? For whom should we offer prayers of intercession?
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