Intercessory Prayers | How to Pray for Others-Do you strongly desire to pray for people, or have you been disturbed by recent political changes? An intercessor is a person persistently pleading with God on behalf of another person by being in their shoes.
God desires for us to pray for one another and fill the need. Intercessory prayer is exemplified by Jesus Christ, who acted as a mediator between God and humanity. As a result, we can ask people to pray for us or over difficult circumstances as prayer intercessors. According to Romans 8:34, Jesus Christ Himself is always praying for us.
What is Intercessory Prayers & How Does It Work?
Telling God what He wants us to say to Him is the main idea of mediation; it allows God to release His power. In His Word, He teaches us what to pray for. We can pray to the Bible. It is really easy. God’s cunning plan to include the saints in reigning with Him is called mediation. Its vulnerability, humility, simplicity, and openness to everyone are its mysteries.
God has decided that mediation is the main way He will ever release His power. When Jesus spoke the Word to the Father to create the planet, He acted according to the intercession principle (Genesis 1). Through prayer, He releases His power now and will dominate the nations forever in alliance with His people.
Sometimes, we don’t know what to pray for. Thus, we need someone to stand between God and the condition or situation (intercede). By the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, the intercessor prays for someone or something.
The spiritual climate of the circumstance, the individual, the government, or the nation is frequently altered by intercessory prayer. Strongholds, arguments, and any pretense that seeks to rebel against God’s understanding can all be destroyed by the divinely empowered weapon of intercession (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Thus, intercessory prayer aims to find God’s explosive might in our frailty. It’s the Spirit Himself, groaning for us in a way that words cannot express.
“The Spirit also aids us in our weakness, for we are helpless to pray as we ought to, but the Spirit Himself intercedes on our behalf with groans too deep for words; and He who searches hearts understands the thoughts of the Spirit, for He intercedes on behalf of the saints by God’s will” (Romans 8:26–27).
How To Make Our Intercessory More Effective
The following five guidelines can help you start interceding:
- Grow in friendship with God: As we get to know God and establish a relationship with Him, we gain a deeper comprehension of who He is. Knowing His heart via this makes it easier for us to pray according to His desire. God’s heart is the source of prayer.
Increasing your understanding of God’s Word. To find out what God’s plan is for individuals and the circumstances we may find ourselves in, we can study the Bible. Because the Bible is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), things can happen when we pray by it. Say a particular Psalm over a person or a country, using real names if possible.
- Develop Your capacity for silence and listening: Knowing what God wants to do and asking Him to do it are two aspects of prayer. We may pray for what He desires to accomplish as we learn to quiet our hearts before Him and listen to what He has to say. It is quite common for us to experience quiet during our prayers. Pray before you sit in solitude, asking God to reveal His heart through an image or a passage.
- Remove your focus from yourself and place it on Jesus: When we pray, it doesn’t matter how we sound or appear to others. It matters that we are communicating with God’s Spirit. You may find it rather challenging to pray out loud in front of others. Taking a chance and publicly agreeing with others in prayer is one method to keep your attention on Jesus rather than yourself (Matthew 18:20).
- Worship: Starting with a period of prayer is a wonderful approach to engaging in mediation. We become more receptive to hearing what is on His heart and cooperating with Him in His purposes when we adore Him and let go of our plans and desires. Try reading a Psalm aloud if you usually worship by listening to music. Psalms 27, 33, or 46 would be excellent places to start. Imagine what each Psalm verse says as you pronounce it, and perceive God as the Bible depicts Him.
Example of Intercessory prayers
Here’s a more illustration of intercessory prayer:
You are the all-powerful God, Almighty God. You hold all authority and strength in your hands. You declare something, and it manifests. For this reason, I thank you for being God daily and applaud you today. I hope your message would freely go across all the countries globally, bringing sinners to your love and transforming them into Christ Jesus for redemption. I pray this for you today, for all of the nations.
Lord, hear my prayer for my friends and family. They have not yet realized that they will be changed from darkness to light by God’s grace through Christ Jesus. At last, they will acknowledge Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Father, I pray that those Christians who are weak spiritually will be fortified by the power of the Holy Spirit inside them. Lord, I ask that your light chase out all evil and that your truth rule supremely throughout my nation. I want God to give me abundant grace to do good deeds that exalt Him in me today. I ask in the name of Jesus, Heavenly Father. Amen.
We come to you today, Heavenly Father, in solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters who need your assistance and support. We raise our voices in prayer, pleading with you to hear our requests and grant those we pray for your love and healing.
Lord, we beg that you soothe and heal those suffering from disease or pain. We pray for anyone going through a tough time, asking you to give them courage and direction. Lastly, we pray, asking that you provide individuals who are struggling with mental health issues with serenity and mental clarity.
Lord, we believe in your kindness and power to heal and restore the lives of people we pray for, knowing that you are a God of love and compassion. As we stand near one another in your presence and raise our voices in prayer, please help us be obedient intercessors.
Instance of Intercessory Prayers In The Bible
One instance of intercessory prayer is in Genesis, where Abraham prayed on behalf of the cities of Gomorrah and Sodom. Abraham turned his attention from his current situation, not having children, when the Lord informed him of Sodom and Gomorrah’s approaching destruction. Rather, he went before the Lord and prayed, making an intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah so that the city might escape God’s vengeance.
Abraham, nevertheless, continued to stand in front of the Lord. Then Abraham approached him and said, “Will you take the righteous and the wicked away with you? What happens if the city has fifty virtuous individuals? For the sake of the fifty virtuous individuals who reside there, will you sweep it away without sparing the location? It is far from you to treat the evil and the righteous equally, killing the righteous alongside the wicked. Be gone from you, please! Will the Earth’s Judge not do what is right?
“If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake,” said the Lord. Genesis 18: 22–26 In addition, Genesis 25:21 provides an example of intercessory prayer in the Bible. Because his wife was infertile, Isaac begged the LORD for help, and as a result, Rebekah, his wife, became pregnant. Isaac is shown, in this instance, praying for his wife.
Another instance of intercessory prayer is seen in Acts 12 when the Church requests for prayer for Peter, who is incarcerated. Acts 12:5: “Therefore, Peter was imprisoned; however, the church never stopped praying to God for him.”
For instance, the New Testament contains Paul’s supplication prayers. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God,” Paul prayed for his fellow Christians in Philippians 1:9–11.