Intercession prayers: an overview



Prayer allows individuals from the Christian faith, as well as those from other faiths, to communicate with God. It is a powerful act that many have a deep appreciation of. Many people make prayer a daily occurrence at the very least, and will participate in a variety of different types of prayer during a given prayers session. They may offer prayers to the Lord or to the Virgin Mary, or they may give thanksgiving prayers. They may make a request, or they may pray on behalf of someone else. One type of prayer that many individuals regularly engage in are intercession prayers.



Intercession prayers, also known as intercessory prayers, or a prayer of interceding, is a type or prayer used on behalf of another. During an intercession prayer, an individual or a group of individuals will pray for another. These prayers may be on behalf of someone's health, or to help them through a difficult time. It may even be to give them additional strength during a time of need. Intercession prayers can vary greatly in their content, style, and tone, and will vary depending on who is speaking the prayer. These prayers do not have to be formal in style, and can be spoken freely by the person performing the prayer.

Intercessory prayer can be found with great frequency in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. This is because it was common for people to act as a mediator through prayer during those times. There are a number of individuals who are recorded as having performed intercessory prayers in the Old Testament. These include Daniel, Ezekiel, Moses, Jeremiah, and Abraham. Our Lord Jesus Christ is seen as the main intercessor, and because of Him, all prayer has as a result become intercessory in nature. This is because today's prayers speak to God through Jesus. This is because Jesus sacrificed himself, thus bridging the gap between people and God, and allowing them to speak to God through Jesus.

There are many examples of intercessory prayer. One particularly well known intercession prayer includes Daniel 9. It is argued that intercessory prayer today seeks not to presume that the prayer knows what God's will is, but rather to see that it is achieved. It is a humble type of prayer that accords God with glory, and not the person who is praying. The Bible lists a number of different individuals and groups on whose behalf Christians are to pray. These include God the Father and the Son, as well as the church, our friends, our fellow countrymen, our enemies, those who persecute us and those who forsake us, ministers, and those who are in power. It is especially common for people to pray on behalf of their loved ones, particularly when these loved ones are going through difficult times, or when they need some sort of guidance to see them through. Not interceding on the behalf of others can be seen as a sin, so it is important that Christians do all they can to offer their prayers on behalf of others.