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Consider this: Right now, Jesus is in heaven interceding for you, even as he intercedes for the entire world. It’s right there in Scripture: The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that because Jesus’ priesthood is eternal, “he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (7:25).
Not only that—Jesus invites us all to join in his priestly intercession so that a mighty flood of prayer will ascend to the Father’s throne.
Joining Jesus in intercession requires that we ask the Spirit to reveal how he wants us to pray. It requires that we ask him to place a burden on our hearts to see God’s desires fulfilled. When we bend ourselves to God in this way, we open our hearts to his grace and revelation, for at the core of all intercession is the Holy Spirit, praying for the church.
How wonderful to experience the Holy Spirit uniting us with Jesus as he intercedes for his people! What a privilege!
As we are raised in Christ Jesus beyond the limits of our natural minds, our prayer will be lifted higher. For example, a simple analysis of good and evil may lead us to pray for pro-life legislation, but it may not cause us to understand why people would consider killing their unborn children. We need God’s word to reveal to us the root causes of such desperate actions so that we know more specifically how to pray and act. It is important to change the laws of the land, but it is even more important to change hearts with the gospel. The Lord is concerned with the law, but he is even more concerned for you and for every other individual, for there will be no peace between us until there is peace within us.
Scripture warns that the world is under the control of the “evil one” (1 John 5:19). We are in a battle for life. But thanks be to God that we have the victory in Jesus Christ. “Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (5:5).
Team Up for Prayer! Jesus promised: “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). One of the most powerful ways we can pray as intercessors is together with others. Consider forming an intercessory prayer team. Here are some suggestions that may help:
1. Since it is the prayer of the righteous that is powerful and effective (James 5:16), examine your consciences before you pray, and repent of any sin or harsh feelings you may have against other people.
2. Spend a few minutes in silence, allowing the people in the group to quiet their minds and come into God’s presence.
3. During this time, let each person ask the Lord to give him or her a sense of the things God wants each to pray for. Put aside your own agenda, concerns, and desires and unite yourself to Jesus’ heart. You may want to write down the things that God places on your hearts.
4. Briefly tell each other what you wrote down. What do you think God is leading your group to pray for? Give special weight to issues that more than one person mentioned.
5. Pray for the things on God’s heart—for those who have no faith; for those who have fallen away from Jesus; for renewal and unity in all the Christian churches; for all the lost, abandoned, or forgotten children of the world; for those under the power of addictions or bound by depression, anxiety, or bitterness. Note also the admonition, “The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: ‘for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions,’ for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:1; Romans 12:14; 10:1)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2636).
6. As you pray, take confidence in God’s power to overcome any obstacle. Stand firm in faith, and wait to see God work in power.
7. Keep a record of what you prayed for, and of the ways God answered those prayers. Thank him and praise him for all the ways he has worked through your prayer.
Leo Zanchettin is the editor of The Word Among Us magazine.