While there is a good deal of overlap between petitionary and intercessory prayer, they are distinct. In the former people pray about personal needs. In the latter they pray about the needs of others. This short article reflects on the nature of biblical intercession, the reasons we have for engaging in it, and some practical ways in which groups can get involved in this important ministry.

Jesus our Advocate

Many of the great religious figures of the Old Testament such as Abraham, Moses and Jeremiah were intercessors, men who stood in the breach to pray on behalf of the people (cf. Ezech 22:30). The ministry of intercession in the New Testaments centres around two great advocates, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As intercessor on earth and now in heaven (cf. 1 Jn 21; Heb 7:25; Rm 8:34), Jesus is our primary advocate. The word has a forensic background. It refers to a lawyer who acts on a client’s behalf, by expertly and effectively pleading his or her cause. There are a number of examples of Jesus’ intercessory prayer such as Luke 22:31-32; Jn 17:20-21; & Luke 23:34. During his ministry Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit. “I will ask the Father,” he said, “and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:16).

The Spirit as our Advocate

When people intercede in the Spirit they often express their longings in articulate ways such as remembered, written and vocal prayers. But there will be times when the inarticulate longings of their hearts cannot be put into words. Sometimes these inchoate longings can only be expressed in the form of tears, groans and sighs (cf. Rm 8:26-27). Those who have received the gift of praying or singing in tongues - which is a form of pre-conceptual prayer expressed in unintelligible words - can intercede with their lips even when their understanding is shrouded in a cloud of unknowing. They believe that the Spirit within is praying to the God beyond, in accordance with the mind and heart of the Lord. When St. Paul wanted to describe this form of prayer, he compared it to the travail of childbirth. Compassionate intercession of this kind is like a painful movement of the spiritual womb which longs to give birth to new life in others. As St Paul says: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly” (Rom 8:22-23). In the light of this passage, it is not surprising, that women have a particularly deep insight into the nature, purposes and dynamics of intercession.

Spiritual Warfare

Those who are familiar with the ministry of intercession are well aware that anyone who wants to get deeply involved in it needs to appreciate the fact that it takes place within a context of spiritual conflict. As St Paul once warned: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12). As a result, those who engage in intercessory prayer need to ascertain what spirit is at work, their own, the evil spirit, or the Spirit of God. As St John says: “Do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God” (I Jn 4:1). Because the evil one knows that intercession is so effective in advancing God’s kingdom, it is not surprising that he tries to undermine the intercessors through such things as misfortune, ill-health, and temptations. On other occasions he will try to do this as an angel of light, e.g. under the guise of an apparent good such as a false inspiration (cf. 2 Cor 11:14). Intercessors need to become aware of these tactics and to pray for protection against them. In Eph 6:16 Paul assures us that “the shield of faith puts out all the fiery darts of the evil one.” So if the person/s under attack nestles in the Lord through faith, e.g. by means of praise and worship, instead of trying to wrestle with the evil one, they will be protected.

Discernment of Spirits

Discernment of spirits also enables intercessors to become aware of what to pray against in external situations of need. For instance, if they are praying about a war in another country, they need to recognize that the murderous, lying spirit of the accuser may well be at work (cf Jn 8:44). In this context 2 Cor 10:3-5 states: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Intercessors can authoritatively command evil spirits, in the name of Jesus Christ, to yield to the liberating power of God.

Group Intercession

Recently, a number of charismatics in Dublin have been led to form the New Springtime Community. It is devoted to evangelisation and the formation of evangelisers. The members believe that intercession for evangelisers and a new springtime in the Church is particularly important. They recommend intercessors to follow these guidelines.

1. Appoint someone to take responsibility of leading the intercessory session by keeping these guidelines in mind, suggesting when to move from one point to another, and keeping the meeting within a specified time limit.
   
   
2. Make a conscious act of faith in the presence and power of God.
   
   
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and to guide your time of intercession.
   
   
4. Spend some time in worship by thanking, praising and worshipping the Lord. As Ps 144:2 assures us, “He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge.”
   
   
5. In Eph 6:18 we read, “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Speaking about communal intercession pars. 45-46 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal say, “In the general intercessions . . . it is appropriate that this prayer be included in all Masses celebrated with a congregation, so that petitions will be offered for the Church, civil authorities, those oppressed by various needs, all young people, and for the salvation of the world. As a rule the sequence of intentions is to be:
   • For the needs of the Church
   • For public authorities and the salvation of the world
   • For those oppressed by any need
   • For the local community.”
   
   
6. Pray for any intentions which you may have been asked to pray for, especially those involved in evangelisation.
   
   
7. Allow the issues and concerns that are consciously in your heart to surface. Express your feelings and desires to the Lord.
   
   
8. Then blank your mind, pray in tongues for a while and ask the Spirit to guide your prayer by means of the charisms of revelation such as an inspired thoughts, intuitions, a vision, word of knowledge, or scripture reading. As Gal 5:18 says “be guided by the Spirit.”
   
   
9. If no charismatic guidance seems to be forthcoming, ntercede in an agnostic way by praying and singing in tongues, in the belief that the Spirit within is praying to God above.
   
   
10. As the time of intercession comes to an end, thank God in the belief that he is doing immeasurably more than you can ask or think through the power of his Spirit at work within you (cf. Eph 3:20).

Many of those who are involved in the ministry of intercession will testify that it is one of the deepest, most demanding, mysterious and worthwhile forms of prayer.

Fr Pat Collins CM is a popular author, speaker and retreat leader based at St Peter’s Church in Dublin.