Intercession in Difficult Times
Praying on Behalf of Others When Your Own Need is Great
Praying for others can—perhaps in an unconscious way—take a backseat to one’s own concerns and anxiety. Being a bit selfish is not unusual during times of high stress and economic “downturn.” After all, it is difficult—if not impossible—to be of help to others when one neglects self. Does prayer for others fit into your busy day? What could possibly be gained from it?
Do it—Intercession is an Action
Although intercession can be used as a noun, prayer to God on behalf of another modifies the cosmic condition when one acts--when one intercedes. Christ interceded for humanity; end of story. “He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12, NASB). People from every generation have testified to the power of prayer to alter circumstances. Have you ever wondered what would happen if prayerful persons everywhere stopped praying on behalf of one another?
No Time in the Day to Pray
It can certainly seem that way. Your schedule may be so full, your children’s lives so packed, that praying for them has fallen into disuse and the drums of chaos are beating for your constant attention. But are the lives of your kids any better without your prayers? Is it possible that the lives of all will be enriched because a change of heart (and habits) is going to prompt you to act upon the situation by intervening on their behalf?
Interceding During Hard Times
Americans are angry. They are suffering from “bailout rage.” Blood pressures are rising from “golden parachute syndrome.” The year 2008 (and possibly 2009, by all accounts) may well go down in history as the era of petitions. Online petitions demonstrating public outrage seem to be reaching an all-time high. And this is as it should be; it is the epitome of a democracy. According to the first amendment of the United States Constitution, Americans have a duty “to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
The Baptismal Promise to Intercede
Yet there is another type of petition to consider. It is the entreaty of those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High. Inherent in the baptismal covenant—and the reaffirmation of that covenant when another is baptized—is the promise to uphold the other in prayer. Does this mean that baptized Christians should refuse to pray for those who are not baptized? Of course not. It is merely a reminder of the awesome responsibility that comes with a public commitment to Jesus Christ. As men and women of God, the challenge can be accepted in response to the words of Thomas a Kempis: “The quality of a man’s virtue is best displayed in difficult times, and far from weakening him, such times reveal him for what he really is.”
Sources:
New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation, 1977.
a Kempis, Thomas. The Imitation of Christ. Ed. & trls. Joeseph N. Tylenda, S.J. New York, New York: Random House, 1998.
U.S. Constitution. Amd. 1
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