Intercessory
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ” - Galatians 6:2
“Intercession is like a ‘leaven’ in the heart of the Trinity. It is a way of penetrating the Father’s heart and discovering new dimensions which can shed light on concrete situations and change them.” — Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium
"Eternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen." – St. Gertrude the Great
History
How to Intercede for Others
Time needed: 5 minutes
Preparation
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God truly hears our prayers: Don’t underestimate how vital and powerful your prayers can be.
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This is God’s work: The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization. When we intercede for others, we allow him to do the heavy lifting in our work of bringing souls closer to Christ.
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Have confidence in God: Our reliance on God in prayer allows us to place situations and people in his hands.
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Be humble: We don’t come to God with our list of expectations, which he must then fulfill. Interceding for others should lead us to be less self-centered as we consider the needs of others.
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Pray specifically. Pray boldly: Share your heart honestly with God. Often, we ask for too little, not too much!
Practices
As a Catholic, intercessory prayer can take many different forms. Each time you go to Mass, you can offer it for a particular person or intention. You might consider gathering a group of people together and praying out loud for the needs of others. You could even make little sacrifices, as prayers for people’s needs. Here are a few practical ideas to consider:
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Write down people’s names and pray for their needs daily.
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Imagine the people you want to pray for or place their pictures somewhere near where you pray. Seeing their faces can motivate you.
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Pray with others in person. Get their permission first, ask them what they need prayers for, and then pray out loud for their needs. Instead of just saying “I’ll pray for you,” they get to hear your prayer right away in that moment.
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Pray at specific locations. By praying in specific places, you ask for God’s blessing upon all who enter there.
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Pray as you plan. Our work should be God’s work, first and foremost. Therefore, whenever we begin a task, we should ask for God’s guidance and blessing on all we are about to do.
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Consider offering up a fast or penance alongside your prayer for others.
“What is Intercessory Prayer?” FOCUS. Click here for information.
"What is Purgatory?” Catholic Answers. Click here for information.
"The Power of Intercessory Prayer" All Things Catholic Podcast. Click here for information.
"Pray with Someone" Tightrope Podcast. Click here for information.
The tradition of praying for one another is an ancient one, long pre-dating the incarnation and the development of Christianity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners…The Holy Spirit ‘himself intercedes for us . . . and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God’” (CCC 2634). Jesus intercedes for us before the Father, offering Himself for the sins of the world. The saints intercede for us before God as well, hearing our petitions and placing them at the feet of Jesus. The Blessed Mother, the greatest of all the saints, is our most beloved advocate because she is our mother and is so close to the heart of Jesus. Through her intercession and devotion to her, we know that she never ceases to bring us and our petitions before her son, remaining with us even as we die.
We are also called to intercede for others in this life on their behalf. How often do we say, “I’ll keep you in my prayers’ or “I’ll be praying for you” but get busy or forget? As Jesus and the saints intercede for us, we are called to lift others and their needs and desires in prayer. This is especially important for the souls in purgatory, our brothers and sisters who have passed on from this life but have not yet been brought into the fulfillment of the beatific vision. This time of purgatory is a time of purification, so that all impurities and stains must be removed to be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven – and these souls need our encouragement! Intercessory prayer is so important that it is part of our Sacred Liturgy, where we lift up the needs of the community (and the world) to the Father through Christ.
The degree to which we let Christ be born in us and into the world around us, is the degree to which we become more like Him. With God’s mercy and grace, we spend our lives becoming transformed into little Christs, and when we reach our final days, the time of judgement, the Father will rejoice in the fact that he recognizes His Son in us.
"Intercessory Prayer" from focus.org
Tips
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Keep a journal of the prayer intentions of others whom you wish to pray for. It can be so easy to mean well and forget to pray for their intentions but writing them down makes it much easier not to forget.
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Or, on the other hand, pray for them right away to avoid forgetting. Just pause, take a few calming and centering breaths, and offer their petition to God in prayer. It takes less than a minute.
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Make intercessory prayer a part of your daily prayer routine, either starting or ending your time in prayer. This way, you get into the habit of regularly thinking and praying for others.
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When someone you love dies, or someone you know loses a loved one, offer a Mass for the deceased and send the Mass card to them. Offering a Mass is the greatest thing we can do to help those in Purgatory and is a great way to show your support and to help that soul.
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Make a point at the end of a conversation with a family member, a friend, or even possibly a coworker by asking how you can pray for them. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but it is a subtle way of bringing God into the conversation and showing people in your life that you truly care about them and what they are going through.
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Prayer can sometimes become a big “me, me, all about me” fest. While it is true that prayer is a time of growing your relationships with God and getting to now him, we fall into the trap often of talking a lot about ourselves and our needs and our wants. Lifting others up in prayer helps us to grow in humility, reminding us that there are others whom we love and care about that are in need of our prayers.
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PRAYER WORKS! This should be evident, but God really does answer our prayers if it is His will to do so. God loves when we trust him with our hearts and when we bring our needs and the needs of others to Him without reserve.
Need Help? Unsure Where to Start?
Digital Resources on Intercessory Prayer:
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All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri (podcast) | Episode 115 - The Power of Intercessory Prayer
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The Tightrope (podcast) | Episode 23 – Pray With Someone
Print Resources on Intercessory Prayer:
Unleashing the Power of Intercessory Prayer by Joseph Hollcraft