How to Offer Intercessory Prayers
Prayers are spiritual wishes that are driven by faith and will expressed to a higher power. Just as there are many reasons to pray, there are also many variations and types of prayers. Each prayer has a way it should be performed and a designated purpose. Intercessory prayers are prayers for other people or circumstances besides yours.
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Instructions
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Vanquish selfishness. Prayers that are unselfish and from the heart mirror the love that Jesus' ministry was built around thousands of years ago. Although you can pray for yourself, the time to do it is not during an intercessory prayer.
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Stand in the gap. When the person or situation you are praying for is not available, praying with a family member or person who is close to the situation will give a physical representation. Having a physical representation is not a necessary part of intercessory prayer but can significantly increase its effectiveness as that person can usher in the spirit necessary to identify the need and pray for it.
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Reveal your intentions. Come to God with your honest intent while laying your wishes before him as an offering. Do not demand the outcome you want but rather state what result you would like and request that God's will ultimately be done. An example of this would be to use phrases like, "if it be your will" or "your will be done," when praying for results. Keep an open mind without setting specific expectations that are not in line with the spiritual outcome of your prayer.
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Position yourself before God. Your literal position during prayer is not as important as your spiritual position but can help to reinforce the spiritual atmosphere. Positions such as praying on your knees, putting your face towards the ground and turning your palms towards the sky can show reverence and humbleness before the Lord.
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Pray persistently. Simply put, praying once is not enough to get consistent results. Intercessory prayers often call for resubmission over time. Although this means you should pray more than once or twice, prayers can be performed in your own words, inside your head or even be repetitive prayers such as rosaries.
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Tips & Warnings
Before you start your intercessory prayers, pause to take time to clear your heart and mind while asking for forgiveness first. This will ensure that your own personal sins are not prohibiting God from considering your requests for others.
Intercessory prayer is often used as a tool in spiritual warfare that binds, rebukes and casts out control of dark forces such as the devil. Although this may be true in some cases, the center and focus of intercessory prayer should always be on God instead of evil.
