Understanding Intercessory Prayer

Why Intercessory Prayer is Important: Christian teens may have heard the term "intercessory prayer," but they may not necessarily understand what "intercessory prayer" actually means. Jesus prayed an intercessory prayer for all mankind, and often Christian teens are asked to follow suit. Thus, it is important to understand intercessory prayer.

What is Intercessory Prayer?: Intercession means to act in favor of another person. In prayer it means that you can pray to God on behalf of another person. Often Christian teens conduct intercessory prayer without even realizing that there is a technical term for what they are asking.

Intercessory Prayer and the Catholic/Orthodox Church: While all churches agree that intercessory prayer can consist of praying on behalf of others, Christian teens in the Catholic/Orthodox faith also have the Communion of Saints in Heaven in which they ask the saints to intercede with God. In the Roman Catholic/Orthodox church, members intercede for those in Purgatory so they can enter heaven.

Intercessory Prayer and the Protestant Church: In the Protestant church intercession is often presented during services. In some cases the congregation responds with "here our prayer." In other churches there are those thought to have the gift of intercession is thought to be provided to "prayer warriors."