Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. —James 5:13-16

To intercede means to “go between,” or to “mediate.” Intercessory prayer is more than just asking God for things; it is about more than just a list of requests. The act of intercessory prayer means to go between God and someone else, to mediate for both parties in a time of trouble. A mediator has to see things from both parties’ perspective in order to bring them closer together. When we intercede for others in prayer, we strive to put ourselves in the shoes of the Lord and the one we love.

Intercessory prayer is about praying for God’s will to be done in the life of another. We ask God how to pray for someone, and we ask God what his desire is for that person. In some sense, we pray on God’s behalf.

At the same time, intercessory prayer allows us to go to God and speak in support of the person we love. We cry out for healing, breakthrough, or redemption. We ask God to provide for that person even if that loved one doesn’t know the Lord at all. We pray on the other’s behalf.

In intercessory prayer, we humbly step between God and the other. We ask God to bring them closer together. Then, we trust that in his infinite love and power, God can bring miraculous change for someone else.

Growth Challenge

Set aside intentional time to pray for others today. Make a list of people to pray for, and work through the list. As you pray, ask God to help you see the situation from his perspective, and pray that God’s will be done in that person’s life.

Or, you can try spontaneous intercessory prayer. As people come to mind, or as you interact with people throughout the day, take a moment to pray for them. Ask God: what is your prayer for this person? Listen, and then pray for God to make it happen.

An optional extra challenge: Continue to pray for those same people each day for the next week.