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If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others.—Richard J. Foster
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I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.—1 Timothy 2:1
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Why pray for others?—Because it works.
In the abstract of his study for the prestigious British Medical Journal,1 Professor Leonard Leibovici reported that the objective of his study had been to “determine whether remote, retroactive intercessory prayer, said for a group of patients with a bloodstream infection, has an effect on outcomes.”
This was a double blind, randomised controlled trial at a university hospital. The subjects were 3393 adult patients whose bloodstream infection was detected at the hospital between 1990 and 1996.
In July 2000, patients were randomised to a control group and an intervention group. A remote, retroactive intercessory prayer was said for the well-being and full recovery of the intervention group.
The outcome was measured according to mortality in the hospital, length of stay in the hospital, and duration of fever.
There was a 2% reduction in mortality in the group prayed for, but it was the length of stay in hospital and duration of fever results that were most outstanding. Both of these measures were significantly shorter in the intervention group (those prayed for) than in the control group.
The abstract concludes,
“Remote, retroactive intercessory prayer said for a group is associated with a shorter stay in hospital and shorter duration of fever in patients with a bloodstream infection and should be considered for use in clinical practice.”—Abi May
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Prayers go out among the people. They touch, they heal, they mend. They give strength and courage. They lift up those who are down. They touch and heal hearts and bodies and minds. They wash away doubts and fears and worries. They wash away bitterness, envy, jealousy and strife. They kiss away heartache and misunderstandings. They soothe hurts, heal wounds, and remove scars.
Prayers guard and protect and hide away in safekeeping. They comfort and soothe and bring peace and calm. They feed, they clothe, and bring abundant supply. They inspire, they bring cheer, they bring laughter and good fortune. They encourage, they lift up, they motivate, they enrapture. They energize, they empower, they invigorate, they spark life. They shed light, they give hope. They stabilize and they make wise, they make firm and sound and steady.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy
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The best and most faithful intercessors I have met learned the holy art of intercession only after many trials or great suffering. All that some of them could do at last was to lie in bed, scarcely able to whisk a fly away from their faces.
But how they could pray! Though they lay unseen by men, nevertheless they were centres of spiritual power, and by their simple and persevering prayers they were the chief supporters of the Christian work which was being done in their neighbourhood, their community, their country, and even to the ends of the earth. Every time I meet one of these unseen intercessors I am reminded of a great electric power plant. They, too, are often hidden away in some secluded valley. But they are, nevertheless, exceedingly important, a fact which we become aware of especially when they do not function. When that happens, our homes are darkened, and our factories [are] brought to a standstill.
One of my missionary friends had just returned from the mission field. We were sitting and conversing about many things, among them also about his health during the years he had been out in the field. This is a difficult problem in the lives of most missionaries. The tropical fevers weaken and undermine the health of many of them, even in the early years of their life. And my friend had been at a station where the fever had been particularly bad.
When I began to talk about this, he was a little evasive. But I was so well acquainted with him that I was not afraid of being inquisitive, and I asked him how his health really had been. He replied as follows:
“When I was about to sail for the mission field, I naturally went around to my friends in my home community to say goodbye. In this connection I called on an elderly believing woman in a tenant household. As I bid her goodbye, she clung to my hand and, looking me calmly in the eyes, said quietly, ‘I am going to pray to God for you and ask Him to save you from the fever in order that you may devote all your strength to your work out there.’
“And I have not felt the fever once during all these years,” he added with tears in his eyes—tears of joy!
Here was someone who had learned to make use of prayer as a means of doing the Lord’s work. There are many ways in which we can work for missions, even those of us who do not go to the mission fields. God grant that we may see this and act accordingly. It would make it easier for the missionaries to work out there.—Ole Hallesby
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Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.—Ephesians 6:182
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Intensity is a law of prayer. God is found by those who seek Him with all their heart. Wrestling prayer prevails. The fervent effectual prayer of the righteous is of great force.—Samuel Chadwick
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How often have we prayed something like, “O Lord, be with cousin Billy now in a special way”? Have we stopped to consider what it is we’re requesting? Imagine that you are a parent who is preparing to leave your children with a babysitter. Would you dream of saying, “O Betsy, I ask you now that you would be with my children in a special way?” No way. You would say, “Betsy, the kids need to be in bed by 9 p.m. They can have one snack before their baths, and please make sure they finish their homework. You can reach us at this number if there’s any problem. Any questions before we go?” We are very specific with our requests and instructions for our babysitters. We want them to know specifics. It should be no different with prayer.—David Jeremiah
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Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutely as our own. To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them.—John Calvin
Published on Anchor March 2014. Read by Debra Lee.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 BMJ 2001;323:1450, http://www.bmj.com/content/323/7327/1450#alternate.
2 NLT.
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