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Paul refers to his own intercessory prayers and seeks for a similar service on his own behalf from those to whom he writes. Intercession is based upon the tendency of the heart filled by love and deep sympathetic sense of relations to others.
Apostle Paul’s examples:
- (Rom. 1:9); The Spirit’s interceding
- Rom.8:27); Paul’s prayer for his race,
- (Rom.10:1); request for prayers
- (Rom.15:30); help that he found from the prayer of his friends
- (2 Cor. 1:11); Prayer for the Corinthian church
- (2 Cor. 13:7); (Eph. 1:16-23; 3:14- 21); (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 1:3-11,19; Col. 1:3,9; 4:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 5:23,25; 2 Thess. 1:2); all men and for kings and those in authority
- (1 Tim. 2:1-2); prayer for Timothy
- (2 Tim. 1:3); Philemon verse 4; offered for the sick by the elders of the church (Jam. 5:14-18); also, (Heb. 13:18-21; 1 Jn. 5: 14 ff).
Intercession perfected in Christ’s Office and in the Church. This review prepares us for the development of a specific office of intercession, perfectly realized in Christ. Moses acting with the people asking for him to represent them before God shows the leader of Israel intercedes with God for his nation. Howbeit natural that this remarkable example of intercessory prayer should be followed by other leaders.
The gradually developed system of religious worship should furnish the conception of the priest, and especially the high priest, as the intercessor for those who came to the sacrifice. This was the meaning of the great Day of Atonement, after offering for himself. Henceforth, the high priest offered the sacrifice for the whole people. This official act, however, does not do away with the intercessory character of prayer as offered by men.
Intercession runs through the entire history of Israel but is found much more clearly in Christian life and in the practice of the Christian assembly itself. Christ’s intercessory prayer is our highest example and pattern of this form of prayer. Jesus’intercessions for His disciples and for His crucifers are recorded and the sacred record rises to the highest pinnacle in the prayer of,(Jn. 17).
In this prayer the following characteristics are to be found:
- The prayer is based upon the intimate relation of Jesus to the Father.
- This prayer follows the complete fulfillment of duty.
- not the mere expression of desire, even for others but is the crown of effort on their behalf.V
- Jesus has revealed God to His disciples and given to them God’s words; therefore He prays for them, (Jn… 17:6-7-9).
Intercession recognizes the Divine, unbroken relation to the object of the prayer: “I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep,” etc. (verse 11 the ultimate end of the prayer is salvation from the evil of the world (verse 15). The extensive meaning of the prayer and its chief objects- unity with God, and the presence with Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and divine love. The prayer is a model for all intercessory prayer.