What is "intercession" and what kinds of "intercessory prayer" are there?
Upvote:4
Excellent question:
From good ol' dictionary.com, intercede means:
- to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition: to intercede with the governor for a condemned man.
Using this general definition, we can come up with one that applies intercessory prayer. Simply put, it's "someone praying on our behalf when we're in time of need".
Humans as our intercessor
Jesus is said not only to be our intercessor, but also our mediator
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus
Is this to say that others cannot intercede for us? Certainly not! However, if they pray to God on our behalf, they're actually using Jesus, our mediator to get to God.
Jesus, per this passage, is the one who talks to God on our behalf. Because of that, any human prayer will go through Jesus to get to God.
Jesus as our intercessor
Because of this, when Jesus prays on our behalf, it is going directly to God. When we humans intercede, it goes directly to Jesus and then to God. Clearly, this is one-step of removal.
But can we say, then, that our prayers sometimes do not reach God, when Jesus prayers do? I don't think we can go that far. However, I do believe that Jesus, being the direct contact with God, knows how to intercede far better than we do. (Granted, that's part of why we've been given the Holy Spirit.)
Holy Spirit as our intercessor
Romans 8:26 (NIV) states
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
This shows that the Holy Spirit is also interceding on our behalf, giving us the words to speak and praying for us when we don't know what to say.
Catholicism
Up until now, that covers all Christianity. All Christians believe (or should believe) in the above. Humans, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit intercede for us--pray on our behalf--to God.
Catholicism has taken this one step further, claiming not only that living humans can pray for us, but also that saints can pray for us.
The idea is exactly like asking for prayers from family members. You go to your family and say "Please pray for me in this issue" and they will intercede on your behalf, praying to God through Jesus.
Catholics believe (along with many other groups/denominations/sects) that saints in heaven can hear our prayers here on earth. Therefore, since they can hear our prayers, they can intercede for us in our need.
The argument behind that is an entirely different question.
End Notes
Is there any one type of interceding that is better than another? Personally, I can't find any source saying anything like this. I believe that the more people you have interceding for a particular issue, the better.
However, it must be noted that all prayers from humans must go through Jesus, our one and only mediator. Whether those prayers are from Aunt Claud or Mary, mother of Jesus. All these prayers from humans go through Jesus or (in our own grumblings when we don't know what to say) through the Holy Spirit.
So, I couldn't make any solid, realistic arguments that one type of intercession is better than another.
Also, those listed above are the only "types" of intercession that I've been able to find. There might be other "types", but this is all I could find (or all that I know about).
More post
- 📝 Are there different views on the nature or/and understanding of the Trinity among Trinitarians?
- 📝 When was David born?
- 📝 Is Hell a physical place in mainstream Christianity?
- 📝 Why doesn't the Catholic Bible include all books from Septuagint?
- 📝 Were demons afraid of the cross before the crucifixion?
- 📝 Does Jesus say that he is God?
- 📝 Is there an evidence about the doctrine of Christophany in the New Testament?
- 📝 Who first compared the Trinity to a musical triad?
- 📝 What is the biblical support for being 'born again' (or' born from above') in this life?
- 📝 How to pronounce references in the Bible?
- 📝 Eschatology, views and best commentaries. Best scriptures for each view
- 📝 Detail about lamb sacrifice
- 📝 How do Catholics explain Jesus' words to the thief on the cross, in light of the doctrine of Purgatory?
- 📝 In what way is Jesus like Moses?
- 📝 Arguments Supporting the Beatitude of Jonah?
- 📝 How did the Born Again teaching be associated with one first believing in Jesus Christ?
- 📝 Is the Patriarch of Alexandria an Eastern Orthodox or an Oriental Orthodox?
- 📝 Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe in ghosts (or what-ever these may be)?
- 📝 Location of the tabernacle in Catholic churches?
- 📝 What in Deuteronomy implies that God gave those laws through Moses and not directly?
- 📝 Should non-believers be allowed in church?
- 📝 What prophecy was about Timothy?
- 📝 Reconciliation of all things
- 📝 Where does the Old Testament mention "the devil"?
- 📝 Why do literalist Protestants reject transubstantiation?
- 📝 Does God control "demons"?
- 📝 Which was written first Noah’s Flood or the Gilgamesh Epic?
- 📝 Reading NIV bible for AR points
- 📝 Why is the day before Ash Wednesday sometimes called Pancake Tuesday?
- 📝 Binding of Satan -- for amillennialists
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is "intercession" and what kinds of "intercessory prayer" are there?
- 📝 What did Thomas Aquinas teach about the renewal of the world after judgement and what kinds of bodies will be renewed?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
- 📝 What is the difference between Evangelical and Protestant?
- 📝 What are the different names of God in the Bible and what do they mean?
- 📝 What were the main doctrinal disagreements between Luther and Calvin?
- 📝 What distinctive kinds of Bible translations are there?
- 📝 What were the Nephilim, and what role did they play in the Bible beyond just being mentioned?
- 📝 What is the difference between Reformed and Presbyterian
- 📝 What have Christians taught during past plagues and pandemics?
- 📝 What are the Biblical and theological problems with theistic evolution?
- 📝 What are the primary differences and implications of a propitiatory view of the atonement versus an expiatory view?
- 📝 What are the main differences between 7th Day Adventists and Catholic/Protestant churches?
- 📝 What is the meaning and origin of bridal veils in Christian weddings?
- 📝 What is the difference between 'Biblical' and 'Systematic' theology?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean when he said ‘Go and sin no more’ if sinlessness is impossible?
- 📝 What is the significance of Noah, after the flood, getting drunk and cursing his son who saw him Naked?
- 📝 What is "Manuscript Evidence" and how is it useful?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for "Love God and do whatever you please"?
- 📝 What is the Difference Between ROCOR-MP and ROCOR-A (ROCA)
- 📝 What was the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees?
- 📝 What is the purpose and meaning of the Christian Flag?
- 📝 What is the Catholic Church's answer to Nancy Pelosi's argument of a double standard between abortion and the death penalty?
- 📝 Where did Baptists get their name and what do they believe?
- 📝 What is the argument and Biblical basis that it is possible to know God from nature?
- 📝 What is the difference between icons and idols in churches that permit icons?
- 📝 Why does Catholic Church (and possibly some other denominations) approve natural family planning and condemn different kinds of contraception?
- 📝 What is the origin of the Christmas tree and is it accepted in all Christian traditions?
- 📝 What is the distinction between Consubstantial and One in Being?
- 📝 What is the difference between the doctrines of "Perseverance of the Saints" and "Eternal Security?"