PRAYING FOR PEACE

 

Matthew 6:9-10

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

The Bible provides us with a rich and broad vision of intercessory prayer. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of examples of people offering prayer for others.

• Abraham pleads with God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah;

• Moses asks God to spare the people after they worship the golden calf;

• Jeremiah exhorts the captive Israelites to pray for Babylon, the city to which they have been exiled.

Throughout the Old Testament there are continual reminders to remember the orphans, widows, and strangers.

This emphasis on intercessory prayer was further strengthened and supported by the example and teaching of Jesus himself.

“Pray for those who persecute you,” Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, and then proceeded to do exactly that as he was being crucified: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

The early Christians believed that Jesus had passed this ministry of intercession along to them. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he suggests that prayers should be offered for everyone, not just members of the faith community.

In early Christian worship the believers continued to take the ministry of intercession to heart. It is interesting to note that some of the early patterns for worship puts a high emphasis on Prayers of Intercession. They would spend a great deal of time in prayer during worship, ptaying for others.

What do you believe about intercessory prayer? Does it make a difference in our world? Should the practice of intercession be an integral part of our ministry to our world?

Theologian Karl Barth has been quoted as saying, “To fold one’s hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” Through our intercession we participate with God in bringing about God’s vision for our world. Through our continued cries of “hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we, the people of God, actively seek the in-breaking of God’s rule in our world.

LET US PRAY

God, You have called us to be peacemakers, to continue the reconciling ministry of Jesus Christ. Remove from us all those things which would prevent us from being true agents of reconciliation in our broken world. Through our lives, and by our prayers, may your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.