Session 4:  Praying for Others; Intercession

N.B. Have to hand some recent newspapers, one for each person.

Starting Prayer (10 minutes)

Arrange the newspapers round a lighted candle.

Somebody reads out slowly:

Newspapers are full of stories about people – some sad, some happy.Every one of these people is of concern to God whether they are in the world news, in the obituary column or on the sports page.The light from the candle falls gently on and lights up each newspaper.That light is also falling on each one of us; falling on us gently and falling on us to light up our “dark places” as well.We look closely at that light and recall the words of Jesus “I am the Light of the World”… we recall the strong qualities of Jesus… we recall our own desire to have the mind and heart of Jesus… those strong qualities of Jesus have to make their home deep within each of us… love… joy… peace… patience… kindness… goodness… gentleness… humility… self control.We recall that these qualities of Jesus are not just for each of us singly; they also flow powerfully between and among us as we meet and work together.

Pick up a newspaper and hold it silently to focus your intention to pray for others and for the world.As we pray for others, we ourselves are open to being changed as well.

Reflection on Our Experience (10 minutes)

Spend two or three minutes looking through the newspaper and tear out just one item which has caught your attention.

It can be an article, a picture, an advertisement, a cartoon… anything…

When you have made your choice spend two or three minutes in silence with the question, “God, what have you to do with it?”Try to get a sense of doing this with the mind and heart of Jesus.

Sharing Our Experience (15 minutes)

Talk together in twos or threes (in a small group share together) how each person’s choice connects to God.We can also offer to others in the group the images and thoughts which come to us as we hear about their choice, but in the end it is what each person is discovering for themselves that matters.

Experience from the Church (allow 15 minutes for each story)

From the two stories about the healing of the paralysed man and the feeding of the five thousand we can learn things about how the early Christian community understood intercession.

Somebody reads out the story of the healing of the paralytic:

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, after some days, it was reported that He was at home.And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and He was preaching the word to them.And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men.When they could not get near Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay.And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak thus?It is blasphemy!Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”and immediately Jesus, perceiving in His spirit that they thus question within themselves, said to them, “Why are you questioning thus in your hearts?Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “rise, take up your pallet and walk?”but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – He said to the paralytic – “I say to you rise, take up your pallet and go home.”And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark II vv1-12)

The four friends know very well the need of the one who is paralysed.They want to bring him into contact with Jesus.They plan; they find out precisely how they are going to carry the pallet; then they are apparently thwarted.They persevere and go forward with tenacity, doing the necessary thing.Notice how they look at Jesus and he looks at them… “seeing their faith .”

What can we learn about intercession from this story?Talk together.

Somebody reads out the story of the feeding of the five thousand:

Jesus withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart.But when the crowds heard it they followed Him on foot from the towns.As He went ashore He saw a great throng; and He had compassion on them, and healed their sick.When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over;send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”They said to Him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”And He said, “Bring them here to me.”Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.And they all ate and were satisfied.And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.And those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.(Matthew 14 vv13-21)

The disciples became aware of the need for food.They did what they could, making enquiries to see how much food there was.When they seemed to find little food what did they bring to Jesus?… their anxiety?… the inconvenience?… trust?… or what??Jesus can change those who pray for others even if their motives are less than pure.How did Jesus meet the need?

What can we learn about intercession about from this story?

From sharing together insights about intercession from these two stories, is there anything more that you would want to say about your newspaper cutting to the whole group?

New Directions (15 minutes)

Someone reads out the following short imagination exercise.It needs to be done slowly, with significant silences where there are dotted lines:

Imagine yourself into the first story where, this time, instead of carrying a paralysed man, the pallet has on it the situation, person, or concern, of your newspaper cutting.Imagine yourself as one of the four people who let down this concern through the roof to the feet of Jesus.Take your time to allow the scene to become vivid.Imagine the heat, the smells, the sounds, the crowd… is there anyone else carrying the pallet with you?… where have you come from?… what feelings are inside you?… is there anything hindering you in bringing this concern to Jesus?Is there anything potentially “crowding out” your concern?… imagine the faces of the crowd.What are these people saying to you?… take time to imagine Jesus looking at you… what do you feel as you experience His gaze?… does Jesus say anything to the person, situation, concern which you have placed before Him?… does Jesus say anything to you?… allow the conversation to come to a natural end and allow the images to fade… become aware of yourself and the people around you preparing to end this session.

Allow time to share anything from that short prayer experience and for anything from the whole session that anyone wants to share.

Ending Prayer

This striking thought comes from the experience of someone who lived in the early years of the church “Jesus is for all time able to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”(letter to the Hebrews 7 v25)

Part of Jesus’ priesthood is to intercede in heaven for the world.Another way of seeing this is to think of intercession as part of the nature of God.When we turn our awareness outwards to the needs of others and of the world – (and that can be by prayer – the inner work – and/or by action – the outer work) – we are responding to the work of God in us and through us.This is perhaps easier for us to see in other people than in ourselves.

End by saying all together some words from Paul’s letter to the early Christians in Ephesus, and praying for one another as we do so:

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with might in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we can ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever.Amen.

Between Meetings

During the week try to linger with those moments when you get a flashback to the work of this meeting.What was it that activated the memory… a situation… a day dream… a person… in prayer… an image… or… ??

In your private journal record your ongoing reflections and connections you make to the work of this course in the time between meetings.

You might want to spend some further time using imagination to bring some concern from your life to the feet of Jesus, using the incident at Capernaum as a basis for your prayer.Some people find it very helpful to write about the prayer experience and so allow further meanings to emerge.