LENT 2014 * Joy of the Gospel Series * seven

Prayer of Intercession

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:

Pope Francis In His Own Words,
Joy of the Gospel:

The missionary power of intercessory prayer

281. One form of prayer moves us particularly to take up the task of evangelization and to seek the good of others: it is the prayer of intercession. Let us peer for a moment into the heart of Saint Paul, to see what his prayer was like. It was full of people: “…I constantly pray with you in every one of my prayers for all of you… because I hold you in my heart” (Phil 1:4, 7). Here we see that intercessory prayer does not divert us from true contemplation, since authentic contemplation always has a place for others.

282. This attitude becomes a prayer of gratitude to God for others. 

• “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you” (Rom 1:8). It is constant thankfulness: 
• “I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:4); 
• “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (Phil 1:3). 

Far from being suspicious, negative and despairing, it is a Spiritual gaze born of deep faith which acknowledges what God is doing in the lives of others. At the same time, it is the gratitude which flows from a heart attentive to others. When evangelizers rise from prayer, their hearts are more open; freed of self-absorption, they are desirous of doing good and sharing their lives with others.

283. The great men and women of God were great intercessors. Intercession is like a “leaven” in the heart of the Trinity. It is a way of penetrating the Father’s heart and discovering new dimensions which can shed light on concrete situations and change them. We can say that God’s heart is touched by our intercession, yet in reality he is always there first. What our intercession achieves is that his power, his love and his faithfulness are shown ever more clearly in the midst of the people.

Reflection On St Paul's Prayer of Intercession In Colossians

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

• Prayer of Intercessions begins with praise and thanksgiving, filled with great joy

• Thankful praise that recognizes that faith is a gift and work of grace
• Joy that comes from seeing others come into faith in Jesus

 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

• These are the graces we ask that others will experience

• Knowledge of the calling God has for these now come into faith
• Continuing growth in spiritual wisdom for daily living - not of this world's thinking - but a wisdom come from God's revelation
• Spiritual discernment to recognize God's truth from the errors of this generation
• That they see their generous good works contributing to building of the Kingdom of justice and peace in this world

 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 

• Faith will face many challenges, therefore we pray that others will have

• Unshakable conviction in Jesus as Lord and Savior
• Faith that will be able to endure attacks from all sides
• Patience and a joyfulness that inspires others

 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

• Because we know that the real enemy is the Deceiver, the Evil One

• We pray for others to be protected and delivered from Satan's deceits 
• Confidence that Jesus Christ, the King, has won the victory over sin and death - that they too share this victory
• That they never loose trust in God's loving mercy should they falter