Intercessory prayer – its idea and purpose of praying for the good of others

Any of us can stumble. We may experience failures, sometimes on a scale like Job’s, and it is good when someone asks God on our behalf for positive changes. That would be an intercessory prayer from another person.

Just as we can pray for ourselves, we can also pray for others and on behalf of others—for their highest good. Often such intercessory prayers save someone’s health, property, or even life.

We can describe to God—briefly, extensively, or in any way—the problem we notice in someone and simply express a request for divine guidance for that person, their soul, and their entire being.

It is beneficial to ask for God’s grace, protection, care, inspiration—and also for guidance for ourselves as to what we may ask for in this situation for that other being.

Prayer for others and on behalf of others does not differ much from prayer performed for oneself. Just as a person’s own request-prayer may be rejected by their own Soul, in the same way another person’s Soul/being may not accept the stream of divine grace requested for them by others. However, even if such an intercessory prayer is completely rejected by its intended beneficiary, as it has been said:
“You may not be able to help them with this prayer—but you can help yourself.”

After all, the will to support others, the desire to help someone, cannot go unnoticed by God. And the sum of constant positive actions, thoughts, intentions, and noble aspirations—what is it, if not what God expects from all of us?

Certainly, we will not devote as much time to the affairs of ten or thousands of other people as we do to our own. Doing so would be a misunderstanding of the exhortation:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Many misinterpret this as a suggestion to love others at the expense of themselves and their own rights, instead of loving themselves in the same way as they love others.

If we see that a larger group of people/souls/beings is suffering, poor, or ill, we do not need to give away our last shirt for their situation to improve. We do not need to become bodyguards or “human shields” for those needing protection—but we can pray for protection for others.

We do not need to become afflicted ourselves just because someone carries and promotes patterns of suffering, illness, or disability within their soul/being.

Many men have been deeply disappointed by attempts to personally “save” prostitutes of all kinds and genders. Likewise, suffering wives, abused and mistreated at home, may attempt to “save” various kinds of pimps or abusers who treat them like slaves.
Why should anyone suffer for the salvation of others?

We can ask God, on behalf of others, to show them a way out of their entanglements.

Often, when I pray for myself, I include by name my entire family, sometimes a wider group of people/souls. This saves both my time and God’s time devoted to these matters.

Intentions with which we pray—for ourselves and for others—are also important.

Opublikowano: 05/04/2026
Autor: Sławomir Majda
Kateogrie: Prayer techniques

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