Let Us Pray for the Needs of Others
Praying for others is a cherished and essential practice in the Catholic faith 1. Rooted in the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, it expresses selfless charity and compassion as we bring the needs, sufferings, and intentions of others before the throne of God’s mercy. Through intercessory prayer, we participate in Christ’s own priestly mediation and align ourselves with the salvific will of God for all humanity joined with the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother and the saints.
When offering intercession, name the person and their particular intentions or trials—whether it be healing for the sick, strength for the struggling, conversion for the distant, or relief for those in purgatory. This concreteness helps us entrust them more fully to God’s loving providence, deepens our trust in His power and mercy, and makes our prayer more attentive and heartfelt.
Consistency is essential. The Church encourages us to persevere in prayer 2 In this way, we grow in union with the prayer of the whole Church and bear one another’s burdens in love.
THIS SECTION HAS LINKS TO CONTEMPLATION AND PRAYERS FOR THOSE WITHIN OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS—FOR THEIR VARIOUS NEEDS.
Footnotes
- ↑ — CCC [2634 Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. He is “able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” The Holy Spirit “himself intercedes for us… and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” 2635 Since Abraham, intercession—asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ’s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks “not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,” even to the point of praying for those who do him harm. 2636 The first Christian communities lived this form of fellowship intensely. Thus, the Apostle Paul gives them a share in his ministry of preaching the Gospel but also intercedes for them. The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: “for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions,” for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel.
- ↑ — Luke 18:1 [Then Jesus told them a parable about the need for them to pray always and never to lose heart.]