Watch
Bloom Prayer Chapters 17 & 18 (Intercessory and Healing) from Bloom (in)courage on Vimeo.
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Read
Preface and Chapter 1 (Simple Prayer)
Chapters 2 and 3 (Prayers of the Forsaken and Examen)
Chapters 4 and 5 (Prayers of Tears and Relinquishment)
Chapters 6 and 7 (Prayers of Formation and Covenant)
Chapters 8 and 9 (Prayers of Adoration and Rest)
Chapters 10 and 11 (Sacramental and Unceasing Prayer)
Chapters 12-14 (Prayer of the Heart, Meditative and Contemplative Prayers)
Chapters 15 and 16 (Ordinary and Petitionary)
Intercessory Prayer
Intercessory Prayer is…(p. 191)
- a way to love others
- selfless
- important
- a priestly ministry
- sacred obligation
- precious privilege
- can be done individually or corporately
Christ’s role in intercession (p. 193):
- makes possible our ministry of intercession
- an interpreter, intermediary giving us entree to heaven
- makes our prayers acceptable before God
- sustains our desire to pray and strengthens us
What it means to pray in the name of Jesus (pp. 194-95)
- Objective side: praying in full assurance of Christ’s accomplished work (life, death, resurrection, continuing reign)
- Subjective side: praying in accord with the way and nature of Christ, as if he were present in the flesh
- Conditionally accomplished through abiding in him (John 15:7)
Foster tackles head on our tendency to become discouraged when prayer answers are slow or inconsistent in coming; as an encouragement, he reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways. In this, we’re learning supplication, “to ask with earnestness, intensity, perseverance.”
Approaches for Intercessory prayer (pp. 199-200):
- Keeping lists of people of concern
- Praying for enemies
- Wait until individuals/situations spontaneously rise to awareness
- Ask for requests from those whom we are drawn to to pray
Foster ends with a note of caution: “none of us is to shoulder the burden of prayer for everyone and everything.” And on the contrary, he acknowledges we might not be drawn at all to pray for others. Here, he suggests praying for love of others.
Healing Prayer
Healing prayer (p. 203-204):
- recognition of the incarnational nature of our faith.
- normal part of the Christian life, not to be elevated about other ministry
- should not be relied upon alone for healing, but in conjunction with medical means–both, God gifts.
- a faulty diagnosis of the problem (i.e., praying for physical healing when the real need is emotional)
- sometimes medicine IS the way God heals
- don’t pray specifically enough or don’t get to root problem
- sometimes sin in our lives hinders God’s work
- Listen – to people and to God; a step of discernment.
- Ask – for clearness about what is needed, a step of faith.
- Believe – with the body, mind, spirit, the whole person; a step of assurance.
- Thanksgiving – simple courtesy to express our thanks for what have asked to happen, a step of gratitude
Discuss
So much of outward prayer is interrelated, isn’t it? One almost flows into the other. Are you observing the distinctions among the various forms of prayer? Did anything the Sofa Girls talked about particularly resonate with you? What parts of today’s section were difficult to process? How did Foster’s teaching challenge you today? Do you have personal accounts of intercession or healing you’re willing to share?
Favorite verse
“If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer.”
(From Intercessory Prayer, p. 191….can you believe I chose the first sentence in this section today? Me, either :).)
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Wednesday will mark our last chapter studies, and we’ll be covering three–always a challenge! Be sure to watch the videos and read our summaries if you don’t have time to read just yet; maybe this will be what whets your appetite for more.
We’ll wrap up on Friday and give you some dates for upcoming Bloom events. Please be sure to check in, k?
❤, Robin
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From chapter 17, I was left with the idea that intercessory prayer is one way that we love others. This quote on page 201 is underlined in my book: “…I suggest that you begin by praying for an increase in your love for others.”
From chapter 18, I loved what he shared about “looking ahead” on page 214: “Thank you, Jesus, that we have seen and what we have said is the way it is going to be, Amen.”
Lyli,
I sensed a fair amount of conviction in Ch. 17; I just don’t love others ABUNDANTLY. I pick and choose and sometimes justify distance. Praying for others draws us in, though, doesn’t it?
After watching the discussion, I realized many of the points or quotes brought up by the ladies were also thoughts that were highlighted in my book. I love that Intercessory Prayer is seen as both an obligation and privilege. It’s a gift that we are able to pray on the behalf of others, but also part of our duty as Christians. I also loved Julie’s notecard idea. I have just now started writing a prayer list to refer to during prayer time (just since starting this book!) and I see this idea as another way to keep it all organized so that no one is forgotten!
Christina,
It’s comments like this–to discover that a reader is making the most of her time in this study, moving to ACTION–that bless my socks off! Thank you for sharing!!