The importance of interceding

I started this post about interceding in the weeks after my dad’s death. I had planned to do a grief update post for y’all today, but I just couldn’t get there. I couldn’t talk about it. So today I thought I’d go ahead and share this with you. Hopefully, it speaks to someone.

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I couldn’t feel it, but He was there.

The days after my dad died were a complete blur of pain and heartache. I was tossed between shock and devastation. I had no words. I had no energy.

I wasn’t sure what was up and what was down. I battled blaming God and anyone I could think of. All in all, prayer sadly was something I had a very hard time forming in my head. I couldn’t think of what to say. My prayers were a mere “God help us.”

I know that God hears our prayers, hears our thoughts and that even that little prayer was enough. But in the past few months, I’ve learned how important interceding in prayer for others. My friend, family, and acquaintances stepped up and interceding in prayer for me and my family. When I couldn’t form words, they formed them for me.

The Bible speaks about interceding many times throughout all the books, but I thought I would share a few of my favorite verses that speak to interceding.

“You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” 2 Cor. 1:19

 ^“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” Ephesians 6:18

“^{Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.}” Romans 8:26

The last verse has been such an encouragement to me since my dad died. One thing to remember is that not only can other people intercede for you but if you are a Christian- the holy spirit will intercede for you as well. Like I mentioned before, it took a few weeks before I could actually seem to compose a real spoken prayer to God when my dad died…I was in too much anguish. The fact that God was still hearing my inner prayers and groans as the scripture says is comforting. Even when we couldn’t say it, He knew it.

I just wanted to share how important interceding for your fellow family, friends, neighbors, and strangers is. People had no idea how much we needed them to pray for us when we were first dealing with the loss- there were many times we could honestly feel the peace of the prayers that were being said for us all over the state. 

Today I just wanted to encourage you to be praying for the people in your life. They might really need your prayers and I know it would be a blessing to both of you. Also, don’t be afraid to tell your friends and family you need them to pray for you. That is what the body of Christ is supposed to do.