What is intercessory prayer?
intercession is not merely a spiritual practice but a theological reality rooted in God’s redemptive work. Intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others, but Scripture portrays it as much more than petition—it is participation in the very pattern of mediation God establishes. Throughout the Bible, intercession functions as a divine calling, a priestly work, and ultimately a Christ-shaped ministry. Our intercessory prayers become a small reflection of Jesus’ own ongoing intercession before the Father.
1. Intercession in the Old Testament: Prophets, Priests, and Spirit-empowered Mediation
The theme of intercessory prayer begins early in the Old Testament. Intercession appears wherever God raises up leaders who stand “between God and the people,” carrying divine truth to humanity and carrying human need before God.
The prophetic tradition as intercession
Prophets were intercessors because they were filled with the Spirit and understood the nation’s condition more clearly than the people themselves. Their calling enabled them to:
Interpret God’s mind to the people (Jeremiah 1:9; Amos 3:7)
Bring the people’s cries before God (Exodus 32:11–14; Amos 7:2–6)
Plead for mercy in moments of judgment (Numbers 14:13–19; Joel 2:17)
Identify the deep spiritual needs of the nation (Isaiah 6:5; Micah 3:8)
Intercession in the prophetic office was not mechanical. It was relational. Prophets prayed for the people because they shared God’s heart toward the people.
Priestly intercession
Priests also served as intercessors through sacrifice, blessing, and daily prayer:
Offering sacrifices that symbolized reconciliation (Leviticus 16)
Blessing the people in God’s name (Numbers 6:22–27)
Carrying names of the tribes on their garments into God’s presence (Exodus 28:29)
These actions reveal that intercession was built into Israel’s relationship with God, forming the pattern for the Messiah to come.
Old Testament figures who embody intercession
The narrative contains powerful examples:
Abraham interceding for Sodom (Genesis 18:22–33)
Moses pleading for Israel’s survival (Exodus 32:9–14; Psalm 106:23)
Samuel praying for the people despite their rebellion (1 Samuel 12:19–23)
Daniel confessing the nation’s sins from exile (Daniel 9:3–19)
These intercessors foreshadow a greater Intercessor—the One who perfectly knows the Father’s will and perfectly identifies with His people.
2. Jesus as the fulfillment of intercession: the true Prophet, Priest, and King
Intercessory prayer reaches its climax in the person of Jesus. Every earlier form of intercession points toward His perfect mediation.
A. Jesus intercedes as the High Priest
The book of Hebrews shows Jesus as the high-priestly intercessor who:
Sympathizes with human weakness (Hebrews 4:15)
Resisted temptation and overcame spiritual forces (Hebrews 2:14–18)
Represents His people before the Father (Hebrews 7:25)
Provides mercy and grace at the moment it is needed most (Hebrews 4:16)
Unlike earthly priests who die, Jesus “always lives to intercede.” His intercession is continuous, personal, and grounded in His finished work.
B. Jesus’ intercession in His earthly ministry
Jesus’ life shows intercession woven into every moment:
He prayed for His disciples’ faith not to fail (Luke 22:31–32)
He interceded for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34)
He prayed for future believers (John 17:20–23)
He taught His disciples to pray in His name (John 14:13–14)
Jesus interprets humanity to God and God to humanity. He embodies perfect intercession because He shares the Father’s heart and bears the human condition.
C. The High Priestly Prayer as the center of intercession
John 17 reveals the inner structure of Jesus’ intercessory mission:
Intercession for His own mission
“Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (John 17:1).
Intercession for the disciples
He prays for protection, unity, joy, sanctification, and mission (John 17:6–19).
Intercession for all future believers
“That they may all be one” (John 17:21).
The heart of this prayer is union—disciples sharing in the relationship Jesus has with the Father. Just as He came “in the name of the Father,” believers are sent “in the name of Jesus” to continue His witness in the world.
3. Intercession in the New Testament Church: Praying in Christ’s Name
Jesus’ followers participate in intercession precisely because He continues to intercede. Believers are invited into His work, not as independent mediators but as those who pray through the Mediator.
New Testament intercession includes:
Praying for all people (1 Timothy 2:1–2)
Interceding for fellow believers under spiritual attack (Ephesians 6:18)
Bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Asking for forgiveness for others (Acts 7:60)
Calling on God for healing (James 5:14–16)
Because Christ prays for His people, the church prays for the world.
The Spirit’s role in intercession
Romans 8 describes a deeper layer of intercession:
The Spirit intercedes “with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26–27).
Christ intercedes at the Father’s right hand (Romans 8:34).
Intercession is therefore Trinitarian—rooted in the Father’s will, carried by the Son’s advocacy, and empowered by the Spirit’s presence.
4. Intercession in Revelation: Prayer in the presence of the throne
The final book of Scripture shows that intercessory prayer does not fade in the age to come—it becomes perfected. Revelation portrays the prayers of the saints as:
incense before God’s throne (Revelation 5:8)
the cry for justice and vindication (Revelation 6:9–11)
a catalyst for God’s purposes in the world (Revelation 8:3–5)
Intercessory prayer participates in the unfolding of God’s kingdom. The Lamb who intercedes is the same One who opens the seals, hears the martyrs, and brings renewal to creation.
5. A biblical theology of intercessory prayer: Our intercession as a type of Christ’s
Intercessory prayer throughout biblical theology forms a consistent pattern:
Prophets intercede because they bear the Spirit.
Priests intercede because they represent the people.
Kings intercede because they shepherd God’s flock.
Jesus intercedes because He perfectly reveals God and perfectly represents humanity.
Our prayers join with His—not replacing His intercession but echoing it. Intercessory prayer is therefore:
a participation in Christ’s priestly ministry
a reflection of His compassion
a witness to His ongoing reign
a means by which God shapes His people to love as Christ loves
Because He “always lives to intercede,” believers always have hope. His intercession gives assurance that God will finish the good work He began and carry His people through every trial. This is not an invitation to complacency but a motivation to persevere in faith, knowing Christ Himself sustains His people.
Bible Verses About Intercessory Prayer
“Moses implored the LORD his God.” (Exodus 32:11)
“Far be it from me… that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23)
“The prayer of a righteous person has great power.” (James 5:16)
“I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:32)
“Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34)
“He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
“The Spirit himself intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:26)
“We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)
“The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God.” (Revelation 8:4)
“Your kingdom come, your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10)
