We have so many types of prayer. Intercession is one of them. To intercede is to stand for, beg for or on behalf of someone, group of people or a country. Intercessory prayer therefore is the type of prayer that one prays for another person. It is good to pray for others. In praying intercessory prayer, one needs to put him/herself in an intermediary position of prayer for God’s will to be done, especially with regard to others. Daniel in the first reading has given us a pattern of intercessory prayer. In this prayer, Daniel aligns himself with God by turning his face to the Lord (Dan.9:3) – desiring to make his intercession consistent with God’s will. We intercede for others not because God is refusing to act and so needs to be forced. No! But it is we – as individuals, families, and Churches – need to acknowledge our desire that God’s will be done. That is why in this prayer of Daniel, he first acknowledges his sins and that of his people and seeks God’s forgiveness and second, he seeks for restoration of the people of Israel who were in captivity in a foreign land.

Brethren, there is need to intercede or pray for others. All of us are called to do so but many of us are really stingy when it comes to interceding for others. We prefer praying for our personal needs than for other people’s needs. Let us know the fact that God knows that even the intercessors are in need of some things. And so, after answering the prayer for others, He does so for the intercessors. Many of us cannot do that.

A story is told of a woman who married but when she could not conceive and bear children, she was forced out of her husband’s house. This woman went and rented a house somewhere in the town and stayed there. She was so pious in the Church – always going for Divine Mercy prayer and other devotions. However, there was another woman in the same compound with her that they were in enmity even to the point that they could not greet each other. One day, while the woman was praying in the Church, she heard a voice telling her to make her request right but she should remember that whatever she asked, the other woman (her enemy) is going to get a double share of her prayer. If she asks for a child, God will answer her but will also give the other woman twins; if it is a car, the other woman will get an airplane, etc. In truth, if you are the woman, what are you going to ask known fully that your enemy is going to get the lion share? Answer me please not as a Christian but in truth as human beings. You know what? This woman sat back meditatively and sighed saying that the time has come for her to show this woman pepper. She therefore asked that God should make one of her eyes blind. By implication, by making one of her eyes blind, the other woman will be totally blind since she was to get the double portion of her prayer.

How can God answer such prayer? Impossible! Look at this wasted opportunity. This woman was barren, instead of her to be generous by just asking for the fruit of the womb, she was seeking for revenge. This is what Jesus forbids us never to do in the Gospel passage. The measure you give will be the measure you get back (Lk.6:38). Let us never put ourselves first before others in prayer but others first. During this Lenten season, let us remember to pray for others (even for our enemies) as Daniel did. Let us be merciful to others as our Heavenly Father is merciful to us and may our prayers never go unanswered through Christ our Lord.

This post is not written 100% by me