Prayer is one of the simplest things we can do, and yet it is also one of the most profound. It is nothing less than opening our hearts to God. But prayer is not just something we do alone in private; it is also something we do together as the Church. When we pray as a congregation in worship, we join our voices in what is called the intercessions.
The word “intercession” means to stand in the gap – to bring before God the needs of the world, of others, and of ourselves. It is the Church’s great act of corporate prayer: not one person praying only for their own needs, but the whole people of God lifting up the whole world to God’s mercy.
That’s why the intercessions usually follow a pattern. They begin with the Church of Christ. We pray for Christians everywhere – for our own parish, for our diocese, for the Church across the nations. We ask that the Church might be faithful, united, and full of the Spirit’s life.
Then we pray for creation and human society, for those in authority, and for our Sovereign. This is part of our calling as Christians – to pray for rulers and leaders, for peace between nations, for justice and wisdom in public life. In doing this, we recognise that our faith is not cut off from the wider world. We bring before God the climate, the economy, and the needs of our society.
Next we pray for our local community. These are the places and people among whom we live day by day. We pray for schools and hospitals, for local councils, for shops and businesses, for our neighbours. In doing this, we remember that God’s kingdom is not just somewhere far away – it touches the very streets we walk.
Then we pray for those who suffer. This is always close to the heart of Christian prayer, because Jesus himself spent so much of his ministry with the sick, the poor, and the outcast. We pray for the sick, the bereaved, the lonely, the oppressed, the hungry. We may name people known to us, or hold them silently in our hearts.
And finally, we remember the communion of saints. We give thanks for those who have gone before us in faith, and we commend the departed into God’s eternal care. In doing so, we remind ourselves that we are part of a vast family – the Church across time as well as space – a communion that death itself cannot break.
That’s the pattern the intercessions usually follow. But more than a list, they are a school of prayer. By joining in, we learn how to pray for ourselves. We learn that prayer isn’t just about what we want or need; it’s about holding the whole world before God. It’s about saying: Lord, your will be done – in the Church, in creation, in our community, in the lives of those who suffer, and in us.
Sometimes, when we pray together, there are set responses. The leader may say, “Lord, in your mercy,” and we respond: “Hear our prayer.” This reminds us that prayer is not a monologue but a conversation. We listen, we speak, we respond, and we trust that God hears.
And here’s the encouragement: if you’re unsure how to pray on your own, start by listening closely to the prayers in church. Let them teach you. Begin by praying for the Church, for the world, for your community, for those in need, and for those who have died. That simple pattern will guide you.
Prayer is not about having the right words. It’s about bringing ourselves and the world we live in into God’s presence. And when we do that together, in the intercessions, we are joining in the prayer of Christ himself, who forever intercedes for us before the Father.