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Prayer

Intercessory Prayer

Intercessory prayer is prayer in which God prays through us for others. We intercede for others most effectively when we pray in answer to God’s call (deep joy, or a burden, or constraint to pray) to pray for someone, some group, or for a certain cause. Because we believe that God is directing our growth as Christians we can be certain that God has issued each of us a call to pray for others.

The Jesus Prayer

“Lord, Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me.”

The prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” is an ancient Christian prayer with roots in the Old and New Testaments. In a few short phrases, it expresses the essence of Christian doctrine with its call to Jesus Christ, divine and human, who, when we ask for mercy, grants us peace. In keeping with the great commandment that we love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, it is practiced to unify intellect and emotion, body and spirit. It focuses our attention on God and opens our whole being to receive through Christ the gift of God’s merciful loving-kindness.

It seems appropriate for Moravians to use this prayer because of its Christ-centeredness, its emphasis on penitence and healing, its recognition as a “prayer of the heart,” and its link with the Eastern church which first brought the Gospel to the lands of the Ancient Unity.

Resources

  • The Practice of Intercessory Prayer (PDF)
  • Learning to Pray for Others: Building an Effective Prayer Ministry (Spotlight Blog article)
  • Jesus Prayer Overview (PDF)
  • Jesus Prayer Suggestions for Practice (PDF)
  • A Guide to Lectio Divina – a specific spiritual practice for study of the scriptures in groups or as individuals (website)
  • Daily Prayers for Moravians (on Moravian.org)
  • Sacred Space- Make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance. (website)