The Lord’s Prayer as intercession
Jesus has taught us to come to God as children that approach their parents in confidence and trust. Jesus gave us The Lord’s Prayer to pray, and to use as a model for praying. We will have a kind of meditative version of praying this prayer, and we will do it as a kind of intercession.
I’ll ask you to remind yourself of a person you know who is in need of the presence of God. This may be concerning a person who is ill, or a person who has caused you pain, or your thoughts may reach out to persons in need due to famine, catastrophes, war and civil war, or … … You know best which person you’ll have in mind, needing God’s help.
Sit comfortably. Feel your body’s contact with the floor and the chair back. Let your feet rest on the floor if possible – imagine they have roots, going deep into the ground. Relax your shoulders – your jaw – let your face relax – you don’t need to think about anything right now. Sense your breathing – don’t change it – just relax in it – feel Gods’ presence. When you breathe out, you release the tension and restlessness.
Come Holy Spirit, and guide us in our prayer:
Our Father in heaven
Ponder on how great God is, and know that God is present as a caring mother or father.
May wonder and thankfulness fill you!
Ask God to reveal God’s presence for the person or persons for whom you pray.
Hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come
Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you bring the peace and joy of God’s Kingdom, and may this peace and joy find its way to the person or persons for whom I pray.
Your will be done, on earth as in heaven
Your Spirit knows us fully, and knows what’s best for us. Reveal your good will in the life of the person or persons for whom I pray. And leave the assurance that you intend the best the person or persons for whom I pray.
Give us today our daily bread.
You do not give a stone, if we ask for bread, but you give what we need mostly in the circumstances of our present situation. I ask you, Father, may the person or persons for whom I pray, receive your Holy Spirit and what they need the most just now, according to your loving-kindness.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Help the person or persons for whom I pray, to be able to forgive and to receive forgiveness.
If you yourself need to forgive the person or persons for whom you pray, tell God about it so that God for Christ’s sake will make you free in your relationship.
Lead us not into temptation
Let not the problems, life circumstances become insurmountable to the person or persons for whom I pray, so that it ends up in doubt, despair and hopelessness and thus gives room for the devil or temptations.
But deliver us from evil.
Thank you Father, that your Son has overcome Satan’s power. May the person or persons for whom I pray, experience Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness in the present situation.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever.
Be filled by gratitude and praise of God, and giving thanks and praise include the person or persons for whom you pray.
Listen to Torsten Borbye Nielsen; Our Father:
