Intercession: Exemplified

Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, …

So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves.

Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”

“O Lord,” he said, “if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our iniquity and sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Rise up, O LORD! May Your enemies be scattered; may those who hate You flee before You.”

And when it came to rest, he would say: “Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.”

“May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation

…who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

“O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! …

So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.

May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”

“Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”

May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.

…then may whatever prayer or petition Your people Israel make—each knowing his own afflictions and spreading out his hands toward this temple—

…be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and act, and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of all men—

When Your people go to war against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the LORD in the direction of the city You have chosen and the house I have built for Your Name,

…then may You hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and may You uphold their cause.

O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You.

And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”

Now, my God, may Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

Now therefore, arise, O LORD God, and enter Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. May Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness.

A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone

…who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

Put an end to the evil of the wicked, but establish the righteous, O righteous God who searches hearts and minds.

For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. …

Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress.

Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever.

Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

…before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally Your mighty power and come to save us.

Return, O God of Hosts, we pray! Look down from heaven and see! Attend to this vine—

…the root Your right hand has planted, the son You have raised up for Yourself.

Let Your hand be upon the man at Your right hand, on the son of man You have raised up for Yourself.

Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts; cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.

May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses.”

For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”

Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to the upright in heart.

Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. …

May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still, until her righteousness shines like a bright light, her salvation like a blazing torch.

Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. …

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. …

Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.

While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord GOD, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem, will You destroy the entire remnant of Israel?”

Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. …

Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.

And their prayers for you will express their affection for you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not that we will appear to have stood the test, but that you will do what is right, even if we appear to have failed.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, …

…... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, …

I thank my God every time I remember you. …

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

…so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

…because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face,

…that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God.

We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith.

And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows,

…so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To this end, we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of His calling, and that He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith,

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,

…encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.

May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day. You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus.

Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all things.

At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.

I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers, …

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

…equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.