Ephesians 6:18 CEB: “Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time. Stay alert by hanging in there and praying for all believers.”

Matthew 6:6 CEB: “When you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.”

The spiritual gift of intercession emboldens you to pray with confidence and urgency for those around you, without self-consciousness or fear over whether you will get the “right” answers or not. Intercession combines your care and attention to the needs of those in your community with your faithful trust that God is a God who hears us and attends to the human experience. Your attention to the deepest cares, concerns and needs of your community and your world show up in your private prayer life and how you participate as a community member. Not only do you intercede with your words, but you also stay alert for how God’s response is at work.

At its core, intercession is a gift of bold encounters with the living God who listens to us, sees us and knows us intimately. Those with this gift pray with boldness, strength and clarity, and they help others to grow confident in their encounters with and requests of God. Whether praying for comfort and peace or shaking their fist at God and urgently demanding answers, those with this gift feel assured that God is always attentive to those in need, especially those who are vulnerable. Those with this gift help others feel God’s presence and care in their moments of great need.

Some ways in which the gift of intercession might show up in your spiritual and communal life:

• Offering to pray with friends, family or community members.
• Designing or building an outdoor prayer space open to the larger community.
• Volunteering to be on a prayer team.
• Leading chants in protest, advocating for the needs of marginalized peoples, organizing community prayer vigils.
• Serving as an assisting minister in worship or offering to write prayers for special congregational celebrations or in response to current events.

Looking for more opportunities? We encourage you to reach out to your local synod. Connect, collaborate and co-create with peers through the ELCA Leadership Network.