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Leading intercessions

Being asked to lead the intercessions in a service can strike terror into people’s hearts! A workshop drawing on the ideas set out in the section ‘Praying for the World’ can offer people a chance to look at what is involved, and develop the basic skills required to encourage everyone present to pray.

As well as discussion about what we think the prayer of intercession is, it is helpful to have material for people to look at – there are many books on the market now which give ideas. And it is useful, too, to let people try out the sound system, or see how their voices work in the building used for worship.

When I run a workshop, I normally prepare intercessions for a particular occasion, usually a couple of Sundays ahead, and explain what led me to include or exclude some items which might have been appropriate. Selection is a very important principle – we can’t pray for everything every week. World events and local situations can change in the time between the preparation of the prayers, and the service in which they will be used, so it is important to be able to be flexible.

I have drawn up some guidelines which can be useful as a basis for discussion and practice.

 Set the preparation in the context of your own prayer. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 When preparing the prayers, look at the readings and themes for the day. If possible, ask the preacher what the sermon is likely to be about. Look at parish/diocesan/circuit cycles of prayer.

 Select from all the above, and your local knowledge and awareness of what is happening in the world to decide on the areas you want to pray for.

 Look at some of the available books for ideas. You may discover helpful ways of saying things. You do not have to use whole prayers – the odd sentence is often useful.

 When you begin to write your prayers, remember to address them to God.

 Remember to give thanks, as well as to ask.

 Remember how your sentences begin, and keep them consistent. (If you ask for God’s blessing on someone or some situation, don’t, within the same sentence, say for.)

 Keep the prayers brief – let people have time for their own thoughts and prayers.

 On the day, have a pen handy, so that you can put in last-minute requests, or respond to something the preacher has said. But don’t re-preach the sermon, or try to improve on it!

 When the time comes, wait for people to settle physically, and leave a space for them to gather their thoughts.

 Speak slowly – feel that your pace is slow. Pray the prayers, rather than just saying them.

 Pause. Let spaces grow between the sentences. Give people time to respond inwardly to what you have said.

 Breathe deeply, hold your head up, and look towards the end of the place in which you are speaking. Pitch your voice low (especially women) – that way the sound carries further. Throw your voice to the end of the room.

 If you want to change the response to the petitions, make sure people know what they have to say. Instead of ‘Lord, in your mercy’ with the response ‘Hear our prayer’, you might want to say, ‘Lord, hear us’ with the response ‘Graciously hear us’. So tell the congregation, and give them a chance to try it before you continue with the prayers. It is probably best not to change the response in the middle of the prayers.

Leading prayers is your offering to God. You don’t have to worry about whether you are as good as other people – this week it’s your turn. You may feel nervous, but breathing deeply as people settle down will help you to settle too. People value variety and freshness, so enjoy taking your turn.