Intercessory Prayer

I get a lot of e-mails from readers asking about my post on intercessory prayer gifts. Most ask if I can provide a more detailed article on the subject so I edited my previous post on this subject and added information that might be of interest to those who have written to me. I have broken down some of the "signs" that point to a call in this area and have added some suggestions that may be useful.

Intercessory prayer is "standing in the gap" or bringing others to God through your prayers. Anyone can and should intercede for others, especially those who are in trouble spiritually and cannot or will not pray for themselves. We, as Christians, are called to pray for our brothers and sisters in this world.

We are all called to intercede for our brothers and sisters, however, for some, the Lord has given the gift of intercessory prayer in a special way. Not because the person is "special" (we are all equally loved by God) but simply because it is a particular "mission" that God wants them to focus on and to do for Him. Each person is unique and has certain gifts that stand out more than other gifts and it's good to be able to discern what particular gifts the Lord has given to us so that we can better understand how to use them to help others.

This prayer charism, intercessory prayer, is the primary  focus of this post. General intercession is also important and is one of our duties as Christians but this post is about discerning the particular charism of intercessory prayer which differs from interceding in general.

Intercessory prayer opens the floodgates of God's mercy and releases torrents of grace upon the one we intercede for. Why is this manner of praying so powerful? Simply because God has willed it to be so. God is love and intercessory prayer is a prayer driven by love Himself.

The Holy Spirit gives the gift of powerful, intense prayer to the intercessor. It is a burning prayer, forceful, and impossible to ignore. The Holy Spirit will bring the person that He is calling you to pray for to your heart and mind along with the overwhelming urge to pray for this person. It seems as if you are before the Mercy Seat as the Lord shares with you His love and mercy for the one you are praying for; it may even bring you to tears, as the Lord's mercy is a thing of incredible beauty. It is a deep all-encompassing prayer, it feels as if it is being pulled out of you. You are left feeling awestruck at the depths of God's mercy. This is completely the Holy Spirit's work; the person praying is simply the vehicle as a member of the body of Christ. This charism, as with any, grows stronger when the person cooperates with the Spirit, when he or she becomes more sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit within them.

Oddly enough, God may bring total strangers to you before drawing you into this prayer. The Holy Spirit moves the person's heart to open up to you and they will often pour out their problems even though they do not know you. It's actually kind of strange when this happens, as it is unexpected. Other times you may just be praying in general and the Holy Spirit draws you into intercessory prayer. Sometimes it is out of the blue, but it is enough to understand that He is doing it for a good purpose and it can help others immensely.

In these times the Lord is calling for intercessory prayer in a powerful way. Differentiating between our duty as Christians to intercede for others and the charism of intercession can help one understand whether they are called in a special way in this area...and many are. I believe this is one of the more common gifts. The question is:

How do we know we are called to this type of prayer in a special way?

Also, are there signs that the Lord is calling us into deep intercessory prayer? How are we to respond?

First, I'd like to clearly state that we each have spiritual gifts and we all share in the gifts of others. They are used to build the Mystical Body of Christ, of which we are each a part. Some have healing gifts (Father DiOrio comes to mind here), others have supernatural gifts of wisdom (such as Blessed Mother Teresa), words of knowledge, prophecy, teaching gifts, discernment of spirits - the list goes on and on.  These gifts are extremely useful today because of the spiritual burden we are under due to the increase of sin in the world.

I'll start with the first question. How do we know we are called to intercessory prayer in a deeper way?

Those who have the gift of intercessory prayer tend to have deeply compassionate hearts. It may seem to others that they are overly sensitive but this is a necessary aspect of the gift. Without this sensitivity of the spirit to both God and others the gift cannot develop to the degree God would like it to. Others may consider intercessors to be "overly emotional" and impractical people. They may have mood swings and they may seem to "suffer" more than the average person because a prayer burden can be...well...a burden. Physically and mentally, because what affects the spirit can also affect the body.

Intercessors tend to have a strong "pull" to pray for others. It may even feel like a strong pressure upon the soul. Passages in the Bible such as Moses intercession for for the Israelites during the battle with Amelek stand out for them. "As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amelek had the better of the fight." (See Ex. 17:8-13).  The passage where Abraham intercedes for intercedes for Sodom tugs at their hearts (See  Gn. 18: 16-33) as well as other passages in Scripture such as Jesus' weeping, His Agony in the Garden, His pleading with the Father on the Cross, " Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."  Passages such as these burn like a fire in their hearts. They are being called to "stand in the gap" for others.

As for the second question, are there signs that the Lord is calling us to this in a deeper way? Yes, I believe there are. Here are some of the signs:

~ Your heart feels heavily burdened despite the fact that things in your life are running smoothly and there seems to be no valid reason for the burden.  It makes no sense...your heart feels weighed down and you can't figure out why. That is a very common sign of a "prayer burden". Especially when the burden comes upon you suddenly. For instance, you are driving in your car and a feeling of grief or sadness comes over you when you were fine just moments before and there is no logical reason for the heaviness in your heart. If this happens to you often try this:

Start praying and offer the prayers to God for those in need. Continue until the burden lifts. You'll know when it lifts by the feeling of peace that comes over you.

~ You seem to suffer more than the average person and yet there seems to be no logical cause. Why? I believe this gives you a hint about what to pray for.

~ You have pain in the pit of your stomach that comes and leaves after heavy-duty prayer.

~ You get bodily symptoms that make no sense. They come and go. (Here we are stepping into "words of knowledge" and this can be useful in discerning what you are called to pray for.) God
  has to signal the need for prayer in some way or another and this can be one of them.

~  Names and faces come to your mind over and over again. We should pray when this happens.

~ You have unusual dreams about people or dreams in which you are battling forces of evil.

~ You wake up during the night and someone is strongly on your mind.

~ You feel a burning or sensation of heat in your body and an inexplicable yearning to pray comes over you.

~ A sense of emergency (like a spiritual 911 call) comes over you. It doesn't let up except through prayer. Once it lets up you can stop praying.

~ Offering up Masses and going to Adoration relieves the "spiritual burden" as these are powerful sources of obtaining grace for others.

~ At times it feels as if "the veil of heaven" has parted and you are standing before The Mercy Seat. Intercessory prayer can feel as if you have stepped into "The Holy of Holies" at times. It can be a very powerful experience for the intercessor.

~ Tears for no obvious reason. For example, you are doing the dishes, a face or name comes to mind, your eyes well up, and a feeling of great compassion comes over you. This is a call to prayer for that person.

No doubt there are other signs but the ones I listed above are very common. If these things happen to you then you can be assured that God is calling you strongly as an intercessor. The answer is to pray, pray, pray.

God sometimes asks for someone to intercede in a more direct manner (for example: a vision of someone in danger, through words, etc..), especially in an emergency. The key is to pray until peace or a feeling of joy comes over you. This peace is a sign that your job is done, at least for the time being.

Those who are interceding for others can also fast and offer up small sacrifices to the Lord during the course of the day. Over time, intercessors grow in the ability to discern "calls to prayer" and are able to respond to the Lord in a more timely manner.

I'd also like to mention that during these periods of intercessory prayer it is important to refrain from any personal petitions that you may have. Bringing your own "stuff" into the mix seems to interfere greatly with intercessory prayer. It's best to wait until your personal prayer time to bring
anything else before the Lord.

I hope this post has been helpful!

Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to share in the love and mercy you have for your people.

The Judgment of Gloria Polo

                                                      Fra Angelico's "Last Judgment"


After I posted the video of Fr. Stephen Scheier's judgment experience, a blogging friend (thank you, Philangelus) sent me a link to Gloria Polo's judgment before the Lord. The details in this particular NDE are phenomenal...I've never read anything quite like it. I don't believe anyone could make up a story like this and I am inclined to believe it's true.

Reverend Joseph Dwight has her full testimony on his blog. Scroll down the page a bit until you see:
The Testimony of Gloria Polo

Gloria Polo's story is truly remarkable and I've read a few different translations of it. You can find her interview with Radio Maria, which is a bit shorter, here.

I started with the interview with Radio Maria (found a few translations online) and now I am reading the longer testimony on Rev. Dwight's blog.

There are so many things that stood out for me that I don't know where to start. I will say this - it shows the power of prayer and the importance of placing God first in our lives.

Please take the time to read it. I truly think stories like these have the ability to change lives and are even helpful to those deep into their walk with Jesus. Every word that comes out of our mouth matters. The Lord took Gloria Polo through the Ten Commandments and showed her how she broke each one. It's a remarkable story.

Intercessory Prayer Gifts - Standing in the Gap

We are all called to intercede for our brothers and sisters in this world, however, for some, the Lord has given the gift of intercessory prayer in a special way. Not because the person is "special" (we are all equally loved by God) but simply because it is a particular "mission" that God wants them to focus on and to do for Him. Each person is unique and has certain gifts that stand out more than other gifts and it's good to be able to discern what particular gifts the Lord has given to us so that we can better understand how to use them to help others.

In these times the Lord is calling for intercessory prayer in a powerful way. Differentiating between our duty as Christians to intercede for others and the charism of intercession can help one understand whether they are called in a special way in this area...and many are. I believe this is one of the more common gifts. The question is:

How do we know we are called to this type of prayer in a special way?

Also, are there signs that the Lord is calling us into deeper intercessory prayer? How are we to respond?

First, I'd like to clearly state that we each have spiritual gifts and we all share in the gifts of others. They are used to build the Mystical Body of Christ, of which we are each a part. Some have healing gifts (Father DiOrio comes to mind here), others have supernatural gifts of wisdom (such as Blessed Mother Teresa), words of knowledge, prophecy, teaching gifts, discernment of spirits - the list goes on and on.  These gifts are extremely useful today because of the spiritual burden we are under due to the increase of sin in the world.  One that the Lord seems to be giving in abundance is the gift of intercessory prayer.

I'll start with the first question. How do we know we are called to intercessory prayer in a deeper way?

Those who have the gift of intercessory prayer tend to have deeply compassionate hearts. It may seem to others that they are overly sensitive but this is a necessary aspect of the gift. Without this sensitivity of the spirit to both God and others the gift cannot develop to the degree God would like it to. Others may consider intercessors to be "overly emotional" and impractical people. They may have mood swings (I will explain this further in another post) and they may seem to "suffer" more than the average person.

Intercessors tend to have a strong "pull" to pray for others. It may even feel like a strong pressure upon the soul. Passages in the Bible such as Moses intercession for for the Israelites during the battle with Amelek stand out for them. "As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amelek had the better of the fight." (See Ex. 17:8-13).  The passage where Abraham intercedes for intercedes for Sodom tugs at their hearts (See  Gn. 18: 16-33) as well as other passages in Scripture such as Jesus' weeping, His Agony in the Garden, His pleading with the Father on the Cross, " Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."  Passages such as these burn like a fire in their hearts. They are being called to "stand in the gap" for others.

As for the second question, are there signs that the Lord is calling us to this in a deeper way? Yes, I believe there are. This was recently confirmed to me through a book I was reading. Here are some of the signs:

~ Your heart feels heavily burdened despite the fact that things in your life are running smoothly and there seems to be no valid reason for the burden such as mortal sin.  It makes no sense...you confess your sins, love God, pray, and yet your heart is heavy. That is a very common sign of a "prayer burden".

~ You seem to suffer more than the average person and yet there seems to be no logical cause.

~ You have pain in the pit of your stomach that comes and leaves after heavy-duty prayer

~ You get bodily symptoms that make no sense. They come and go (here we are stepping into "words of knowledge" and this can be useful in discerning what you are called to pray for.

~  Names and faces come to your mind over and over again.

~ You have unusual dreams about people or dreams in which you are battling forces of evil.

~ You feel a burning sensation in your body and an inexplicable yearning to pray comes over you.

~ A sense of emergency (like a spiritual 911 call) comes over you. It doesn't let up except through prayer, and you long for "alone time" with God to pray.

~ Offering up Masses and going to Adoration relieves the "spiritual burden" as these are powerful sources of obtaining grace for others.

~ At times it feels as if "the veil of heaven" has parted and you are standing before The Mercy Seat.

~ Tears for no obvious reason.

No doubt there are other signs but the ones I listed above are very common. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me write this post and I hope it is helpful to others. If these things happen to you then you can be assured that God is calling you strongly as an intercessor. The answer is to pray, pray, pray. I'm working on another post on this subject about prayer warriors and how to use this gift.

I pray this post is helpful to others. Thank you, Lord, for these words. May they bless others as they have blessed me (long story).


(This post has been updated - Intercessory Prayer link.)

Father Gordon MacRae - Scaling the Walls of Injustice

Seems strange to write a post about a priest imprisoned for sexual abuse of a minor a few days after posting about Diane and my horror of crimes of this nature but after pondering it for a while I came to the conclusion that the timing is actually perfect. Truth trumps emotions every time. Regarding the bizzarre case of Father MacRae, I had to throw out my leanings toward those suffering from the effects of abuse and try to look at his case through the eyes of truth... wherever this might lead. And it led me to some strange places indeed.

You cannot live in N.H. and not be aware of the sexual abuse scandal in the Church. This state was hit hard by it. When I first heard about Father MacRae many years ago I  automatically assumed that this man was guilty of the charges against him. After all, he was tried by a jury of his own peers, wasn't he? Surely no one would convict an innocent man, would they? I really didn't give his particular case much more thought after this, other than to be relieved that a pedophile was off of our streets and in prison where he belonged.

Until last year. I started coming across articles about Father MacRae proclaiming his innocence of the charges levied against him. I ignored them for the most part but a niggling little doubt about his guilt planted its seed in my brain and I couldn't quite shake it for some reason. I visited his blog These Stone Walls a few times but that was the extent of my interest at the time. Many guilty people claim innocence. As a matter of fact, it seemed to me that when it came to being accused of a crime, unless they were caught red-handed, MOST people claim innocence. So I kept pushing the "little niggling doubt" to the back of my mind.

It kept returning. I started praying for him and I started thinking more and more about this priest imprisoned 30 minutes away from my home and decided to do some research about his case. I didn't want to start by going through his blog because I didn't want to be biased one way or the other. I tried to clear my mind of any preconceived notions of his guilt so that I could look at the facts of his case honestly, as if this was information I was reading for the first time.  I read a number of newspaper articles and posts by other bloggers but, as convincing as some of these sounded, they still didn't tell me enough about his case. Life works in a funny way though. One day I decided to read his police files and, oddly enough, these very files that damned him so much in the eyes of others had the opposite effect on me...I started to become convinced of his innocence. There was something wrong with the report and right from the start I picked up on it. It became apparent before I was even midway through the report that the officer in charge had no interest in the truth. In his mind he had already condemned this man and was zealously searching for any little bit of dirt he could find on Fr. MacRae regardless of whether that "dirt" had substance or not. It almost seemed as if this officer was pushing the boys interviewed into making comments on the "queerness" of Father MacRae and often putting two and two together and coming up with five. (I'll write a bit more about this in a future post.) I found his manner of investigating very disturbing to say the least. There was little to no regard to the possibility that this man could be innocent. This really bugged me because truth is important to me and a man's honor, good name, and freedom were at stake here. Impartiality is a must when it comes to something so serious. I regretted my own assumption of his guilt when I first heard about him... though in my case I assumed the police department, the state, his defense, and the jury had all done their jobs with the integrity necessary when a man's freedom is at stake. My mistake. The more I read about Fr. MacRae's case the more I see what a travesty of justice the investigation and the trial were. That the Church basically "washed their hands clean" of him distressed me even more. "What is truth?" It began to remind me of  Pontius Pilate washing his hands of the matter of Jesus' guilt or innocence and "handing Him over to the crowds". We all know what happened after that. An innocent man was crucified.

What is truth? I know the "Who" of truth but have not completely learned the what of it. I do, however, know what truth is not:

Truth does not twist information until it fits your own "take" on the matter.
                                     and
Truth does not abandon a man to his own fate during his time of deepest need.


Please join me and my fellow bloggers in a Novena for Father MacRae starting this Monday, August 22nd and let us also ask Jesus to send the light of HIS truth and mercy upon Father MacRae and all involved in his case.

We Are All Interconnected

I was thinking about The Mystical Body of Christ and how we are all interconnected through Him and I wanted to share a story, as strange as it is, which points to this fact. When I had Myasthenia Gravis I would often have "visual disturbances". Many times half my vision would cut out and I would not be able to see properly for a while.These disturbances are quite common in MG. Sometimes these came with headaches, sometimes not. A bit different from migraines,
I wouldn't get the "halo" effect and get headaches quite that severe but it was still hard to walk around when my vision would cut out, especially in public.

Last month, before we went on vacation, Randy, Michaela and I went out looking for a bathing suit for Michaela. We were at a local department store and I was in the fitting room helping Michaela try on swimsuits when all of a sudden...my vision cut out. I said, "C'mon, Michaela, we have to leave right now! Mommy can't see right." We dashed out of the fitting room and I told Randy what was happening and that we had to get out of there. He looked at me in shock and we left the store. When we got outside Randy this is what Randy said to me:

"While you were in the fitting room helping Michaela my Blackberry dinged so I went to check the new e-mail that had just come in. I read the e-mail, which was for you. You gotta read this."

I couldn't read it, of course, because I didn't have my vision back yet so Randy read it to me. A young woman who had been recently diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis had written me an e-mail. Here are portions from some of her e-mails to me:

"I suffered from severe almost sudden weakness when I was 22 years old, I am 26 now. I take medication everyday for Myasthenia Gravis and I had a thymectomy a couple years ago and that has helped. I am a follower of Jesus Christ and a firm believer in His healing power!! I have never accepted that i will be sick for the rest of my life even though my doctors keep explaining that "MG is a chronic disease that you will have for the rest of your life so you just have to find a way to make your life as manageable as possible." I was very active before i was diagnosed. I have a black belt in Karate and played almost every sport, so needless to say this was a huge life changer and i was so weak at the beginning before I got officially diagnosed that I had fallen down the stairs, I couldn't talk, chew or even walk for most days. I have been on a mission to change my diet and try to exercise and find some way to fight this!! I have noticed some good changes due to my Gluten free diet but i know what it feels like to be normal and even though if feels like a lifetime ago I want that back!!! IN JESUS NAME!! I googled "Jesus healed my Myasthenia Gravis" and i was happy to read your blog explaining your experience being healed from this awful disease. I would love to hear back from you."

From another e-mail she sent after I had asked her to tell me more about her symptoms:

"I did have had the worst symptoms. I was working at target and started noticing that my hands were getting weak and it was difficult to straighten my fingers, I had to wear gloves at some points for work and could hardly get them on well I thought it was bad at first but had no idea how serious it really was.I didnt have insurance so i couldnt go to a regular doctor so when i went to ER the doc spent 5 mins with me and said that bc of my hand weakness he said that i had a "pinched nerve" and gave me a prescription for viacadin!!! i didnt even take it bc i knew he was wrong. I was on the computer looking different things up all the time and within a few short months i was having difficulty raising my arms and holding my head up. One night i was at my dads helping them move into a new place and I couldnt do much but that was not the kind of person i am so i pushed myself ( i know now that is why i became so weak) but i didnt know what is was so i thought i could just fight against it i guess. Well I was by myself unpacking and my neck became so weak that i couldn't keep my head up so i just broke down and literally got on my face and prayed and asked God to help me figure out what was going on ... so i got up of the floor and went to the computer where i had explored many other options but never really found the right one (vitamin B deficiency, seizures ,MS) but some how I at that time found the symptoms for a disease called Myasthenia Gravis and it described everything i had a symptom. That was the beginning and it progressed really fast.. but i have no pain just weakness, debilitating weakness.

To make a long story short i went over a year without medication with my body being so weak I was unable to shower without my husband bc he had to do everything for me. I had problems eating, talking, walking, it effected ALL of my muscles. I went to free clinic with the diagnoses that I MADE and a young helpful doctor FINALLY believed me and wanted to help me so he set up a blood test and within a week i was on medication.

There is a huge improvement from now to when i was first diagnosed but i have never accepted that i would be sick for the rest of my life!! I have fought and prayed and cried!! it has been a long difficult past few years.. and now i feel like something amazing is about to happen. I have talked to everyone in my family about you and shared your story and it really encouraged me!!! "

When Randy read her first e-mail to me... to say I was shocked is a huge understatement. What are the odds that I would have a return of one of the symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis at the precise moment that this e-mail came in? The odds seem slim at best. It was as if the Lord was giving me a nudge to pray for this young woman. But why such a strong nudge? This still puzzles Randy and I. My heart really felt for this young women as I could certainly relate to her suffering. She was not the first person with Myasthenia Gravis to write to me but the other woman had a relatively mild case compared to A. Most people would simply chalk this up to coincidence but I no longer write stuff like this off so easily.

 Myasthenia Gravis can be life threatening. Those with severe cases can have "breathing crises" and can die from these. I warned her in an e-mail that if this should ever happen to make sure that her husband called an ambulance immediately. I am praying for A. and I am hoping that some of my fellow bloggers might join me in praying for her. We are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ and through our prayers we can all assist each other here on earth and our prayers for those who are battling terrible diseases can bring healing and help when they need it most.

40 Days For Life

Today marks the beginning of the 40 Days For Life Campaign. Karinann at Daughter of the King  has posted a reflection and a prayer which can be used during this period and also a link  (which I'm thieving) where you can follow along and find more information about this campaign - 40 DAYS FOR LIFE. I invite everyone to join us in asking the Lord to end abortion, here in our own country, and worldwide.

Thank you, Karinann!

Intercessory Prayer

Intercessory prayer is "standing in the gap" or bringing others to God with your prayers. Anyone can and should intercede for others, especially those who are in trouble spiritually and cannot or will not pray for themselves. Everyone, as christians, are called to pray for their brothers and sisters in this world.

There is also the charism of intercessory prayer. The Holy Spirit gives the gift of powerful, intense prayer to the intercessor. It is a burning prayer, forceful, and impossible to ignore. Well...a person could ignore it I guess, but why would they want to? The Holy Spirit will bring the person that He is calling you to pray for to your heart and mind along with the overwhelming urge to pray for this person. It seems as if you are before the Mercy Seat and the Lord shares with you His love and mercy for the one you are praying for; it may often bring you to tears, as the Lord's mercy is a thing of incredible beauty. It is a deep all-encompassing prayer, it feels as if it is being pulled out of you. You are left feeling awestruck at the depths of God's mercy. This is completely the Holy Spirit's work; the person praying is simply the vehicle as a member of the body of Christ. This charism, as with any, grows stronger when the person cooperates with the Spirit.

Oddly enough, God may bring total strangers to you before drawing you into this prayer. The Holy Spirit moves the person's heart to open up to you and they will often pour out their life story even though they do not know you. It's actually kind of strange when this happens, as it is unexpected. Other times you may be just praying in general and the Holy Spirit draws you into the intercessory prayer. Sometimes it is out of the blue, but it is enough to understand that He is doing it for a good purpose and it can help others immensely.

One of the reasons that I think the charisms are important is because they do help build up the Body of Christ on earth. You can't take charisms with you when you die, but you can sure help others by accepting these gifts, that is their purpose.

The power of intercessory prayer, pt.2

Here is another post from my mother and, yes, this really happened. I also worked for this woman when my mom did. Here is her post:

This is an example of how God can use us to bless others.


I was praying with a very good friend one morning. During the prayer time, I had a very strong impression that this lady I once worked for, was in grave danger. I told my friend I had to leave and warn this lady right away. I drove to her house, and I frantically prayed, " Lord, if this is from you, please protect her life. When I got there, I rang and rang, but no one was home.

I dismissed the mental image I had, thinking I was in error. But I kept praying for her...a burning prayer.

Within a few days, I met a friend of hers and she told me this lady was in the hospital. I went to visit her. She confided to me that she and her husband had split up; and that she was living with this man she had met through friends. They had a quarrel. She was watching tv in her family room. He came to the entrance of the room, pointed a gun at her and fired. [He was about ten feet away.] She remembered putting her hands up to her face. The bullet grazed her finger, entered her jaw and went right through her shoulder. She was going to be okay, her boyfriend was arrested and jailed. He claimed it was an accident. I don't know what happened after that.

Why was I given this very strong message that her life was in danger? I assume God wanted me to warn her and pray for her. Her life was saved by a most merciful God.

Dorothea