Those who lead God’s people need to pray. That’s a given.
I’ve been writing weekly posts Jesus’ pattern for daily fellowship with God in the Lord’s Prayer. Interestingly, there’s no direct mention of Intercession (i.e. praying for others) in the Lord’s Prayer. Certainly that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Intercession permeated the ministry of Jesus and the apostles. See John 17 for an example.
I think the reason is because daily fellowship with God and intercession are two different kinds of prayer. I find it helpful to separate the two, beginning the day with fellowship with God patterned after the Lord’s prayer, and setting aside a separate time in the day to specifically focus on the work of Intercession.
I listened to this week a talk given to a group of pastors in Scotland on Intercession. It was excellent – the best talk I’ve ever heard on the subject. I commend it to you. It’s worth taking the time to listen to. Here’s the link: The Labour of Prayer
