Spiritual Speculation Space
Intercession
November 5, 2025
Discussion Questions
These questions are just to help get the discussion going. They do not need to be discussed in order and conversation outside of the bounds of these questions is welcome. ​​
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There are countless spiritual practices spanning recorded human history, religions, and cultures. Why is prayer one of the most prevalent? Why does it have so much acceptance in the mainstream secular world (see for example the video below?)
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How would you personally define "intercession" as opposed to other forms of prayer? Do you have a form of prayer that you favour, or find easier to engage in than other forms (IE: meditation over intercession, Mantras over contemplation, a liturgical prayer like the rosary or Lord's Prayer over spontaneous words, spoken aloud vs silent etc).
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Is God responsive to prayer? What happens if no one prays for God's intervention? What happens when people are asking for different outcomes? What do you make of the audacious claims about prayer that Jesus makes in the Mark 11 passage below?
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How does intercession affect the people interceding?
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How do you feel when someone tells you they are praying for you?​
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Within your personal, meditative, prayerful, or mindful practices, do you express needs, anxieties, requests for yourself, or others? Is this an internal centring experience without addressing God? Does it have any traditional prayer aspects?
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Do you find it difficult or uncomfortable to enter into your personal meditation or prayer practices with other people? Can you conceive of ways other people participating with you might enhance the experience?
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Did you look at the meta-analysis of several studies of intercessory prayer linked below? What are your thoughts on the conclusions reached in the analysis?
Discussion Background Materials
Material listed here is intended to enhance discussion. The inclusion of these materials is not an endorsement of their authors or the organizations publishing them. We encourage you to fact check any claims made in these materials.
Mark 11: 20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.[b] 23 Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24 So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received[c] it, and it will be yours.
25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” (RSVUE)