Every Thursday, intentions entered in the ” Book of Intentions ” or received via the website are presented to the intercession of Saint Rita at the Eucharist at 5:30pm, followed by Eucharistic adoration at 6pm and 7pm.

Our common prayer is thus more intense. Together, the impossible becomes possible, the fragility of each becomes the strength of all.

Prayer for others, like prayer in general, is easy to question: why pray if God already wants the best for us? Why does he need our prayers when he’s so much wiser than we are? Wouldn’t it be better to simply trust him to do what’s best for us? It’s true that God is wiser than we are (1 Corinthians 1.25) and that we should trust him (Proverbs 3.5-6), and that’s precisely why we should pray, because he asks us to pray for ourselves and for others.

Prayer for others, along with confession of sins, is recommended as a source of healing (James 5.16). James writes: “The prayer of the righteous works with great power.” Does this mean that God only listens to the prayers of good people? No: in the Bible, the term righteous refers to those who have faith and are covered by the righteousness of Jesus (Romans 5.1, 3.21-22, 4.2-3).

Jesus taught us to pray in his name (John 14:13-14), that is, according to his will. Knowing and understanding God is therefore an integral part of prayer. From this point on, we begin to see why it’s important to pray for others. Prayer doesn’t get us everything we want, nor does it always guarantee others safety, health and a trouble-free life: it helps us get to know our Savior and unites believers. Effective prayer for others brings us closer to God, because it is based on the knowledge of His will (1 John 5.14). It also brings us closer to others, enabling us to learn more about them and focus on their needs.

Most of us pray for others, asking God, for example, to give them a job, good transportation, health and security. We may eventually pray for the marriage and other relationships of someone we know well. There’s nothing wrong with that; the Bible even encourages us to pray for all things so that we worry about nothing (Philippians 4:6). It’s good to pray for health and to receive good things (3 John 1.2).

Most of the prayers in the Bible, however, are different: when Jesus prayed for others, he prayed for their faith (Luke 22:32), against temptation in their lives (Luke 22:40), for their unity (John 17:11) and for their sanctification (John 17:17). Paul prayed for the salvation of the lost (Romans 10.1), for his brothers to remain on the right path (2 Corinthians 13.7), for believers to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, rooted in love, able to understand God’s love and filled with its fullness (Ephesians 3.14-19). It’s all about spiritual blessings, ” in the name of Jesus “and according the Father’s will. Such prayers are a strength for our daily life.n (2 Corinthians 1.20).

Praying for others is important because it’s a New Testament command: we are to pray for all men (1 Timothy 2:1), for the authorities (1 Timothy 2:2), for the lost (1 Timothy 2:3-4), for our brothers and sisters in the faith (Ephesians 6:18), for those who preach the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20), for the persecuted Church (Hebrews 13:3). 

Praying for others allows us to turn our attention away from ourselves andtowards the needs of those around us. “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.. “ (Galatians 6.2) Begin today to pray for others to help build up the body of Christ.