Intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others. The role of mediator in prayer was prevalent in the Old Testament (as in Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, Hezekiah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.) But Christ is pictured in the New Testament as the ultimate intercessor; and because of this all Christian prayer becomes intercession since it is offered to God through and by Christ. Jesus closed the gap between us and God when He died on the cross. He was the greatest mediator (intercessor) that ever lived. Because of this we can now intercede in prayer on behalf of other Christians, or for the lost, asking God to grant them repentance according to His will. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). A wonderful model of intercessory prayer is found in Daniel 9 as he prayed for his people who had turned away from God. It has all the elements of true intercessory prayer. It is in response to the Word (v. 2); characterized by fervency (v. 3) and self-denial (v. 4); identified unselfishly with God’s people (v. 5); strengthened by confession (v. 5-15); dependent on God’s character (v. 4,7,9,15); and has as its goal God’s glory (v. 16-19). Like Daniel, Christians are to come to God on behalf others in a heartbroken and repentant posture, recognizing our own unworthiness and with a sense of self-denial. Daniel doesn’t come and say, “I have a right to demand this out of You, God, because I am one of your special, chosen intercessors.” He comes and says, “I’m a sinner,” and, in effect, he says, “I don’t have a right to demand anything.” True intercessory prayer seeks to not only know God’s will and see it fulfilled, but to see it fulfilled no matter whether it benefits us and no matter what it costs us. It seeks God’s glory, not our own. The following is only a partial list of those for whom we are all to offer up intercessory prayers: all in authority (1 Timothy 2:2); ministers (Philippians 1:19); the Church (Psalm 122:6); friends (Job 42:8); fellow countrymen (Romans 10:1); the sick (James 5:14); enemies (Jeremiah 29:7); those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44); those who forsake us (2 Timothy 4:16); and all men (1 Timothy 2:1).