Why Intercessory prayer? What makes Western spirituality so special?

Western spirituality differs from other expressions of spirituality due mainly to the objectification and externalization of an omnibenevolent deity. Other forms of spirituality are less clear and oftentimes person-centered, with a focus on meditation, but without direction toward an external God as the object of meditation. Some non-Western oriented spiritual practices focus on a sort of self-pantheism, in which the god of one’s understanding is not only within the self, but is the self. Spirituality and morality, then, consist merely of being true to one’s own passions.

Western spirituality, on the other hand, has unfolded its understanding of an objective, external deity throughout the history of the Western world (the Middle East and Europe). People have encountered this deity in various ways, and have learned about Him from others as well as from the deity Himself.

Western spirituality has apprehended that there is one God who exists regardless of our thoughts or feelings about Him. This one God expresses forth His own intellect and will, as a perfection of love manifest and requited. Thus, in the one God, there are three Divine Persons: the Father who acts as the creator; the Son, who is the Word of God expressed (because love cannot contain itself); and, the Holy Spirit, who is the expression of the will of the one God. The Holy Spirit is the requited love between the Son and the Father, and thus the Blessed Trinity of love perfects itself. This is God, the one external deity, who reveals Himself to people and waits for their response.

What makes intercessory practice so wonderful is that God created all of us as social creatures. He expects us to pray for one another, and He allows and encourages those in heaven (angels and saints) to intercede and advocate on behalf of those on earth, who ask for this intercession. Thus, intercessory prayer is a small type, a shadow, of the requited love of God in his Divine Persons.

Western spirituality and intercessory prayer is monotheistic, transcendent, and recognizes that God may be external, but He is not separate. He is omnipresent (everywhere and also within you, to the extent that you let Him in!) and omnibenevolent: He is all good. He allows evil, pain, and sin because He allows people their full exercise of their free will, which may have drastic and horrible consequences. We obviously need God.

Western ideas of spirituality include transcendent prayer, forgiveness, intercession, and God as all-just and simultaneously all-merciful.

Intercessory Counseling and Wellness does not discriminate, and accepts clients of all faiths and backgrounds. We will not discriminate against a client due to spirituality, or lack of spirituality. Our agency is a best fit for those who would like to incorporate intercessory prayer and Catholic moral guidance and spirituality into their lives. We are also a good match for those clients who wish to benefit from the agency’s spiritual focus and Catholic orientation, even if the client does not share the same level of belief. We may not be as strong a match for those with active beliefs and practices which are not Christian in nature, such as agnosticism, atheism, Buddhism, and others. We would be happy to refer you to other agencies which may be better equipped to serve your needs.

Get in touch

We at Harris Ingram know that finding the right attorney to represent you is a choice not to be taken lightly. That’s why we offer free consultations to walk you through your needs, the scope of your goals, and your budget.

Book an appointment ▸