Eriksson, Vincent E.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 1 | Issue 3 Article 47-1-1975Intercessory Prayer and TelepathyVincent E. ErikssonFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Articles is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationEriksson, Vincent E. (1975) "Intercessory Prayer and Telepathy," Consensus: Vol. 1 : Iss. 3 , Article 4.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol1/iss3/4INTERCESSORY PRAYERAND TELEPATHYVincent E. ErikssonIs there a dimension of “telepathy” in intercessory prayer? This question mayseem to some to be irreverent. To others, it may seem commonplace. To the first,I wish to say that I mean no irreverence. I rather hope to bring thinking andtcdking about prayer more into touch with some of our considerations about thespirit of persons. To the second, I apologize for being a novice, a stumbler even, inrelation to the practice of intercessory prayer. I rejoice for those of moreexperience. But 1 wish to write for those whose prayer life has not kept up withtheir immersion in seculcir culture.I make the suggestion that there may be a dimension of telepathy inintercessory prayer, not because of a pcirticular interest in telepathy, but to makeprayer more intelligible to some Christians. Hopefully they might be encouragedthereby to engage in more intercessory prayer. In my own thinking 1 wonder if“telepathy” is not recilly a part of an exchange of spiritual energy in the world - anexchange which we as Christians, in our day-to-day lives, have largelyabandoned. Our lives have become so dominated by a materialistic view of theuniverse that talk of spiritual energies doesn’t fit.What led me to ask the question was the problem, “Why is prayer commandedif our only communication in prayer is with God?” If God is all-powerful andall-knowing, why pray? Should we say that God foresaw all the intercessoryprayer that would be made in cdl time and took it into account in his plans? Thatseems to make God into a calculating, non-loving God. Contrariwise, does prayerchange God? If so, then God would seem to be finite. Or, does prayer merelychange our attitude, but not anything outside of us, except as we put forth purelymateriail efforts after our prayer. This would seem to make the command to prayfor others foolish and empty!In actual fact the above dilemma exists only because we have interited theconcept of God as “watchmaker” from 17th and 18th century philosophy. Byregcirding the universe as a machine, this view effectively restricted spiritualexistence to God and to people. When we abandon the mechanistic view of theuniverse the everyday reasons for prayer become different.It appears that popular culture is, to a great extent, abandoning themechanistic view of the universe. Witness the high level of interest in everythingfrom human consciousness to witchcraft that has developed in the last few years!The world seems to be abandoning the old mech 2inistic view, but it is seeking a2324 Consensusspiritualistic view without God. Christians, perhaps in opposition to occultism,seem to be retaining the mechanistic view - not necessarily in their religiousthinking, but in their thinking about the world ciround them.We need to look at the universe, not merely as a mechanism created by aremote God, but as both material and an abode of spirits-ours and others. Thenintercessory prayers cease to be our trying to persuade God and become anotherway of working beside God in the struggle against evil. Could it be thatintercessory prayer puts forth spiritual energy which helps in the struggle of theperson for whom we pray? If so, then our prayers are not communication withGod only but communication with other persons as well. Then we join with othersin exerting our spiritual energy to help those for whom we pray (though in faithand humility, we ultimately entrust ourselves and others for whom we pray toGod).Those who are accustomed to group intercessory prayer may smile at thispoint. They have probably believed this for a long time. Again, forgive mynovitiate!For those who are not in this position, let me point to the Scriptures. There aresome notable passages which suggest that prayer involved a direct spiritualstruggle. In Daniel 10:12-14, for example, an angel tells Daniel that he wasdelayed twenty-one days because of conflict with a hostile angel (R.S.V. “prince”)until helped by the archangel Michael. Another passage is Ephesians 6:12, “Forwe are not contending against flesh and blood...” etc. The vividness of theimagery about the armor of God in verses 13-17 may prevent us from seeing areal connection between verse 12 and verses 18 and 19. Then there is Jesus* wordin Gethsemane, “Watch with me**.We have been told often that prayer is powerful. If there is a dimension oftelepathy in intercessory prayer, then we might add, “How dangerous prayer is!”How dangerous?? Yes. First of all, because we might erroneously think we canact in our own spiritual strength to do something to someone else. What anopening for idolatry of self! Secondly, how necessary to pray according to God*swill and in Christ*s way. We need then to pray for guidance also as we pray foranother. Thirdly, we may be tempted to seek an alliance with the devil!Some of the passages in the New Testament that speak of prayer were oncepuzzling to me. Now I find these passages awesome, even terrif^ng! How muchmore real the struggle, how much more urgency to pray, if we see this addeddimension in intercessory prayer.

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