Intercession is a great and necessary part of Christian Devotion. The first followers of Christ seem to support all their love, and to maintain all their intercourse and correspondence, by mutual prayers for one another. This was the ancient friendship of Christians, uniting and cementing their hearts.

A frequent intercession with God, earnestly beseeching him to forgive the sins of all mankind, to bless them with his providence, enlighten them with his Spirit, and bring them to everlasting happiness, is the divinest exercise that the heart of man can be engaged in. Be daily therefore on your knees, in a solemn, deliberate performance of this devotion, and you will find all little, ill-natured passions die away, your heart grow great and generous, delighting in the common happiness of others, as you used only to delight in your own. This is the natural effect of a general intercession for all mankind.

Though we are to treat all mankind as neighbours and brethren, as any occasion offers; yet as we can only live in the actual society of a few, therefore you should always change and alter your intercessions, according as the needs and necessities of your neighbours or acquaintance seem to require; such intercessions, besides the great charity of them, would have a mighty effect upon your own heart for there is nothing that makes us love a man so much, as praying for him. That will give you a better and sweeter behaviour than anything that is called fine breeding and good manners.

William Law, 1686-1761. English clergyman, mystic.

Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.