Have you heard the goose lesson? It is a perfect illustration of “one anothering.” Geese flying south for the winter usually fly in a V-formation. This formation adds at least seventy-one percent greater flying range, because the flapping of one bird’s wings creates uplift for the bird immediately following. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the flock, and another goose flies point. Geese honk from behind to encourage the lead goose. If a goose gets sick or injured and falls out, two geese follow it down to help protect it. They stay until the fallen goose is able to fly or is dead, and then they join another formation, it quickly feels the difficulty of flying alone and returns immediately to the formation. From childhood, we remember the phrase “the good sense of God gave a goose.” Sometimes it seems geese possess more God-given sense of “one anothering” than humans do. Fortunately, we have biblical instructions to assist us.

            The New Testament has a unique word for this idea. The Greek word allelon is translated “one another.” Appearing occasionally in the Gospels, the word then appears fifty-eight times in the remainder of the New Testament, with forty of these occurrences found in Paul’s letter.

            On one occasion, James uses this Greek word when he writes, “pray for one another” (Jas. 5:16). In the midst of studying the “one another” occurrences in the New Testament, it became apparent that we need much help in fulfilling this prayer encouragement. We know how to pray for ourselves, our families, the world the nation, all the missionaries, and our churches in general, but how do we pray specifically for one another?

            The word “intercession” literally means the act of making a request or even pleading on behalf of another or others. It means to intervene for the purpose of producing agreement. It is the role of one who mediates. When used in relation to prayer, it means to pray for another or others. It is a prayer word for “one anothering.”