Is intercessionary prayer prohibited in Jodo Shinshu (Japanese Pureland?) So I just read "Waking the Buddha" by Strand and he had a comment:

"It is unlikely that those who attended them would have felt within their rights, to demand that the Jodo Shinshu teachings showed practical application in daily life. In fact, the prohibition against intercessionary prayer in Rennyo's tradition would have argued against it."

In Jodo Shinshu, can one efficaciously pray to the Amida Buddha for some result in this world?
Taitetsu Unno is a modern day Shin master. In his book "River of Fire, River of Water" he explains the concept of the Japanese equivilent of the concept of "suchness" which is called sono-mama or kono mama simply meaning life "as is" or "just right as it is" through a popular Shin poem: 


  You, as you are, you're just right,
  Your face, body, name, surname, For you, they are  just right.
  
  Whether poor or rich, Your parents, your children, your daughter-in-law; your grandchildren, They are, all for you, just right.
  
  Happiness, unhappiness, joy and even sorrow, For you, they are just right.
  
  The life that you have tread is neither good nor bad, For you, it is just right.
  
  Whether you go to hell or to the Pure Land, Wherever you go is just right.
  
  Nothing to boast about, nothing to feel bad about, Nothing above, nothing below.
  
  Even the day and month that you die, Even they are just right.
  
  Life in which you walk together with Amida, There's no way that it can't be just right.
  
  When you receive your life as just right, Then a deep and profound trust begins to open up.


I think it's clear that the acceptance of things "as they are" is very important in Jodo Shinshu. You are not trying to pray for things to be other than what they are. This sense of acceptance is a concept which is understood in other Buddhist traditions as well. But it is beautifully expressed in this poem, I think. :)