Brothers and sisters, pray for us.
1 Thessalonians 5:25
A few years ago, a young man who was hoping to get into ministry stopped me as I was leaving a conference and asked if he could ask me a few questions. We moved to the corner of the room to chat for a bit. I still vividly remember a question he asked me during our lengthy conversation. “What does it feel like to be on the frontlines of spiritual attack as a pastor” he asked.
It’s a question that can’t be explained in a 1 hour conversation (or this devotional) but I tried my best to answer his question without scaring him off. Seminary or Bible school doesn’t prepare you for spiritual warfare. In-fact the Bible directs a warning in the book of James, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (3:1). So many spiritual leaders have either stepped away from ministry or even fallen from grace over the last few years. The attack is real. Worship leaders, pastors, elders and other leaders that willingly put themselves and their
families on the firing line week after week go through serious bouts of spiritual attacks. I am blessed to have a supportive group of elders, wise overseers and a prayerful church family but many pastors fight battles on their own.
When a church leader or pastor falls into sin, our social media feeds are flooded with shared posts or discussions about it. Last week when someone shared a Pastor’s story with me, my reaction was, “Not again!” We may also secretly wonder if this could happen to our own leaders or pastors. In the verse above, Paul asked the church in Thessalonica to pray for him and his fellow workers. The author of Hebrews says, “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things” (3:18)
It is true that God gives ordinary men and women gifts and ministerial abilities but those giftings don’t come with super human abilities. We are all sinners. Pastors and leaders are still human who carry heavy burdens and face constant attacks from the enemy, who would love nothing more than to take them down. In addition to the burdens of their personal lives and families, they also carry the burdens of the families that they pray for and serve on a daily basis. Many things can happen to a pastor during the course of a week that can mentally, emotionally, physically & spiritually drain them. It’s our responsibility as the body of Christ to pray and intercede for those who lead us.
Here are some practical ways to think and pray for your pastor, elders and leaders.
Pray for protection from the enemy: If satan is able to destroy a shepherd, then he has an easy path of access to the sheep (congregation). Pray daily for your leaders that they would resist temptations to sin and depend wholly upon the grace of Christ.
Pray for your Pastor’s health: The stress of ministry can take an awful toll on a pastor’s body. Ministry is filled with high-stress situations & constant discouragement which has a way of physically and mentally draining pastors and burning out leaders.
Pray for a strong marriage & family: The anointing can be attractive and there are many that are attracted to the anointing on someone’s life. People in leadership don’t think about how their actions have consequences and how said consequences could adversely affect the whole body of Christ. Pray that your pastors and leaders would guard their marriages and families.
Pray for wisdom and revelation: Pray that they would hear from God daily and that they would preach the word of truth without holding back. Pray for their preparation and delivery of sermons that they would proclaim Christ unashamedly. Pray that your elders would continue to display and live out the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Pray that they would shepherd the flock with wisdom and courage.
Resources:
Download Prayer Guide
If you missed the message on Sunday, Pastor Ashish spoke about the importance of praying first. I strongly suggest that you go listen to it as we begin this 21 day fasting and prayer. Let us resolve to always PRAY FIRST in everything we do. Listen to the message HERE
Here is a Worship Playlist you can listen to – 21-Day Fasting Playlist
