The Most Targeted People
One of the easiest things to do is to criticise and condemn ministers of God. How hard it is to commit our time to fervently pray for them.
Leaders are targets. Matthew 26:31 says “I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will scatter”. When the devil wants to attack a family, business, organization, church or nation, he goes for the head, he releases his arsenals on the leader.
Apostle Paul understood so well that by virtue of his position and the great work God had committed into his hands, he was a prime target for the kingdom of darkness. Repeatedly in scripture, we see Paul requesting that people pray for him (1 Thessalonians 5:25). Paul never felt too big or spiritual to ask that he be prayed for.
Here are 6 reasons the great Apostle of faith requested for prayers. They should actually form part of what we pray for all Christian leaders on a regular basis:
1. Prayers for our leaders help them overcome their own personal weaknesses. The fact that someone is in a leadership position doesn’t mean the person is a super hero (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
2. Our prayers for them can result in a mighty deliverance for them from every evil plan and agenda for their lives (2 Corinthians 1:10-11, 2 Thessalonians 3:2).
3. Our prayers help them to speak only God’s Word and counsel, words in due season; appropriate for each situation and time (Ephesians 6:18-20, Colossians 4:3-4).
4. Our prayers strengthen them to remain faithful to God in the face of personal trials and challenges (2 Corinthians 1:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:24-25).
5. Our prayers help them to offer service acceptable to God and blessed by God (Romans 15:30, 32).
6. Very importantly, our prayers help them not to labour in vain, not to be a cast away, not to miss eternity with Christ after they have told everyone else about heaven (1 Corinthians 9:27).
Have you prayed for your leader today? May the Lord strengthen and empower us to soak our leaders in prayers. They surely need our prayers.
PRAYER
Father, give me grace to pray for our leaders. Help me to do more of praying and less of complaining and criticising. Let my prayers for them not be in vain. As I lift them up to You in prayer, help them to think and act according to Your will.
PHOTO CREDIT: Margarida CSilva on Unsplash
