Praying For Leaders
(week 21/08)
Olubi Johnson
1Thessalonians 5:25 (KJV): Brothers, pray for us.
Here, the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us to pray for our leaders in the church: in this case it was for Paul, Silas and Timothy.
Why did Paul have to ask them for prayer seeing that Paul himself was a man who prayed much and his prayers were very effective (Acts 16.25)?
Acts 16:25-27 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, (26) and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
Paul had to ask for more prayer because the more people that pray in unity in the spirit the greater the measure of the power of God that is released into the earth.
Deuteronomy 32:30 (KJV): How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?
Ephesians 3:20 (KJV): Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
Paul and, incidentally, all leaders who are, as it were, on the front lines of spiritual warfare are under constant, severe and intense spiritual attack and so need more spiritual power released on their behalf to overcome the Satanic attacks coming against them:
2Corinthians 12:7-10 (KJV): So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. (8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. (9) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Mark. 4:17 (KJV): And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
2Corinthians 11:23-27 (KJV): Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one–I am talking like a madman–with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. (24) Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. (25) Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; (26) on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; (27) in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Furthermore, the more people that pray for them in faith, unity and in the spirit (not just praying with much talking but little or no faith (Matthew 6.7), the faster their deliverance will come because of the increase in spiritual power released on their behalf:
Hebrews 13:18-19 (KJV): Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. (19) I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.
So it is crucial especially now in these perilous times (2 Timothy 3.1, Matthew 24.9-13) to pray frequently, systematically in faith, unity and in the spirit for our leaders, both for their deliverance and ours: because if they are hurt or killed prematurely it can delay the purpose of God and possibly abort our own spiritual progress and blessings.
