Called to pray

Our society seems to love to watch others fall. When a person makes a mistake, it becomes primetime news. It is plastered over magazines, newspapers, and even the internet. Then it spills over into our homes, workplaces, and churches. Some believers gather together and gossip over the changes they see in their leaders, gossip over the someone’s latest sin, gossip over the past of someone who is now a new creature in Christ.

For the past year or so, I have noticed a great number of leaders within ministry experience spiritual attack. These attacks have been in their marriages, with many leaders walking away from marriage to embrace divorce. These attacks have been in finance, in family, and/or even within themselves. Instead of the people of God rallying together to pray, many are gathered together criticizing, judging, and/or gossiping.

God wants us to uplift one another in words, in deeds, but especially in prayer. Saints, there is strength in our prayers. Our leaders need us to pray for them. Our pastors, their spouses, their families, need us to intercede for them in our private prayer time. We are called to pray. Whenever I notice something off regarding a man or woman of God, I take the time to pray for them. I may not know them personally, but I do know that we are all serving the same God and desire to build His kingdom.

In Nehemiah, we are reminded of our call to pray. When the people came to Nehemiah to inform him of the challenges the people were facing, he didn’t judge them, gossip about their mistakes, or criticize what they should have done. No. Instead, he immediately sought God in prayer. Nehemiah 1: 4, “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven”. Then he continues to petition God in prayer saying, “Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants and I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee; both I and my father’s house have sinned” (Nehemiah 1: 6 KJV).

Pray. Anytime you are tempted to comment on the actions of other believers, specifically those in spiritual leadership, pray. Our pastors, their spouses, their families need us to pray for them. They need us to get beyond our personal opinions, beyond our offenses, beyond ourselves and go to God on their behalf. Nehemiah didn’t wait for someone to plan a prayer night. No, he didn’t wait for someone else to suggest they do something. He knew that the one of the greatest actions he could do was pray for the people.

So I encourage you today to take time out and pray for those in leadership of your church, other ministries, our country and to refrain from getting caught up in using your words in vain ways.

There are many ways to incorporate prayer such as:

1. Join a prayer group
If you are not involved with a prayer group in your church, get involved. Take the time our of your week to be available to pray with others. It is vital for the laymen of the church to join together in corporate prayer for the leaders.

2. Set time aside each day specifically to pray for our leaders
Find time throughout your day to pray for our leaders. This may mean getting up an hour earlier, praying during your lunch break, or simply taking time to pray while driving home. It is not about the time of the day or night you pray as long as you are praying. God will guide the rest.

3. Join with your leaders in prayer
If the leaders of your church have requested a specific prayer time or fasting time, be obedient and get involved. Join with them in submission to the authorities that are over the ministry.

Let us be encouraged to accept the call to pray and know that we serve a God that not only hears our prayers, but is a prayer answerer.