September/October 1996
Volume 2, Number 5

Getting the Leaders we Deserve

I sat with a group of Russian educators in a Moscow Business College. We discussed Dostoyevski’s prediction that if the Russian leaders turned from the redeeming blood of Christ, the streets would flow with the blood of 100,000,000 Russians. This prediction was fulfilled under the rule of Lenin, Marx and Stalin. One professor remained silent so I asked what she thought about the subject. She said, "I have been a Christian for about one year. As I read the Bible, it seems to me that nations get the leaders they deserve."

Upon reflection, I have concluded that churches also get the leaders they deserve. After almost forty years of ministry, I am convinced that pastors are the key to spiritual vitality in the local church. And the congregation’s prayers for the pastor are essential for him to achieve maximum effectiveness. E. M. Bounds put it like this, "The preacher must pray and the preacher must be prayed for."

An analysis of three statements of Christ as He approached the crucifixion provide a basis for local church prayer ministry for their leaders. These three statements deal with: Satan Preying on Leaders, Christ Praying for Leaders and Leaders Praying.

I. SATAN PREYS ON LEADERS. "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat." (Luke 22:31).

It appears from this statement that even Satan prays to God. Never does he praise or thank God. Nor does he confess his sin. When Satan prays, he seeks to gain God’s permission, for without it he can do nothing. Satan is God’s slave.

When Jesus said, "Satan has asked for you," he uses the plural pronoun. Satan asked for the Twelve. Satan has spent thousands of years studying human beings. He seeks to destroy all believers. But since he is limited in what he can do, he strategically concentrates on leaders.

"Satan has asked to sift you as wheat." Satan did not ask to kill the Twelve. Rather he asked to stress them out! He wanted to make them ineffective and leave them in positions of responsibility. Wherever he can, Satan seeks to deceive, disgrace and then destroy. Judas is a classic case. Under Satan’s influence, Judas sold his Lord for money and then hanged himself. Satan desires Judas’ fate for all Christian leaders.

Why did God grant Satan permission to sift the Twelve? Chaff must be sifted from the wheat before the wheat can be made into bread. Self-reliance must be sifted from the Twelve before God can use them to the full.

II. JESUS PRAYS FOR LEADERS. "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:31-32)

When Jesus prayed for Peter we see intercession in its purist form. In all intercession at least three persons must always be concerned: the one who speaks, the one spoken to, and the one spoken for or against. In this situation, Jesus speaks to the Father for Peter. Also at least three things must always be presumed: need, on the part of the one spoken of; power, on the part of the one spoken to; and contact with both these persons on the part of the one who speaks. Peter needed divine grace to preserve him through Satan’s sifting. The Father had the power and Jesus had contact with Peter and the Father.

Jesus prayed with sharp focus.

Jesus interceded by name, "Simon." He used Peter’s old name because he knew that Peter’s old nature would rear up again. Judas betrayed his Lord and then committed suicide. Peter denied his Lord and then became the leading apostle in the early church. The difference between the two is Jesus prayed for Peter but He did not pray for Judas.

Jesus at this point focused His intercession on Peter and not the rest of the disciples. Simon was the most visible leader of the leaders of the embryonic Christian church. In each list of the Twelve, Peter is first. Those listed first are more significant. Most of the time Peter is the spokesman for the Twelve and had great influence on them.

III. LEADERS MUST PRAY. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38)

Jesus predicted Peter’s fall. "I tell you the truth. This very night before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." But Peter replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Peter believed in his own fidelity more than in the word of Jesus. His impulsive tongue revealed his self-confidence. When told to watch and pray, Peter slept. Sleeping rather than praying is the immediate and direct cause of his fall. Christ’s intercession is the one factor that saved Peter from total failure of faith--from becoming another Judas Iscariot.

God’s Word promises, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13). Jesus taught the disciples to pray, "Do not lead us into temptation." (Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4). Prayer is the way of escape provided by God. Prayer is the leader’s first line of defense against temptation. Leader’s must watch and pray or they will fall into temptation!

Jesus is the pastor’s model. He was exceptionally busy, often having no time even for meals. But he did not sacrifice his prayer time. The demands upon him became a call to devote extra time to prayer. (Mark 6:31-35; Luke 5:15; John 6:15)

Having analyzed the three statements of Christ as He approached His death, we have seen that Satan preys on leaders, Christ prays for leaders, and leaders must pray. Now let us consider some practical applications of these truths.

1. Pastors must pray.

I cannot improve on Spurgeon’s comments on the preacher’s private prayer so let me share a few of his insights.

• Of course the preacher is above all others distinguished as a man of prayer. He prays as an ordinary Christian, else he were a hypocrite. He prays more than ordinary Christians, else he were disqualified for the office which he has undertaken.
• The closet is the best study. The commentators are good instructors, but the Author himself is far better, and prayer makes a direct appeal to him and enlists him in our cause.
• If we cannot prevail with men for God, we will, at least, endeavor to prevail with God for men.
• Great talents you may never have, but you will do well enough without them if you abound in intercession.
• The minister who does not earnestly pray over his work must surely be a vain and conceited man. He acts as if he thought himself sufficient of himself, and therefore needed not to appeal to God.
• The preacher who neglects to pray much must be a mere official, tempted into a pulpit because the piece of bread which belongs to the priest’s office is very necessary to him, or a detestable hypocrite who loves the praise of men, and cares not for the praise of God.
• The preacher who neglects to pray much will surely become a mere superficial talker, best approved where grace is least valued and a vain show most admired. He cannot be one of those who plow deep and reap abundant harvests. He is a mere loiterer, not a laborer. As a preacher he has a name to live and is dead.
• We not only ought to pray more, but we must. The fact is, the secret of all ministerial success lies in prevalence at the mercy seat.

2. Pastors must be prayed for.

If Satan preys on leaders and Jesus prays for leaders and leaders pray, then should church members not pray for their leaders and especially their pastor?

Church members should pray for their pastors because pastors are still prime targets of the devil. There is evidence that Satanists today pray to the devil for the destruction of pastor’s families. Thus, pastors need extra protection. Church members should pray for their pastors because pastor’s job requires supernatural power. He is to preach the Word but without the illumination of the Holy Spirit, he can not understand Scripture nor can he communicate with power.

Do not pray in vague generalities, such as, "Lord, bless my pastor." Vague prayer is the death of prayer. Be specific. Pray for him, his wife and his children by name. Pray that he will see himself not as peace-time businessman, but as leader of a wartime guerrilla band engaged in spiritual combat. The world, the flesh and the devil are formidable foes! Men and women are blind. They are captives, bound by the evil one who seeks to destroy them for all eternity! Pray that your pastor will live and work each day so that he may be able to stand before the Lord and say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

In your individual private devotions, pray that your pastor will have consistent individual private time with the Lord each day. In your family prayers, pray that your pastor will have consistent meaningful prayer with his family. Whenever you put food in your mouth, ask God to equip your pastor to feed you with the whole council of God. My wife and I have become so anchored to praying for our pastor when we eat, that it has become second nature to intercede for him whether we are alone at home or in public. When someone else says the grace, we silently pray for our pastor.

There are a growing number of churches in which an elder leads the congregation in prayer for the pastor as part of the Sunday worship. It is appropriate for small groups and Bible classes also to pray for their pastors whenever they meet.

Paul was probably the most gifted Christian leader in the history of the church. But he knew that his gifts needed to be empowered by grace for him to be able to do the will of God. So he constantly asked Christians to pray for him. (See Colossians 4:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; Philippians 1:19; Philemon 22; 1 Thessalonians 5:25;

Romans 15:30-33). If Paul needed grace to empower his gifts, how much more do pastors need their congregation’s prayers to be empowered to be the men they should be and do God’s work.

CE&P and MNA are working together to expand and coordinate intercessory prayer throughout the PCA. One effort that is receiving significant response is the Armor Bearers’ Intercession Ministry (AIM). This strategic prayer focus increases leadership effectiveness and congregational unity resulting from regular focused prayer of members for their pastors. AIM workshops help prepare a church for revival. The primary goal of this workshop is to increase individual effectiveness in personal prayer and recruit a base of at least 120 prayer partners for pastors. I pray for the day when every willing PCA pastor, missionary and chaplain has this much prayer support. For information on hosting one of these events, contact Dr. Archie Parrish, MNA Coordinator for Evangelism and Revitalization, (404) 320-3330.

We will never know what prayer is for until we learn that life is war. Prayer is not intercom between den and kitchen to order refreshments during half time. Prayer is a walkie talkie for the combat soldier to receive his orders from his commander and chief! John Piper

 

Archie Parrish
MNA Staff

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