The Power Of Praying For Your Leaders

Acts 12; when the church prayed for Peter:

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

 

6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.
 

8 Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
 

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen."
 

12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!"
 

15 "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."
 

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this," he said, and then he left for another place.
 

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

Well, I would guess so that there was no small commotion-both in the community and inside the church. This is a great biblical narrative that illustrates how God can and will work when the church prays for her leaders.

God delights in our prayers for our spiritual leaders. He loves our intercession for them. When you lift up your pastors and elders in prayer, God not only acknowledges that prayer, but he acts to the benefit of all. Look at what God did through the powerful prayers of the church.

(1)God sent divine help into the leader's life.
When you pray for your leaders, God will send help into their lives. Whatever their need is, God will act upon their behalf as we pray for them. That does not mean that God is our servant-boy who does whatever we ask of Him. But God does act and work when we pray. He is an ever present help in a time of trouble.

 

(2)God covers the leader with divine protection.
As you pray for your leaders, God protects them physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially. He will also grant protection over their marriages and families. This does not mean they will not suffer or struggle as do the rest, but even in the midst of the struggle God will empower and enable them.

Notice how Peter responded. He was in prison. He was suffering. But in the end, looking back, he finally figured it out. The Lord was with Him!

 

(3)God thwarts the schemes of the evil one against your leader.
Satan is out to hinder, hurt, and destroy your spiritual leaders. Yet, your prayers can thwart all of his wicked schemes against them. Just like poor Rhoda in the story, we might not fully realize the answer to prayer is standing at the door. (I love that part of the story, apparently she shut the door on Peter). But your prayers do confound and confuse the destructive plans of Satan.

Get this, the next thing that happened after this divine act of God, is that Herod died. It wasn't coincidence. It was a God-incident.

(4)God will strengthen the church.
Your prayers for your leaders will actually bless and strengthen the church. The church that prays fervently for its spiritual leaders can expect God's blessing and help.

Again, it is not coincidence that chapter twelve ends declaring that the word of God continued to spread and flourish. And the next thing you see is that Paul and Barnabas are sent out. The church thrived during a time of intense opposition. Why? I think it had something to do with the prayers of the church, for their leaders.

Practical Applications:

• Your prayers for your leaders are significant and they do make a difference.

• The enemy will try to attack the leadership of your church in a variety of ways.

• The enemy's schemes cannot stand against the prayers of God's people and the power that is released through them.

• God blesses and strengthens the church that prays for its leadership.

Pray for us. Pray for me.