“Pray For Your Spiritual Leader!”

“Pray For Your Spiritual Leader!”(Rom.15:30-33).
We have this tradition of celebrating the birth anniversaries every month. It was my birth month, and I joined the other Christians who were of the same birth month. I asked a senior elder to mount the sanctuary and pray for us. To many Christians , it was kind of strange that an elder should pray for the pastor.
If I may ask, as a Christian, when was the last time you prayed for your pastor? I’m not talking of all the stereotype prayers that are recited in church.
It is true that we are strong if we stand together. But we are stronger when we pray for each other; especially when we pray for our spiritual leaders.
Spiritual leaders are not reservoirs of prayers to dole out to Christians. Even reservoirs need refilling.
It is incumbent on Christians to pray for their spiritual leaders. Spiritual leaders, too, should be humble enough to request prayers from the Christians.
Your spiritual leader faces more challenges than you, the Christian, and the temptations advertising on him/her are insurmountable without your prayers for him/her.
Paul asked that the Roman Christians should pray that he should be rescued from the hands of unbelievers in Judea and that his services in Jerusalem should be acceptable to the saints there. These days, those unbelievers are right there in the congregation. With the politicking in church now where leaders openly declare a “we” and “them” church, and asking that we “stay away from them,” we can imagine the polarisation of Christians as they take sides with Appollos or Paul or Cephas!
Is it possible under such dispensations to pray genuinely for your spiritual leader? Are you interested in their downfall or their spiritual uplifting?
Dear friend, pray for me and pray for your spiritual leaders. Even where they fail, pray that they rise. This, however, in not to say you overlook their incontinence, but rather pray them out of such incontinence. Remember that anything that happens to the shepherd has an impact on the flock either negatively or positively. Therefore, pray for a positive outcome, and the God of peace will be with you.
Weekend prayer: Holy Spirit prod me daily to pray for the spiritual strengthening of my spiritual leader. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.