We want to lift up our voices and pray for the lead team. We really want to pray with a passion and a Holy fear for our pastor’s handlers and helpers.
[1 Thessalonians 5:25 KJV] “Brethren, pray for us.”
The Apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Thessalonica, Colosse, and Ephesus, and in all those churches he asked for prayer. He asked the church to pray for them. In his words, he said pray for us. Who are the ‘us’? He was referring to himself and the people around him. He asked for certain specific prayers and I have no doubt that these are important issue to bring before God on behalf of the pastor you love so much; if you do.
He asked that they pray for the team he works with because very often;
1. The enemy works through those close to the pastor:
The devil used Judas, Peter, and Thomas to create doubt and to fight the will of God in the Lord Jesus’s life.
The Lord’s of philistines used Delilah. They did not know how to get through to Samson, but when they won the heart of Delilah, they had Samson. I have always been saying that Delilah was not a bad woman, she was not evil. Delilah was just a woman with misplaced priority, a woman who loved something more than the man in her life; a woman who upheld her patriotic responsibility above her love life. She loved money more than the man who loved her dearly.
2. Those close to the pastor lose their love for him and sometimes lose their love for God too and begin to run after the present evil world:
The truth is, serving God require a lot of sacrifice. That is why the altar of burnt offerings is always at the entrance of the temple. You can never fully access the place of worship until you are willing to make huge sacrifices. I have lost many helpers because they got discouraged. They got to a point where they felt they could not make any more sacrifices for me and for the kingdom.
No one man can serve in missions. The pastor needs a lot of people to help facilitate his ministry and his Apostolic work.
Demas forsook Apostle Paul; not because Demas hated Paul but because Demas loved something else more than he loved Apostle Paul and the mission. Demas did not do Apostle Paul any wrong but he loved the present world and forsook him; simple!
[2 Timothy 4:9-12 KJV] “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus”.
3. People close to the pastor could be trapped to do him or her wrong. Alexander, the Coppersmith, was trapped to do Apostle Paul much wrong:
We are not too sure of what evil Alexander, the Coppersmith, did to Apostle Paul but we have the records that he did the apostle great evil.
[2 Timothy 4:9-12 KJV] “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus”.
I have had people who have done me much wrong which I cannot talk about. It is not everything that an apostle can talk about, but sometimes we suffer so much at the hands of handlers and helpers. There are things that I have suffered that truly did pain me but I hold it against no one. Yet sometimes, the pain lingers for so long.
Apostle Paul could not bear it so he declared an appropriate reward for Alexander, the Coppersmith.
Hmmm! Let us lift prayer for the people closest to the pastor.
One of the people that really did hurt David was Absalom. He drove his father from the palace and slept with his father’s wives and concunbines in the open. This thing was a mockery of his father. He mocked his father.
Let us pray that God will stir us to stand faithfully and willingly besides our pastor. Pray that you will become Good and helpful handlers and helpers for the pastor.
Stay blessed, I love you.
Pastor Noah Simpe
