FROM US TO YOU Pt.1

PRAY FOR US ALWAYS (A)

There are certain requests pastors and spiritual leaders wish to make from their followers but they are tongue-tied. Sometimes, it takes great courage and humility for leaders to request certain things from those they are leading. One of those request is prayer.

Growing up in the house of a pastor, I realized that spiritual leadership is the hardest job on earth. Humans are the hardest to lead even in the church. If you think i'm exaggerating on this, ask Moses. The very people he suffered for prevented him from the promised land.

By divine ordination, I'm also in the ministry. I know how it feels and I see that expectations are high yet it seems no one cares about me. I have experienced situations where people expected me to pray for them even when I was overwhelmed with my own challenges.

Years back, I was on admission in the hospital. The nurses set lines for me and I laid on the bed in my full length fighting to live. Right there, I received a call from a sister asking for prayers. I obliged her request because I had the strength to pray.

She didn't ask how I was faring, my family and ministry. All she wanted was prayer. Later, I told her that I was on admission when she called for prayers. She couldn't believe it. I expected her to ask about my welfare first but she didn't. All she wanted from me was prayers.

That's how most of us treat our spiritual leaders. We always want to "use" them and If it seems they don't have our time, we get angry or even switch camp to the next available pastor. Such attitude could be a sign of spiritual immaturity or self-centredness.

I have read through the new testament severally. I can't remember a place where believers begged their Pastors or spiritual leaders for prayers. What I found was a great man of God( Apostle Paul) asking the brethren to pray for him and those in the ministry. Today, reverse is the case.

Yea, he prayed for some churches but he did that out of duty not because they requested to be prayed for. Ideally, every pastor prays for those he is leading on daily basis even to the point of mentioning their cases to God.

Unfortunately, church folks want their pastors and spiritual leaders to be on their knees constantly praying for them yet, they are not willing to pray for their leaders. Some do not pray for their leaders at all. So bad!

Your prayers are part of what we need to succeed in our assignment. There is no high flier in ministry without intercessors. Some persons are on their knees on his behalf.

We preachers are not super human being without challenges neither are we free from the vicissitudes of life. You owe us a duty under God to pray for us daily. I don't mean once in a week but daily. Criticism is cheap but prayer is the real work.

Spiritual leaders often face challenges they hardly share with their followers except it becomes visible to all. Don't blame them, it is part of their training not to share such so that you won't be discouraged. Some preachers smile on the pulpit but they shed tears at home.

How can you explain a preacher who has outstanding results praying for waiting couples yet he is trusting God for thesame miracle from decades past? He may not come out to share his pains when dedicating those children. He may console himself with several cliches but deep within, there is a struggle.

As ministers, we are merchants of hope because we want your faith to be alive. This is the reason we hide our challenges from you even when we are feeling the heat.

Dear reader, whether things are fine with your spiritual leaders or not, make it a point of duty to pray for them. Their anointing is not an immunity from life's challenges.

Don't wait till you hear that your spiritual leader is under attack or experienced a scandal before going on your knees. If church folks are faithfully praying daily for their spiritual leaders, we may not hear sad news about them. LET THE GOSSIP ABOUT US STOP, INTENSE PRAYER SHOULD START.

If you're confused about the areas of our lives in need of prayers, just pray for our spiritual lives, our health, our spouses, children, our ministry and pray against forces working assiduously to bring us down in life and ministry.

Pray for us daily, we need it. This is what many preachers wish they tell their members.