Charles Spurgeon was an English preacher in the 19th century. He is still influential among many Christians and known as the “Prince of Preachers.” For me personally, I still remember when I was a freshman in college, I had a chance to read Spurgeon’s book, Lectures to My Students, written for seminarians at his school. It had a profound impact on me. I still have that book and read it. During his life time, many people visited Spurgeon’s church and asked him the secret of his fruitful ministry. Then, he would take them to the basement prayer-room where people were always on their knees interceding. And Spurgeon would declare, “Here is the powerhouse of this church.” He always acknowledged his success as the direct result of his congregation's faithful prayers. There were even prayer team members who were interceding while he preached. Spurgeon wrote, "When I have preached my very heart out. I could not say any more than I have said. … your prayers will accomplish that which my preaching fails to do? Oh dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer."[1]
Real Enemy, Real Battleground
Real Enemy, Real Battleground
In today’s passage Paul says, “Our struggle is not with human beings (“flesh and blood”), but with evil spiritual forces.” Paul describes evil as “real beings” – personal spiritual beings seeking to disrupt life as God intends it. We read and hear terrible news every day. We hear people say, “I was not myself when I did that.” The evil one (16) approaches personally, attacks powerfully, seeks to control persistently. But through the Bible we know the evil one may be real and powerful, but he does not determine life. The devil rules to the extent people let him rule. H. Schlier rightly said, “Christ has left the devil only what power unbelief allows him.”[2]
Paul wants us to know who is the real enemy, where is the real battleground. According to Paul, the real enemy is not human beings; it is the devil. The real battleground is not an outwardly visible world; it is an invisible spiritual world. It is our hearts and minds. So how can we win such a battle? The answer is “prayer.” In Exodus 17 the Israelites fight with the Amalekites. Joshua leads the army in battle, while Moses prays on the top of the hill. It turns out whenever Moses raises his hands, Israel is winning, but whenever he lowers his hands, Amalek is winning. But the thing is Moses’ hands grow weary. He couldn’t prevail by himself. So Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands, one on each side. So his hands hold steady until Israel defeats Amalek. From this story we learn this important truth: the pastor (church leaders) must pray for his people; the pastor must be prayed for.
Your Pastor Is a Target
Paul wants us to know who is the real enemy, where is the real battleground. According to Paul, the real enemy is not human beings; it is the devil. The real battleground is not an outwardly visible world; it is an invisible spiritual world. It is our hearts and minds. So how can we win such a battle? The answer is “prayer.” In Exodus 17 the Israelites fight with the Amalekites. Joshua leads the army in battle, while Moses prays on the top of the hill. It turns out whenever Moses raises his hands, Israel is winning, but whenever he lowers his hands, Amalek is winning. But the thing is Moses’ hands grow weary. He couldn’t prevail by himself. So Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands, one on each side. So his hands hold steady until Israel defeats Amalek. From this story we learn this important truth: the pastor (church leaders) must pray for his people; the pastor must be prayed for.
Your Pastor Is a Target
It is only a common sense when we have a battle, our highest priority is to take down the enemy commander. Then, we win the battle. In the same way, the devil’s highest priority is to take the pastor down and take him out. The Bible says, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” (Mark 14:27) In verse 11 Paul uses the word “scheme” – the schemes of the devil. In other words, the enemy has intentional, well-planned, crafty strategies to bring the pastor down. He has set a trap for the pastor to enter into temptation where his reputation will be harmed. We often hear about a pastor’s moral failure. The enemy uses all kinds of schemes – greed, success, gossip, slander, adultery, addiction (to pornography, to internet gambling, etc.) – to harm the pastor’s reputation and as a result, to stop the work of God’s kingdom.
Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China, once wrote a letter to his mother in the midst of trials. He wrote, “… The need for your prayer has never been greater than at present. Envied by some, despised by many, hated by others, often blamed for things I never heard of or had nothing to do with, an innovator on what have become established rules of missionary practice, an opponent of mighty systems of heathen error and superstition, working without precedent in many respects and with few experienced helpers, often sick in body as well as perplexed in mind and embarrassed by circumstances… If the Lord had not been specially gracious to me, I must have fainted or broken down.”[3] Perhaps Hudson Taylor’s ministry setting would be different from ours today. But then and now, the essence is the same: the pastor (and the church leaders) is a primary target for the enemy. The pastor must be prayed for.
How to Pray for Your Pastor
Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China, once wrote a letter to his mother in the midst of trials. He wrote, “… The need for your prayer has never been greater than at present. Envied by some, despised by many, hated by others, often blamed for things I never heard of or had nothing to do with, an innovator on what have become established rules of missionary practice, an opponent of mighty systems of heathen error and superstition, working without precedent in many respects and with few experienced helpers, often sick in body as well as perplexed in mind and embarrassed by circumstances… If the Lord had not been specially gracious to me, I must have fainted or broken down.”[3] Perhaps Hudson Taylor’s ministry setting would be different from ours today. But then and now, the essence is the same: the pastor (and the church leaders) is a primary target for the enemy. The pastor must be prayed for.
How to Pray for Your Pastor
Then, how can we pray for the pastor? In today’s passage Paul commends us to pray for at least three specific areas. First, we should pray for protection – protection from the attacks of Satan. We should pray that the pastor would put on the full of God each and every day (14-18). Satan constantly throws “all the flaming darts” at the pastor. He loves to whisper all kinds of accusations and the words of discouragement in his ear, so that the pastor would be discouraged and stop the work. So we must pray, “Lord God, strengthen the hands of our pastor! Give him strength!” (cf. Neh 6:9) Second, we should pray for anointing. Paul asks the saints’ prayers, “Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (19, NRSV). The gospel is revelation. The word of God is unknown, it is mystery until it is revealed by God. The pastor cannot manufacture the message. The message ought to be given to the pastor. So God’s anointing is necessary. Without the anointing, the pastor might still deliver an impressive and eloquent message with his natural talents. But its message cannot penetrate the souls of the people and lead them to repentance and transformation. We need to pray for the pastor to experience the mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit daily. Third, we should pray for meaningful friendships. Since discouragement and challenge are a regular companion of the pastor, he needs strong support system. He needs community. Most of the time, in Paul’s final greetings, he mentions about his co-workers. In Ephesians he introduces Tychicus as his beloved brother and faithful minister (21). In Colossians, Paul introduces Aristarchus as his fellow prisoner (4:10). In Romans, Paul introduces Priscilla and Aquila as his fellow workers, who risked their lives for him (16:3-4). Paul always had traveling companions who encouraged him, suffered with him, and held him accountable. By nature, pastoral ministry can be very lonely and isolated. We need to pray for meaningful friendships and community for the pastor.
What a Preacher, What a Savior
What a Preacher, What a Savior
Charles Spurgeon once said, “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” So please do your pastor a true kindness today. Please pray for me to run with endurance the race marked out for me to the end.
I mentioned earlier about Charles Spurgeon. His fame was so extensive. So those who lived in and around London made hearing him preach a “must-do” event. And at that time, there was another famous preacher in London. Many people loved to hear him preach as well. After hearing his message, they said, “What a preacher! He is awesome!” The following week, the same people went to Spurgeon’s church. And after the message, they said, “What a Savior! What a wonderful Savior!” Even Herbert Spencer, the prominent sociologist and infamous agnostic, was invited to Spurgeon’s church by his secretary. Following the sermon, Spencer’s assistant asked him, “Well? What did you think of him?” Spencer responded, “About whom?” “About the preacher, Charles Spurgeon,” his assistant replied. Then, Spencer answered, “Oh, Spurgeon! I haven’t been thinking about him. I’ve been occupied thinking about Spurgeon’s Jesus!”[4] The sermon I am preaching today is my 165th message in our church. I don’t know how many more messages I would preach in the future. But my prayer is that the Lord may protect me against my own sinful heart, self-exalting heart, and that I may faithfully minister God’s word to his people with all my heart, so that Christ will be proclaimed, exalted, glorified. This is my prayer. This is our prayer. Amen.
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[1] “Worship Intercessors,” http://www.prayertoday.org/2007/PDF/Worship-Warriors-Guide2007.pdf
[2] Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, The NIV Application Commentary Book 10 (Zondervan, 1996), 341.
[3] Dr. Howard and Geraldine Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (Moody Publishers, 2009), 154.
[4] “Worship Intercessors”
I mentioned earlier about Charles Spurgeon. His fame was so extensive. So those who lived in and around London made hearing him preach a “must-do” event. And at that time, there was another famous preacher in London. Many people loved to hear him preach as well. After hearing his message, they said, “What a preacher! He is awesome!” The following week, the same people went to Spurgeon’s church. And after the message, they said, “What a Savior! What a wonderful Savior!” Even Herbert Spencer, the prominent sociologist and infamous agnostic, was invited to Spurgeon’s church by his secretary. Following the sermon, Spencer’s assistant asked him, “Well? What did you think of him?” Spencer responded, “About whom?” “About the preacher, Charles Spurgeon,” his assistant replied. Then, Spencer answered, “Oh, Spurgeon! I haven’t been thinking about him. I’ve been occupied thinking about Spurgeon’s Jesus!”[4] The sermon I am preaching today is my 165th message in our church. I don’t know how many more messages I would preach in the future. But my prayer is that the Lord may protect me against my own sinful heart, self-exalting heart, and that I may faithfully minister God’s word to his people with all my heart, so that Christ will be proclaimed, exalted, glorified. This is my prayer. This is our prayer. Amen.
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[1] “Worship Intercessors,” http://www.prayertoday.org/2007/PDF/Worship-Warriors-Guide2007.pdf
[2] Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, The NIV Application Commentary Book 10 (Zondervan, 1996), 341.
[3] Dr. Howard and Geraldine Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (Moody Publishers, 2009), 154.
[4] “Worship Intercessors”
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