LeaderLines: “When Leaders Pray, Week Three”

“The Bible tells you to pray for other people,” wrote prayer scholar T.W. Hunt, “and this is where Americans fail most dismally.”

Most of us pray . . . for ourselves. We talk to God about our fears, our needs, and our regrets. Beyond that, we may pray for our immediate family. While that should not stop, what should start is prayer for those who share a church bench with you each Sunday. This is especially true for those of us who are church leaders.

We’re taking a few weeks in LeaderLines to go through some of the prayers the Apostle Paul expressed for his people in his letters. The words of Ephesians 1:15-19 are worthy words to lift up on behalf of those you lead:

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Look closely at verses 15 and 16: The Ephesians were growing in both faith and love, and when Paul first heard about it his first response was to turn God-ward and say, "More, God! Develop them even further!" He wrote, "Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers."

Then, in verses 17-19, we can see Paul praying for the continued, ever-increasing development of the Ephesian Christians so they could take full advantage of life with Christ. He uses two interesting phrases in prayer for their development.

First, he says, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation." What a powerful request for members of our own church--that they would be given the divine Spirit of wisdom and revelation. When I think of wisdom I think of gaining an understanding and appreciation of those things I have already learned. When I think of revelation I think of receiving even more truth than I have already received.

But then Paul uses a very colorful phrase in prayer for their development. Not only does he say, "May God give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation," but he also says in verse 18, "I pray also that they eyes of your heart may be enlightened." He wasn't speaking about that physical muscle in your chest that pumps blood; he was speaking about the inner being. That's where Paul wants the Ephesians to see clearly: he wanted the inner person be given greater vision into the things of the Christian life.

That is what we need to pray, too. We need to pray that, first, others would become wiser in what truth they already know and, second, they would have even more truth revealed to them. In other words, we need to pray that the eyes of their heart would be enlightened.

Why? So that our brothers and sisters in Christ can know the fullness of the life we have in Christ. Paul describes a complete Christian life in verses the three balanced phrases in verses 18 and 19: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

In other words, as we mature in the faith, (1) we'll have a greater assurance of our salvation, and (2) we'll have a more vivid reminder of the richness and fullness of the Christian life, and (3) we'll have a deeper appreciation of the power that is ours in the resurrected Christ.

Let’s look at each of those statements:

First, do you know a believer who could use assurance of his or her salvation? I know believers like that. When they feel close to Jesus, they feel certain of having eternal life. When they sense a distance from Jesus, they wonder where they’ll spend eternity. One of the marks of someone who is advancing in the faith is this: he has taken his salvation off the shifting sands of moods and impressions and placed it firmly on the solid rock of God's firm decision to save him. So, pray that the eyes of our congregation’s heart would be opened in order that everyone “may know the hope to which he has called” us.

Second, do you know a believer who could use a reminder of the richness and fullness of the Christian life? The pressures, the temptations, the hurts, and the distractions of this world have caused all of us to occasionally get our eyes off the glittering goal of the Christian life. We've all been there, and one of the reasons we must pray for God to bring believers higher up into the life of Christ is so that, in the words of verse 18, we'll know "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

Finally, do you know a believer who could use supernatural power to persevere in life? I've met new Christians trying to form new Christian habits, I've met other Christians trying to break harmful habits, I've met people who want to fill a vacancy in an existing church ministry or even launch a new church ministry, and I've met people who are secretly fighting some inner battle against fear or depression. We all need a power from beyond ourselves. And one of the reasons we must pray for fellow believers is so that they'll experience this power.

A pastor once extended a revival invitation like this: "Some of you need to get on your heart and give your knees to the Lord." He may not have been as off base as it sounded! Do you know a believer who could use assurance of his or her salvation? Do you know a believer who could use a reminder of the richness and fullness of the Christian life? Do you know a believer who could use supernatural power to persevere in life? Then, as a leader at this church, get on your heart and give your knees to the Lord!
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.