Common 'Road Blocks' to a Prayer Shield
One of the most common barriers to actually establishing a Prayer Shield for a leader, is often the 'leader'. Most leaders struggle with feeling inadequate about even asking for something like this, because they don't believe they deserve it..or are doing anything important enough that merits it. The other most common barrier is 'past experiences' either with intercessors or with prayer, that the leader needs healing from. Now...let me explain. (I'll do this in two parts..and today just blog on the first barrier....)
1. False humility - " I'm not important enough to actually ask people to be committing time to pray for me."
Perhaps the hardest thing for those that are doing the jobs they do, because love to 'serve' others, is to actually believe that they deserve a prayer shield. I don't know how many times I've heard people say that they can understand why 'this person' or 'that person' needs prayer shield ( usually because they're perceived as being high profile), but most leaders ( church and business alike) struggle with a false humility regarding getting their own prayer shields set up. Some leader's actually feel that setting up a personal prayer shield is 'prideful' - thinking of themselves more highly than they should! Oh my gosh! Why would asking for consistent prayer be equated with pride?!! I think the enemy has pulled the wool over our eyes!
The reality is, the enemy counts on that kind of thinking and in fact, encourages it wherever he can! Why? Well...let's think....Mmmm...if a leader feels shy/awkward/undeserving/inadequate, regarding having their own personal prayer shield, what's the alternative?? They are going about the earth, representing the Kingdom and attempting to influence for the Kingdom, with little or no intentional or consistent prayer coverage! Does that mean they never get prayer? Of course not! But they tend to rely on 'crisis' prayer, at best - meaning they make due during the daily routine of life with the 'hope' that someone might be praying for them, but they will feel they can 'ask' for prayer support/response, when a crisis comes up. After the crisis tho, things go back to 'same old/same old'.
Think what could happen, if that pastor or leader ( again church or business) was getting daily, consistent, intentional prayer. Do you think that they just might be accomplishing even more for the Kingdom?? Do you think it's possible that the influence and authority they operate in, just might be increased? Do you think they're effectiveness just might also increase? If you can say 'yes' to even one these, then can you also see how the enemy is working overtime to keep our leaders/pastors lulled into believing a lie, that only really 'important' people need to have a prayer shield! Just think what would happen if all those who influence for the Kingdom ( whether on a church/business level, or a national level), were better covered with prayer support! It must make the enemy tremble!
Another area where this 'false humility manifests, is in thinking you can o
nly ask for prayer if it's about ministry, or something spiritual. ( " I can't ask people just to pray for me and my family - that's selfish.) Again the reality is, what is happening in a leader's family effects the leader! How can you properly lead, when you are worrying about your kids? Your spouse? Your home? Those things all weigh on us and can effect the way we hear from God or the choices we make in leading. The enemy knows that if he cannot get a leader through a 'frontal assault', he'll attack thru the back door - get to the wife and kids! How many leaders have stepped down from positions of authority because there was so much going wrong in the home, that they felt 'disqualified' for leadership? If we had all areas of a leader's life covered, perhaps we'd have less attacks on the family and what kind of difference would that alone make in the strength of our leaders! Even those in the world understand this principle - why do you think the president's, or prime minister's , families are so well protected?! Because the world system knows that they can be a target by the enemy, through which is hurt, injure or shut down a key leader! CHURCH..it's time we woke up to this!
Another 'false humility' lie is: "Well, I'm just a businessman - that's not a spiritual job . How could I ask people to pray for me?"
My answer to that? How can you not?!! Don't you need prayer to make sure you are being aligned with men/women of integrity? Don't you need prayer to ask for wisdom and discernment in business deals? And in business relationships? Or does a businessman/women do all this on their own and hope that their fine tuned senses will be enough? Do we not realise that the bible was full of 'business' people/tent makers etc. that influenced because of their business position ( or let's say leadership position) in a city? These people have access to people that church pastors/leaders may never have - just from the simple fact that we often run in different circles of influence. These business people too, are often used to finance great things in the Kingdom and for the Kingdom! Now, if those people lose faith, lose their business, leave the business world - what happens to all those that they were influencing or supporting thru them? Their part in the Kingdom, is SO important, but somehow we've bought the lie, that unless someone is doing something we've decided is a spiritual occupation, it doesn't merit spiritual ( prayer ) support! Not true! Influencing for the Kingdom, in whatever arena God places you, means that you are going to be under attack - that you have an enemy who is working to stop your influence!
When Kingdom businesses' shut down, there is often a huge effect on the local church: financial support drops either directly from the businessman, or because many members were employee's of a business that shut down.
When Kingdom business' shut down or face financial stress, there is often a huge effect on para-church organizations that were being supported thru the vision of that businessman/women. Missions organizations, Missionaries, Orphanages, Safe-Water projects, Sustainable Farming projects , just to name a few, are often supported thru the vision and gifts from Kingdom businesses! What happens to them, when a Kingdom business can not weather a financial or even personal attack, and the leader/businessman, walks away or has to scale down? We need to cover our business people! How can we think that what they 'do' is not Kingdom?!
Somehow we have separated things into two camps: spiritual and secular - but is that biblical? Have we fallen so far from the truth that we all need prayer..and we all need prayer support! How long are we going to go, without 'marrying' the gift of the intercessors, with those in the market place and those in leadership? We have people who love to pray...and we have people who need prayer - that should be a no brainer! We need to deal with the barriers that the enemy has encouraged us to put up, so that we can start functioning as the Body we are called to be. Full of life...and supporting one another - no competition or control - just love!
Does every leader, business or church, know how to work with prayer people/intercessors? No! Due to lack of teaching, and instruction there have been mistakes - people have been hurt!
The second barrier represents many people out there that have either been wounded/hurt/offended, by prayer people who crossed boundaries AND prayer people who have been wounded by leader's who either rejected them ( and their gift) and/or used them in a way that left feeling empty!
Stayed tuned and I'll blog about the second barrier later this week. IF you have any questions or comments, I'd love to either them - please email me.
1. False humility - " I'm not important enough to actually ask people to be committing time to pray for me."
Perhaps the hardest thing for those that are doing the jobs they do, because love to 'serve' others, is to actually believe that they deserve a prayer shield. I don't know how many times I've heard people say that they can understand why 'this person' or 'that person' needs prayer shield ( usually because they're perceived as being high profile), but most leaders ( church and business alike) struggle with a false humility regarding getting their own prayer shields set up. Some leader's actually feel that setting up a personal prayer shield is 'prideful' - thinking of themselves more highly than they should! Oh my gosh! Why would asking for consistent prayer be equated with pride?!! I think the enemy has pulled the wool over our eyes!
The reality is, the enemy counts on that kind of thinking and in fact, encourages it wherever he can! Why? Well...let's think....Mmmm...if a leader feels shy/awkward/undeserving/inadequate, regarding having their own personal prayer shield, what's the alternative?? They are going about the earth, representing the Kingdom and attempting to influence for the Kingdom, with little or no intentional or consistent prayer coverage! Does that mean they never get prayer? Of course not! But they tend to rely on 'crisis' prayer, at best - meaning they make due during the daily routine of life with the 'hope' that someone might be praying for them, but they will feel they can 'ask' for prayer support/response, when a crisis comes up. After the crisis tho, things go back to 'same old/same old'.
Think what could happen, if that pastor or leader ( again church or business) was getting daily, consistent, intentional prayer. Do you think that they just might be accomplishing even more for the Kingdom?? Do you think it's possible that the influence and authority they operate in, just might be increased? Do you think they're effectiveness just might also increase? If you can say 'yes' to even one these, then can you also see how the enemy is working overtime to keep our leaders/pastors lulled into believing a lie, that only really 'important' people need to have a prayer shield! Just think what would happen if all those who influence for the Kingdom ( whether on a church/business level, or a national level), were better covered with prayer support! It must make the enemy tremble!
Another area where this 'false humility manifests, is in thinking you can o
nly ask for prayer if it's about ministry, or something spiritual. ( " I can't ask people just to pray for me and my family - that's selfish.) Again the reality is, what is happening in a leader's family effects the leader! How can you properly lead, when you are worrying about your kids? Your spouse? Your home? Those things all weigh on us and can effect the way we hear from God or the choices we make in leading. The enemy knows that if he cannot get a leader through a 'frontal assault', he'll attack thru the back door - get to the wife and kids! How many leaders have stepped down from positions of authority because there was so much going wrong in the home, that they felt 'disqualified' for leadership? If we had all areas of a leader's life covered, perhaps we'd have less attacks on the family and what kind of difference would that alone make in the strength of our leaders! Even those in the world understand this principle - why do you think the president's, or prime minister's , families are so well protected?! Because the world system knows that they can be a target by the enemy, through which is hurt, injure or shut down a key leader! CHURCH..it's time we woke up to this!Another 'false humility' lie is: "Well, I'm just a businessman - that's not a spiritual job . How could I ask people to pray for me?"
My answer to that? How can you not?!! Don't you need prayer to make sure you are being aligned with men/women of integrity? Don't you need prayer to ask for wisdom and discernment in business deals? And in business relationships? Or does a businessman/women do all this on their own and hope that their fine tuned senses will be enough? Do we not realise that the bible was full of 'business' people/tent makers etc. that influenced because of their business position ( or let's say leadership position) in a city? These people have access to people that church pastors/leaders may never have - just from the simple fact that we often run in different circles of influence. These business people too, are often used to finance great things in the Kingdom and for the Kingdom! Now, if those people lose faith, lose their business, leave the business world - what happens to all those that they were influencing or supporting thru them? Their part in the Kingdom, is SO important, but somehow we've bought the lie, that unless someone is doing something we've decided is a spiritual occupation, it doesn't merit spiritual ( prayer ) support! Not true! Influencing for the Kingdom, in whatever arena God places you, means that you are going to be under attack - that you have an enemy who is working to stop your influence!When Kingdom businesses' shut down, there is often a huge effect on the local church: financial support drops either directly from the businessman, or because many members were employee's of a business that shut down.
When Kingdom business' shut down or face financial stress, there is often a huge effect on para-church organizations that were being supported thru the vision of that businessman/women. Missions organizations, Missionaries, Orphanages, Safe-Water projects, Sustainable Farming projects , just to name a few, are often supported thru the vision and gifts from Kingdom businesses! What happens to them, when a Kingdom business can not weather a financial or even personal attack, and the leader/businessman, walks away or has to scale down? We need to cover our business people! How can we think that what they 'do' is not Kingdom?!
Somehow we have separated things into two camps: spiritual and secular - but is that biblical? Have we fallen so far from the truth that we all need prayer..and we all need prayer support! How long are we going to go, without 'marrying' the gift of the intercessors, with those in the market place and those in leadership? We have people who love to pray...and we have people who need prayer - that should be a no brainer! We need to deal with the barriers that the enemy has encouraged us to put up, so that we can start functioning as the Body we are called to be. Full of life...and supporting one another - no competition or control - just love!
Does every leader, business or church, know how to work with prayer people/intercessors? No! Due to lack of teaching, and instruction there have been mistakes - people have been hurt!
The second barrier represents many people out there that have either been wounded/hurt/offended, by prayer people who crossed boundaries AND prayer people who have been wounded by leader's who either rejected them ( and their gift) and/or used them in a way that left feeling empty!
Stayed tuned and I'll blog about the second barrier later this week. IF you have any questions or comments, I'd love to either them - please email me.
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