MEETING YOUR FLOCK’S NEED OF PRAYER
“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is
any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the
church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord: And
the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and
if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults
one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man
subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not
rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six
months. And
he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her
fruit”.
James
5:13-18
Church/Christian Leaders are prayer partners for their flock
especially those who approach them for prayers and spiritual needs. Prayer is a significant function that
Christian leaders are to perform in respect to the spiritual needs of their
followers. Church Leaders should be willing to carry the duty of praying for
the afflicted among their flock. They must dedicate time to counsel and pray
for those who come to them for prayers. In their closet they are to wait on the
Lord and cry out their souls to the Lord for their flock.
Leaders are to do what John Maxwell calls the 3Is when
meeting the prayer needs of their flocks:
a.
Identify - Church Leaders are to first identify
the problems faced by their flock, then identify with the problems, that is, to
see themselves in the shoes of their flock. With that, they would be able to
pray a heartfelt prayer to God for their sake.
b.
Intercede – Church Leaders are to pray always
for their flock especially for those in need. This may involve praying in
secret for them or having a prayer session with them and anointing them with
oil, laying hands on them and praying for restoration.
c.
Intervene – Haven prayed for a follower who is
in need, a church leader should throw him/herself in the direction of his/her
prayer. This means that in addition to prayer, they should do anything that is
good and Godly to aid in the restoration for which they so earnestly pray.
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