LOOKING FOR PASTORAL SUPPORT IN COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PRAYER?
When Bobby and I go to communities to share with prophetic intercessors and church leaders, we are consistently asked about the seeming lack of pastoral support for community prayer. This usually comes up after we talk about the critical role that local pastors must play in praying for community and regional breakthrough.
Many intercessors express frustration when approaching pastors because they are too busy with their own congregations and don’t have the time, or even the interest, to put towards community or regional prayer initiatives. And even though there are certainly those pastors who love intercession and embrace it wholeheartedly, there are many who don’t. And when we dig a little deeper into these conversations, I have noticed a common thread.
Many times, intercessors approach pastors with the latest prophetic intel about the church or an invitation to support a prayer cause. And though neither of these ideas are wrong, they may be premature. For those pastors who are truly called as shepherds to the flock, they are usually already overloaded in caring for people and tend to feel inadequate as it is. To suggest they need to take on another assignment – or are not spiritually attuned to the greater needs of the community – can be overwhelming. And many times, what they actually hear (internally) is that they are not spiritually aware like the intercessors are. Thus, they end up distancing themselves instead of feeling inspired to join the cause.
Coming from a pastoral perspective, we have found that the very first step in getting a pastor interested or engaged in any prayer initiative is to first care about them personally. Let them know you want to pray for their own needs and concerns – period. Don’t attach it to any other agenda. Simply let them know you are available and willing to pray for them in a way that is meaningful to them.
The fact is, trust needs to be established before engagement can happen. Especially for pastors of smaller community churches, they are often already overworked and underpaid, getting constant criticism from congregants who aren’t satisfied. And though this isn’t the case in every situation, the best approach in gaining a pastor’s support for community prayer is to first ask how you can pray for their family, their need for rest and relaxation, or their health and well-being. As they see you actually care about them as a person, and not just a means to advancing your own spiritual agenda, they will begin to value your input. They will learn to trust your intentions and be more open to hearing your heart and vision in future days.
Building trust is a foundational key in establishing spiritual unity and oneness in prayer. Our love for one another must supersede our quest for regional breakthrough. The power of our prayers are not a result of our numbers, creative initiatives, or leadership clout. The spiritual authority we have in prayer starts when we learn to sincerely love one another and joyfully embrace each one’s “part” (1 Corinthians 12:24-25).
Especially at a time when pastoral leadership is being highly scrutinized amidst exposures of immorality and misconduct, we need to be even more intentional in covering and guarding those who walk in integrity and are being faithful in their charge. Corporate breakthrough requires oneness of heart and not just unity of cause. We may just find that our spiritual authority is determined more by our mutual love and submission to one another, than it is to the latest prophetic word or strategic prayer event.
