The Power of Prayer for Spiritual Leaders: How to Loose a Man of God

Anticipating the Move of God:

There are occasional moves of God that capture the imagination and accolades of the faith community—usually after they have already proven themselves. However, any identifiable movement, ministry, or revival often labors for decades in obscurity, unknown and unsung. When you hear about an outpouring of God, it is frequently too late to participate.

Frank Bartleman – a newspaperman who participated in the Asuza Street revival from its beginning, said: “By the time they put the sign’ Apostolic Faith Mission’ on the building, the revival was over.” In fact, he went on to say that for a move of God to identify itself in such a way was only advertising its failure.  If Bartleman’s statement holds any value, then we must conclude that it is what happens in a movement BEFORE it becomes known that has the greatest impact and determines everything that happens afterward in a nation, a city, or a particular church or group. Many people think of themselves as further along in God than others and often protest their conduct in the heat of revival. “When revival comes…” they say, “These are the sacrifices and commitments we will make…” If they are not already committed and sacrificial in their conduct and activity in their chosen group, revival, outpouring, etc., they will never come.

We Must Position Ourselves in Support of What God is Doing:

We must position ourselves in support of what God is doing, whether anyone else recognizes it or not. In truth, this level of quiet, unrecognized commitment IS the beginning of the next move of the Spirit. The question for us is what are we going to do in the place where we are, under the leadership we find ourselves to give the greatest latitude for God to work in hopes that we are a part of what fosters revival, outpouring, and blessing instead of being one of those who despite our best efforts are in reality opposing revival?

In the early church, despite its glorious beginning, there was a time when it could have been stamped out:

[Act 12:1-25 KJV] 1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth [his] hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Can you imagine the scandal? Your pastor has been arrested. Charges have been preferred against him. What would be your response? Some might say, “I can’t believe our pastors would do this to us…” Others might say, “I saw this coming ….” Others might say, “It was only a matter of time … I knew this church would come to nothing…” Most believers today would not sit for one day under the pall of scandal commonplace among the early church leaders.

There are Times When the Fate of a Movement or a Church is in Jeopardy:

Some events can befall a ministry or a church that look like a downturn by any metric. There are seasons when, despite your best intentions or the efforts of your leadership, you can only conclude, looking around you, that you had planned to be in a different place than you find yourself.

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put [him- Peter] in prison, and delivered [him] to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

When a leader is under pressure, the people have a decision to make. If they look just at the surface, they may conclude that perhaps this man (Peter, in this case) missed God. Maybe the people who followed Peter speculated whether they made a mistake in following him. Was this their response? No. We read in verse 5 that although Peter was kept in prison, the people looked beyond the situation and prayed without ceasing unto God for him.

How did Peter get loosed from prison? What was the only thing done differently that could have contributed to Peter’s liberation? The people prayed. They prayed without ceasing. Are you praying for your pastor? Maybe you think your pastor doesn’t need prayer. If he needed prayer, would you pray for him? Would you pray without ceasing? Would you pray until?

Prayer Changes Things:

Notice that the prayer made for Peter was more than warm sentiments or Facebook likes. These were people with jobs, responsibilities, and families to tend to. The people in those days were known to work six days a week up to 12-18 hours a day. Those demands on their lives were ongoing and non-negotiable. Yet they pushed the limits of their stamina and strength to make time to pray for a scandalized leader behind bars that can only be described as “they prayed without ceasing.” My question is, how bad do you want revival? I know that the word “revival is passe’ today and all the ‘with it’ leaders don’t use it – yet it can still be found in the passages of your bible:

[Psa 85:6 KJV] 6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

[Hos 6:2 KJV] 2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

When You Pray, Things will Tend to Get Worse:

The devil didn’t roll over and play dead when the people prayed for Peter. When the people prayed for Peter, Herod didn’t show up for adult Sunday school class with tears in his eyes.

6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

In other words, when the people began to pray – Herod immediately planned to bring Peter out and execute him. When you start to pray, sometimes the exact opposite seems to happen. Most prayer regimens, commitments, and campaigns die right here. But the people, in this case, continued to pray.

When You Pray Angels are Mobilized:

What was happening here? First of all, the people were praying. Secondly, the devil motivated Herod to expedite Peter’s execution. Thirdly, we find that angels were mobilized in the heavens to pull off a jailbreak:

7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon [him], and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from [his] hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

Notice that the angels were not working to get Peter a good lawyer. God often works OUTSIDE the system to demonstrate His sovereignty in situations where man thinks he is in control. What was Peter doing? He was sleeping. Here was a man who was confronted by the soldiers who arrested Jesus and cut off Malchus, the servant of the high priest’s ear. In this case, we see the maturity of God in this man, Peter. He was sleeping so soundly that the angel had to smite him to wake him up. Can you imagine it? The angel came in, and a light shone in the prison. Now, the angels had seen to it that the soldiers didn’t wake up – they never knew what happened. The light was to impress Peter, and Peter just kept on snoring. He was so at rest that the angel had to KICK HIM in his side and tell him everything to do: 1.) get up. 2.) Put on your sandals; 3.) Put on your garment; 4.) Follow me… Peter was resting in God. He knew there wasn’t much that he could do in the situation. As a leader, you will have many things that are not in your control, which you wish would be otherwise. Just DO WHAT YOU CAN, with WHAT YOU HAVE, and stick with it.

Sometimes, God will Put You Out of Touch with Reality:

Peter is barely aware enough to obey the angel and cooperate with his own deliverance. When the answer comes, it doesn’t depend on how fast you are on your feet. Just listen and obey God. God will see to it that you are in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing.

9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and [from] all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

Every city has an IRON GATE that bars out the man of God. When the people pray without ceasing, God will send the angel, lose the man of God, and cause the IRON GATE of GOSPEL RESISTANCE to open on its accord!

Peter was delivered from the expectation of Herod and the Jews. Herod thought that in anything that happened in Jerusalem, he was in control. Those in this city think all they need to do is speak one word against their pastor or leader, which will be all for him. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church. There are those among the Jews, the religious crowd, who may drive by your meeting place and think – “Yeah – that won’t last long…” But prayer was made without ceasing by the church for the man of God.

Prayer Made the Man Peter Unrecognizable in Glory:

The angel departs, and Peter goes to the house where the people are praying. Why did the angel depart? Because he wasn’t needed now. He saw the glory of God on Peter and said, “I can see you have this all in hand – my job is done here.” Peter then went to the prayer meeting, which was the home of John Mark’s mother – the same John Mark who later wrote the gospel of Mark. (Note – when you are in a company of people who pray without ceasing for the man of God, get ready for your own destiny to be affected…)

12 And when he had considered [the thing], he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened [the door], and saw him, they were astonished.

So when Peter showed up at the prayer meeting, they knew his voice but didn’t recognize the man. They knew his voice – in other words, the message hadn’t changed. We don’t need some new gimmick gospel or new-fangled word every Sunday. Peter’s voice was recognizable because he had taught them, preached to them, and endlessly told them his Jesus stories. But when they looked in the doorway where that voice came from that they knew so well – they saw a man so resonant with the glory of God that they thought he was an angel.

Because they prayed without ceasing for the man of God.

Conclusion:

What changes are you willing to make in your life to see revival come? There are things that you think will bring revival (waiting, watching, reading someone’s book), and there are those things that the scripture exemplifies for us that will get the glory of God down on a city and a nation.

“And they prayed without ceasing for the man of God.”

Peter was not the only beneficiary of what happened that night on the backside of Jerusalem. Many people in that prayer meeting went on to do great things in God. Little John Mark – a spoiled momma’s boy by any definition went on to have the honor of writing the earliest gospel in the New Testament canon. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. When they prayed for Peter, they launched themselves into their blessing place.

Some paid a dear price for coming down on the wrong side of this historical episode. Eighteen soldiers were surrounding Peter – two of them chained to his side and were EXECUTED in Peter’s place when they couldn’t give Herod a plausible explanation of how Peter broke out of jail.

Which side of history do you want to place yourself in? There is no neutral ground. You are either aiding and abetting the enemy’s agenda to impede the purposes of God or placing yourself squarely in support of what God has promised, even though, at times, things look challenging.