Pray for Your Leaders 为领袖祷告
Author: Ps Andrew Xu
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
Dear brothers and sisters of ECF Holy Word, shalom! You must have heard many times before about praying for your leaders. But often, we forget to pray for them. I share sometime before that it is more memorable to pray for the weak and the sick among us, but seldom do we remember our leaders. Why? Perhaps we assume that as leaders they are stronger. We think of them when we need help and we forgot that they too have needs. Maybe we do not agree with their leadership style or direction and feel that it is hard to pray for them. Most of the time, we cannot choose our leaders, but we can choose to pray for them.
In my years of serving full-time in ministry, I often would receive messages of encouragement telling me that they are praying for me. Whenever I receive such a message, my heart would be filled with joy and gratitude. When the going gets tough and I feel like giving up, there seems always to be an invisible force that is carrying me forward. This force is the hand of God and the prayers of many brothers and sisters who are praying for me. If not for the prayers of the church, I would have given up long ago. To those who have prayed for me, I want to convey my most sincere thank you to all of you!
Last week, the family of ECF just went through our deacons council and general council’s re-election and we chose 9 leaders to lead our church forward in the coming 2 years. These leaders are God-loving brothers and sisters-in-Christ. We as part of this church have the prerogative to pray for them and the responsibility to give them our support. They willingly obeyed God’s call for leadership, and this is both their willing sacrifice and God’s grace to them. They will have to lead the church with godly wisdom, and we must pray along with them in this journey.
Dear brothers and sisters, always remember to pray for your pastors and leaders. Keep your cell leaders, disciple-maker, pastors, ministry leaders, deacons, and general council members in prayers as they serve the Lord.
文:许燕杰传道
“因此，我劝你最重要的是要为万人、君王和一切有权位的恳求、祷告、代求和感恩，好让我们可以敬虔庄重地过平静安稳的日子。”
中国布道会的家人们，大家平安！我想大家大概都听过要为教会的领袖祷告，但领袖却是我们常常忘记祷告的对象。我曾经分享过，我们常常会记念有需要和软弱的肢体，但却很少记得我们的领袖。为何呢？可能我们心里觉得领袖应该是比较强大的，我们有需要的时候就会想到他们，却没有意识到他们也有需要。或许有时候我们对领袖的领导方式或方向不认同而觉得为他们祷告很不容易。我们很多时候没有办法选择我们的领袖，但我们能够选择的是以祷告托住他们。
我在教会服事的这几年中，时常会有人简讯我，让我知道他们在为我祷告，给我加油。每一次收到这些的简讯时，心里都充满着感恩。每当我疲乏无力之时，我总是感觉有一股的力量在支撑着我。那股的力量是神的手，也是许许多多弟兄姐妹们的祷告。若不是教会弟兄姐妹的祷告，我想我早就已经走不下去了。对那些为我和我一家祷告的肢体，我要向大家说声谢谢！
上个星期我们教会举行了执事和总理事的选举，选出了9位的教会领袖。这几个领袖都是爱神的弟兄姐妹，而我们身为教会的一份子也要在祷告上和行动上支持他们。他们愿意听从上帝的呼召，站出来为主工作是一种对神的委身也是上帝所赐的恩典。他们需要神的智慧来管理教会，而我们身为教会的肢体的责任就是为他们祷告。
亲爱的弟兄姐妹，常常记念教会的牧者和领袖。不住地为着你的小组组长、门徒长、牧者、事工领袖、执事和总理事的服事祷告。