I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
As Christians, we need to realize that God has put
us in the world as a sort of Special Forces during the tremendous battle between
Satan and God for the souls and minds of people. Within that battle we have two
circles of influence. There are those circles where we influence: our family,
our friends, our neighbors, and our business associates; then there are those
that influence us: the President, the governor, the mayor, the city council, and
so on. We need to be praying for all of them.
It is exciting to realize that we have been dropped
in behind enemy territory. One of the tasks of the Special Forces is to mark
strategic spots. One strategic spot is the leadership of the church. Satan loves
nothing more than to see a leader fall. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 reminds us of the
priority of praying for everyone in authority. We all need to pray for the
leadership of the church, and the pastor, especially, depends on his
congregation to pray for him that he might be the godly leader that God has
called him to be. Prayer for the leadership of the church is strategic spiritual
warfare.