Scripture - Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell.
Observation - The world is always out to attack the leadership of the church. If you can take out the leadership you can take out the church. Peter was arrested by Herod simply because he was preaching the gospel and Herod found that he gained popularity from the Jews by doing this. He had Peter arrested and had already killed some of the other leaders. I love the way the church rallied around Peter and began to pray earnestly for him. The didn't disown him, they didn't write him off, they didn't talk behind his back they just began to pray for him and ask God to release him. They trusted their leader and knew that the world wants to eradicate the shepherd.
Application - I have been thinking lately how hard it is for Pastors. How much they must endure from every direction. To carry the wait of being the shepherd of a flock that God has entrusted to your care is one heavy load. Some sort of "prison" seems to be looming right around the corner everyday. We can't let it be. We must begin praying earnestly to God for our pastors. The church leadership needs to have those that are crying out for help from God. Laboring before the Lord on behalf of the pastors. The pastors need reinforcements and reassurance. To be the mouthpiece of God and to speak to a world that doesn't really want to hear the truth is a great and admirable task. To care for each lamb as if it were the only one is a noble cause. To help restore the wounded is a worthwhile effort. But in the midst of all of that is a dirty attack that leaves the pastor laying between two guards and sentries are at the entrance. Let's spend today upholding pastors and church leaders and pray that God would strengthen them and give them much wisdom and insight.
Prayer - God the pastor is your man. You have called him to a place of humility and servitude. You have asked that he live to a different standard and you have chosen him to serve your church. God I ask for strength for all pastors today. Touch their lives and heal their wounds. Take the chains off of them like you did Peter in the jail. Remove them from the prisons in their minds and in their lives. God touch their hearts with a fresh touch of your Holy Spirit and bless their lives abundantly. Give their families the strength to endure and the joy to continue serving. God Bless them immensely.
