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Read 'Apostolic Fathering,'
Cover Story for Arise Magazine, Summer 2000.
By Dr. David Cannistraci
I wasn’t feeling especially spiritual. I was just trying to
decide which carpet color I liked best, but God had other plans for
me that afternoon.
Jerry, a stout 60-year old flooring salesman, had come into my
office to show me some carpet for our church. We had never met
before, so we chatted briefly about his business. After a quick
orientation on material and pricing options, I dove in to the bulky
sample books he had plunked down on my desk. I think I was
considering the virtues of a soft geometric pattern when I looked up
and was caught completely by surprise:
Jerry’s broad shoulders were shuddering. He was red in the face,
trying hard to hold back his tears.
“Are you okay?” I asked, feeling awkward.
“I’m sorry…it’s just that this is hard for me. I used to be a pastor
like you. Coming back to a church setting like this for the first
time is difficult.”
“What happened?” I inquired, trying to imagine what drove his pain.
“The constant pressure in our church on top of the painful physical
attacks my wife was having almost ate me up me emotionally. I became
a nervous wreck. I got to the place that I knew if that phone rang
just one more time, I’d lose it. So my wife and I packed up and
walked away after thirty years of ministry. It tore us up. We still
love God, but the constant battles…”
Jerry’s voice trailed off. His head tilted down and his hands
covered his eyes in shame. Before I knew it, I was on my knees
beside this broken man. He gripped my hand. I asked the Lord to
restore his wounded spirit and heal his broken heart.
PASTORS IN PAIN
Jerry is not alone. In fact, nearly everywhere I travel, I meet
pastors that are hurting. A wave of trouble seems to have been
unleashed against the church as a whole, and spiritual leaders are
getting hit with the worst of it. Many of God’s servants are facing
cancer, money problems, lawsuits, and family tragedies of
unimaginable scale.
What is happening? The Bible warns that the end times would be
stressful and difficult. Yet many of us are discerning that
something beyond tough times is in play. I believe there is an
all-out assault from the enemy against spiritual leaders. Satan
knows what we must be reminded of today: If you smite the shepherd,
the sheep will scatter (Mark 14:27). For that reason, I believe that
unless we learn to provide our spiritual leaders with a protective
shield of prayer, our churches and ministries will never be able to
fully impact their cities.
It’s no secret that pastors and other spiritual leaders live with
continual pressure. Leaders have tougher paths to walk than those
who follow behind. The harvest fields they work in are often
booby-trapped with spiritual and emotional landmines hidden there by
the enemy.
The statistics should disturb us. For example, did you know that
1200 pastors in North America leave the ministry every month due to
stress, burnout and failure? Some other troubling numbers about
pastors:
• 97% of pastors say they were inadequately trained for the
challenges they face
• 80% say pastoral ministry has had a negative effect on their
children
• 70% say they constantly fight depression
• 70% feel underpaid
• 71% say they are in financial trouble
• 65% have thought of quitting the ministry within the last 30 days
• 70% say they do not have someone they consider a close friend
If these figures are correct, we have a crisis on our hands that
rivals the moral crisis in the Catholic Church. And if these
terrible trends hold true over time, the damage will be devastating.
DROWSY DISCIPLES
In the midst of this enemy advance, where have all the watchmen
gone? The honest truth is that many of us are dozing. Like the
disciples who slept while Jesus faced His most difficult hours, too
often we do the same with regard to those whose victory is so
important to us.
Are you praying and fasting for your spiritual leaders? Others are,
but not in the way you might think. Many of us are now aware that
witches routinely fast and pray for the downfall of our Christian
leaders. Spiritual warfare specialist Ed Murphy tells a shocking
story of a conversation he had on an airplane with an occult leader
who admitted that he and others were fasting in the hopes of seeing
key spiritual leaders fall into sickness and disgrace.
The truth is, all too often pastors go unsupported during these
times of attack. One significant pastor I know suffered a massive
heart attack and then a stroke from ministry pressure. Shortly
afterwards over a hundred families left his big city church. Their
reason? They made it clear that they felt his faith was not strong
enough. If he had been a true man of God, these things would not
have happened.
We had better figure out whose side we are on, and keep our eyes
open. David made it clear that failing to properly protect your
leader is a serious sin (1 Samuel 26:13-15). Saul’s commanders were
sleeping when they should have been shielding, and an enemy was able
to slink in by cover of night. We must avoid being drowsy disciples
if our churches and ministries are to advance.
THE COMMAND TO COVER
What can we do? God is calling believers to pray prayers of
protection over their leaders so that the entire church can prevail
against the enemy’s attacks, move forward and take our cities for
God. Think of the old cowboy movies where the hero, besieged by
relentless gunfire, calls to his companions, “Cover me, I’m going
in!” That kind of scene reminds us of a simple spiritual truth:
Supporting a leader means protecting them from enemy fire so they
can advance and make a way for us all to safely advance.
Scripture commands us to cover our spiritual leaders with protective
prayers. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
Paul told the Philippians that Epaphroditus had nearly died for the
cause of his ministry, urging them to honor him and care for him in
light of that fact (Philippians 2:25-30). This will require a high
level of sensitivity in us as His people as to the difficult nature
of Christian leadership (1Thessalonians 5:13).
The people who respond to this call play an enormous role in the
kingdom of God. Pastors and leaders worldwide will attest to this.
In our own church, we are blessed with devoted intercessors that
make it their aim to cover our pastoral team every time they gather
for prayer, often fasting for days and then surrounding us
physically, praying for our needs. On occasion, they email us or
drop us notes filled with loving and sensitive insight birthed
through their hours of prayer. This kind of support is invaluable to
spiritual leaders because it empowers us to do what God has called
us to do without endless demonic hindrances. Emotionally, I can’t
tell you how it makes me feel to know that my marriage, family,
ministry and personal life are shielded with daily prayer by
faithful intercessors that have responded to the command to cover.
If you are an intercessor, and you watch in prayer over your
leaders, you are a vital part of the plan of God for your region.
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Your Pastor is Under Attack