Pray Where the Battle Is

Hey BFB Family & Friends!

This week let's pray where the battle is. Our focus scriptures came from 1 Timothy 2:1-7 NLT

(1) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. (2) Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. (3) This is good and pleases God our Savior, (4) who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. (5) For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity - the man Christ Jesus. (6) He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. (7) And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I'm not exaggerating - just telling the truth. 

1 Timothy is a letter from Paul to his son in the faith, Timothy. Timothy is serving in Ephesus as a pastor and spiritual leader, and Paul writes to give him instruction on how to shepherd a healthy church. He urges Timothy to stay anchored in the gospel, to organize ministry well, and to protect sound teaching.

But notice this: one of the first things Paul emphasizes is the importance of prayer—why we should pray, and specifically, why we should be praying for those in authority and for those who lead in ministry.

This passage shows us three key ways Timothy was instructed to pray, and it also teaches us how we should be praying for our leaders today.

1. Pray for Their Strength in the Work
Leading in ministry—and even leading in daily life—can be both rewarding and draining. Leaders juggle countless responsibilities: guiding families, making hard decisions, encouraging people, serving those in need. The weight of it all can leave them weary.
So Paul reminds Timothy to encourage the church to pray for their leaders’ strength. Pray that their strength includes:

• Wisdom: clarity to know what is right when situations are complex or difficult to understand situations
• Courage: the boldness to stand firm when doing the right thing is unpopular
• Endurance: the ability to keep going when the battle seems long and daunting

Colossians 1:11 encourages us to pray that believers would be “strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.” That’s the kind of strength we should be asking God to give our leaders.

2. Pray for Their Protection in the Battle
Whether we see it or not, we are all in a spiritual battle—leaders and us as individual Christians. These verses here in 1 Timothy paint the picture that spiritual warfare is real. The enemy knows that if he can discourage, divide, or derail a leader, the damage ripples through the church and the community. Harm is caused to the Kingdom of God.
So we must pray for protection. That means:

• Guarded hearts: that fear, discouragement, or bitterness won’t take root.
• Protected families: because if Satan can’t get to the leader directly, he will often attack through their loved ones.
• Integrity: that leaders will live out what they preach and resist temptation, so their witness remains untarnished.

Paul urged the church to lift up their leaders in prayer, covering them so they can stand firm in the battle.

3. Pray for Their Joy in Serving
Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that leaders should serve with joy, not with groaning. And that principle applies to all of us: serving without joy makes the work heavy, but joy makes it life-giving.

The joy of serving comes from seeing God’s kingdom advance, watching lives change, and knowing that our work gives glory to Him. Joy helps us push through the long, difficult days. Joy keeps us motivated. Joy shifts our focus from ourselves to Christ.

So we should pray that our leaders—and we ourselves—serve with gladness. Because serving God is not just duty; it’s a privilege.
 
Putting It into Practice
This week, I challenge each of us:

• Think of a leader in your life—a supervisor, ministry leader, pastor, or community leader.
• Commit to pray for them. Pray for their strength in the work. Pray for their protection in the battle. Pray for their joy in serving.
  
  

And then, watch what God does. Watch how He encourages them, lifts them up, and advances His mission. And notice how He works in your own life as you intercede for others.

This week, let’s stay focused. Let’s pray where the battle is. Amen and amen.