Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

• Ephesians 6:18-20

“We naturally suppose it is no use praying for ‘Paul’, for prominent people, God will look after them all right. The prominent people for God are marked for the wiles of the devil, and we must pray for them all the time; God gives us every now and again an alarming exhibition of what happens if we don’t.”

• Oswald Chambers, Daily Thoughts for Disciples (November 21, from If Ye Shall Ask …)

Rev. Chambers puts ‘Paul’ in quotes to mean any prominent person, not necessarily a church leader.  Satan enjoys tempting them.  Then, if they fall to the temptation and someone else catches them, their fall devastates all who trusted that person.

I have seen it happen on television, that is, a television evangelist loses face.  But I have seen it happen in small churches and large churches.

We all make mistakes, but the media are eager to see a leader, especially a Christian leader make a mistake.

That’s on that leader, right?  But how many of us who sit in the pews are actively praying for the church leader.

As Rev. Chambers says, Satan loves to attack that kind of person, a person in the spotlight.  But I have noticed that when I am focusing better on Jesus, writing a lot more, keeping my eyes on Jesus even when not doing my writing, I am tempted more than ever.  As we get closer to Jesus in every part of our lives, Satan wants us to fail, to let us know that we cannot do it.  But, let’s face it, we cannot do it, but Jesus can do all things through us.

So, when we are tempted even more severely, we have Satan worried that we might just stay on target this time.

And thank you, Jesus, each time that I am tempted heavily, I know that Satan is wanting to tarnish our relationship, but you can tell him to take a hike.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.