Sackcloth & Ashes…

• Daniel 9:3 (NKJV) Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Today I’d like to highlight an important role that we preachers and teachers have that is outside our pulpit: praying and fasting for our people.

The Bible is full of examples of spiritual leaders taking responsibility for the sins and woes of others and interceding to God on their behalf.  A sampling would include:

• Genesis 18:16-33 – Abraham came within 10 people of saving the entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
• Nehemiah 1:1-11 – Nehemiah agonizing over the sins of his nation
• Daniel 9:1-19 – Daniel interceding on behalf of his nation
• Acts 27:21-25 – Paul interceding on behalf of the men with him on a ship

Remember, your duties as a preacher and teacher of God goes beyond the class room.  You are not like a school teacher or college professor that is mandated to teach a subject or curriculum.  Your responsibility is a calling – you are responsible to God for the people who He puts under your care.

Beware of reducing your focus to an event.  If all you are doing during the week is preparing for the event of teaching or preaching to a group of people at a particular time and place then you’ve missed a most vital part of your calling.

A called preacher and teachers cares: cares passionately for the well-being and eternal destiny of the people who sit under their ministry.  Not only do we turn our face toward God’s people on His behalf, we must also turn our face toward God on His people’s behalf.

I encourage you to faithfully pray and fast with purpose.  Be aware of the spiritual condition of your people.  Be aware of their needs and agonies.  This should so trouble you that you must push aside the other duties of life to make time to intercede to God on their behalf.  You should be so caught up in their lives that you’d rather intercede on their behalf than eat.

Bottom line, my dear friend, being a preacher and teacher means that you do not live your life just for yourself – you will live daily with the weight of eternal souls upon your shoulders.  This will mean that you do more than teach to them; it will also mean that you reach to God on their behalf.