Intersession For The Great Commission: All Leaders Praying

The Great Commission needs great intercession. I am convinced that the reason efforts in the Great Commission are lacking is because efforts in prayer are lacking. I say that not in a condemning tone but in a convicted one because I know that my own life offers itself as a confirmation of this point. For this reason, I find myself returning to the concept of prayer, specifically in the context of God’s call to make disciples.

In recent weeks, I have been recounting lessons learned from Paul's exhortation to Timothy. Though in the middle of a complicated situation, Paul encouraged Timothy to remain firmly committed to the truth, giving instructions for how the church should conduct itself (1 Timothy 3:15). One of the first areas that Paul addresses is the area of corporate prayer, calling on the church body to gather together for the purposes of praying. But this is prayer with a purpose; it’s prayer for the Great Commission (see 1 Timothy 2:1-4). However, this verse makes a critical proposal that is important to consider about corporate prayer.

While charging the church body with the duty of praying together about the need to make disciples, the Apostle Paul calls explicitly upon the men in verse 8, saying, “I desire that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” Those words establish men as those who lead the church in prayer. Though it seems there is no limitation about who can pray (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:5), the men are called upon as leaders, setting the tone for corporate prayer.

Then, the text does something incredible. It establishes a moral qualification for prayer, calling upon men to not only lead prayer but to do so without anger and quarreling, lifting holy hands. Though the text says to pray with lifted hands, the emphasis is not on the physical posture of prayer. Throughout Scripture, prayer is undertaken in a variety of postures, from standing to kneeling, and even to the point of laying prostrate on the ground (see texts such as Luke 18:11, 13; Matthew 6:5; Psalm 28:2; 134:2; 1 Kings 8:22, 54; Daniel 6:10). So it cannot be that there is a particular physical posture of prayer, but rather on the spiritual posture, which is holiness.
Why would this be? In the same way that the leaders of the church are to lead with holiness because they set the tone of the church, they are called to lead prayer in holiness as well (cf. 1 Timothy 3). Remember that prayer is an act of worship (see article #4 listed below), and as an act of worship, we come to him in holiness. It is, of course, a holiness that comes from Him that prepares us for such worship. Therefore, the leaders guide their church in corporate prayer, leading them to do so in holiness.

What this establishes for us is that great intercession for the Great Commission begins with the men leading the church. The reality is that the church will look like its leadership, and so if we are going to establish a culture of prayer for the Great Commission in the church, then our leaders must be praying for the Great Commission in the church.

To read the previous articles in this series, click the following links:

1. All People Praying for All People
2. All People Praying All Things for All People
3. All People Praying for All Leaders
4. Praying As a Response to All God Is

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