2nd Chronicles 7:12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
This passage of scripture teaches us that we should pray for our religious leaders, whether they belong to our own community or not, for they wield tremendous influence over the masses of the people, and therefore their actions and decisions are duplicated across the land, and especially in their congregations. Religious leaders are the ones who should know and understand the sacred laws of God, with the attending consequences for violation or observance respectively. Balaam was keenly aware of the fact that when God's people are walking in harmony with His laws, then there is no enchantment against them, for God's omnipotent power is exercised in their behalf, and enemies that are visible and invisible are routed, much to their chagrin.
But whenever religious leaders and their congregations can be led to violate their consciences by breaking the commandments of God, then His shield of protection is withdrawn, and the forces of evil then take over, causing destruction and panic on an unprecedented scale. When Balaam tried to work his voodoo on the Hebrews in the dead of night whilst they were asleep, the angels of God prevented him, and in this rare instance, God forced blessings out of an unwilling mouth, to the point where king Balak became disappointed, angry, and frustrated. The reason why Balaam was prevented from calling down curses on the children of Israel, was because at that time there was no iniquity to be found in their encampment, and thus the protection of God was engaged in their behalf. Let's read:
Numbers 23:4 And God met Balaam".... 5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? 18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: 19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. 23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel".....
Spiritual leaders who know and understand this sacred truth of cause and effect are now in positions of great authority, and therefore unceasing prayer and supplication should be made in their behalf, lest they lead their flocks into forbidden paths, with the inevitable catastrophic consequences that will certainly accrue. Some religious authorities are keenly aware of these sacred truths, whilst others are not, and so it is the sacred duty of all Christians to pray to God, that the minds of televangelists, pastors, and priests may be led according to the laws and institutions of God, rather than be swayed by what may be politically correct, or popularly expedient.
A terrible conflict is often waged in the minds of religious leaders, as to whether they should capitulate to the clamors of the sin-loving multitudes, or whether they should stand their ground, relying firmly and solely on a plain "Thus saith The Lord" and nothing else. Thus we are admonished to pray without ceasing, so that the minds of these spiritual leaders may not cave in to the sophistries and doctrines of devils, but like the faithful in ages past, will speak the truth plainly, whether the people will hear or whether they will forbear. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which specifically asks us to pray in this context, for we are living in dangerous times, and the sincere prayers of the righteous will avail much. Let's read:
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!