We desperately need pastors and leaders in our local communities to take a stand for righteousness and empower the Church to serve, protect, and defend their territory for the Kingdom of God. With the increased violence and terrorism threatening our country, even in small rural communities, it is evident that the people of God must rise up AS ONE in prayer. We must build walls of prayer around our cities through corporate agreement and oneness of heart, and our leaders are central to heaven’s strategy.

Regardless of the ongoing political wars in D.C., the body of Christ – the “Ekklesia” of God – is to be the primary change agent in our culture. We are the ones uniquely empowered to turn the tide of fear and deception and demonstrate heaven’s rule on the earth. This is why God has appointed spiritual leaders and overseers in His Church so that we can rise up as a holy people, set apart to show forth the praise and power of the Most High God (see 1 Peter 2:9).

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If we are to experience the kind of oneness and unity of heart that brings heaven to earth, we must learn how to bless those in leadership, especially those in the Church. We must willingly embrace those who serve as spiritual leaders in our cities and pray that they would be set on fire by the power of God. They are the ones who have been given heaven’s charge to watch over our souls and care for our well-being.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

Though God uses all the gifts and parts of the body to strengthen and establish a healthy church, it is the shepherds and overseers in each city that carry an added authority and responsibility for that territory. Regardless of their individual personality traits, human weaknesses, or leadership deficiencies, they have been given a charge and we have been urged to pray for them so that their assignment will be a joy and not a burden.

Because the adversary knows the power of blessing upon our leaders, the powers of the air continue to stir up strife, dissension, and rebellion against leadership. The curses being spoken against leadership in the country have power in the spirit. If we are to have spiritual authority to displace those rulers in high places, we must bless the spiritual leaders that God has appointed in our own cities and states.

We start reversing the curses by first repenting for any way we have personally cursed them or spoken against them. We must acknowledge any bitterness towards those in authority, especially in the Church. We must lay down any corporate offenses against the body of Christ and release any need for personal vindication from those who have hurt us. Unless we clear our own hearts of these offenses and hurt, our prayers will carry little weight in heaven (see James 5:16).

When our own hearts have been cleansed and our conscience cleared, we can then release true blessing on those in authority and heaven will move on our behalf. It is the spirit of the sovereign Lord that can turn hearts and change minds. This is what we can pray for. It is through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit that God’s leaders will be truly empowered to fulfill their heavenly mandate. When believers in local communities bless their shepherds and spiritual leaders, it opens the way for God’s protective covering to come and blanket that community with His presence and His blessing. This is what heaven is drawn to and what brings the anointing of the Lord so that Kingdom rule can come (see Psalm 133).

We can pray Isaiah 11:2-5 as the framework for our intercession on behalf of those leading our own cities. If there are leaders who are not set on Kingdom purposes but their own, we can pray that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes and ears to the spiritual realities of their call and come into alignment with the Father’s purposes. Instead of joining the chorus of curses being blasted across the internet, let’s change the atmosphere by blessing our leaders and calling on the Spirit of God to lift the deception and fear in order for all to embrace the realities of the Kingdom and the love of the King.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. (Isaiah 11:2-5)

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