Your Team Needs You!

by Sheri Schofield

“I am having insulin rushes in the middle of the night,” my husband said. “The doctor said it is not diabetes and won’t do any more testing for two months. She doesn’t have time. But I need to get this under control!”

All week long I had been directing Vacation Bible School at our church. Tim’s symptoms had started just before VBS began. Now his entire body was shaking most of the time. Tim is usually very calm, but now he was afraid.

I suspected that his symptoms had come to a head simply because I was involved in teaching children about the plan of salvation that week, and the devil wanted to distract me. So he was attacking my husband. This had happened before.

I called Tim’s mom, my best friend. “Dollie, will you please pray for Tim to get help for this medical problem, and for the devil’s schemes to be thwarted while I tell these children about Jesus?”

Dollie began praying immediately. Tim planned to go to the emergency room the next morning. Things were getting out of hand. But the next day, all the symptoms were gone! And they have not returned.

Ephesians 6 teaches us about a spiritual world that may be invisible but is alive and active. Paul writes, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) We are mostly unaware of this reality until those deeds of darkness are aimed straight at us.

Over the years, I have learned that whenever I undertake a large outreach for Jesus, the devil attacks me where I am most vulnerable: my husband or my children have a crisis. So I am no longer surprised by the crisis when it comes. Instead, I call upon true prayer warriors to pray the crisis away. I keep my eyes on Jesus and He puts His peace in my heart while I continue on with the task. There’s no way I’m going to give Satan the victory!

Are there pastors or missionaries in your life, people who are serving God? Are there leaders who are always there for you in your time of need? They need your prayers! For everyone who ministers in the name of Jesus faces what I faced this past week. The devil is bent on distracting them from their work for Jesus.

Those who belong to Jesus are a team. Paul called those in supportive roles “partners in the gospel” (Philippians 1:5). We each have a part to play. Prayer warriors are valuable and essential assets to any leader. So join the spiritual battle these servants of Jesus face daily! Be part of their team by holding them up in prayer so that they may minister freely without personal crises to distract them. Your team needs you!

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 NIV

About the author: Children’s ministry veteran Sheri Schofield was unexpectedly called on to save her husband’s life, a battle that took her to the Pentagon, Congress, National Security and the President of the United States. At her website, www.SheriSchofield.com, she shares this journey in her book One Step Ahead of the Devil. Sheri’s new book, The Prince And The Plan, will be launched June 1. It is designed to help parents lead their children into a saving relationship with Jesus.

Join the conversation: In what ways have you supported those in full-time ministry?

Photo by Perry Grone on Unsplash