As I was reading 1 Chronicles yesterday, the word gatekeeper kept on coming up. Gatekeepers are people who are on the lookout for trouble that might be brewing up. They would be stationed in the high place of the tower to see if there are enemies approaching.
The gatekeepers were placed at every gate, the entrances to the tent of meeting, on the four sides, east, west, north and south (v.24). The chief gatekeepers were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasures in the house of God. Those gatekeepers would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it. They opened the gates each morning.
Gatekeepers play an important role in the safety of the kingdom. Gatekeepers reminds me of a ministry in the church that is often neglected which is prayer. As crucial as strategic plannings are, one of the things every leader must realize is that we are running a spiritual organization. Spiritual warfare is a given.
We need to have a strong team of gatekeepers or what we might call intercessors. Though all believers are called to pray, I believe that we must have a team of people who would champion it in our congregation. People who would rally behind the pastors in prayer. Gatekeepers who would sound a spiritual warning when they sense an impending spiritual attack coming.
Who are your prayer partners???
Some great resources on building a prayer ministry:
