Sunday, November 4, 2001
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Sunday, November 4, 2001 |
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How to pray for your pastor
By DR. DAVID CHANCEY One of the greatest sermons ever preached on American soil was proclaimed by early American pastor Jonathan Edwards. The title was "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," and the message had tremendous impact as it helped to spark the revival movement known as "The Great Awakening." When Edwards preached, he read from a manuscript that he held close to his face. He was plain-spoken with hardly any animation. There was no eye contact with his listeners. Yet, while he was describing man's need for salvation, it was reported that a man jumped from his seat and ran to the front of the church screaming, "Stop, please stop, lest I slip into Hell." He was so convicted that he could not wait until the end of the sermon to be converted. Other worshippers grabbed hold of the pews in front of them and cringed in conviction. The movement of God was obvious and powerful. On Friday night, just before Edwards preached this particular sermon, a group of adults were so burdened about the spiritual condition of their neighbors that they came together to pray for their unchurched community. They intended to pray for just a little while, but before they realized it, the sun was coming up and they had been praying all night long. Looking back, people who study great awakenings firmly believe that there was a direct connection between Edward's preaching on Sunday and the people's praying on Friday. Praying for your ministers is critical. Prayer is a great work, and a great contribution to the work of ministry. How do you pray for your pastor? Let's use the acrostic P-A-S-T-O-R. P Pray for your pastor's purity. Pastors are human just like everybody else and they are subject to great temptation. One of the greatest downfalls affecting pastors and other ministers these days is Internet pornography. Pray that your pastor will not put himself into a position to be tempted, and that when temptation comes, he'll have the strength to resist. Pray also for your pastor's perseverance. Discouragement comes easily when the work seems to be moving too slowly or when a congregation is underachieving. Burnout among ministers is common because they give and give, and don't always receive. Fatigue is common. Contrary to belief in some circles, ministers work more than just one day a week. I heard about one minister who could be found at the train station every day at 3 p.m. One church member finally asked him why he was spending so much time at the train station. He replied, "I come down here to watch the train come in. It's so refreshing. It's the one thing I see moving that I don't have to push." A Pray for your pastor's anointing. Pastors need a fresh touch from God so they'll have a fresh word for the people. They need God's power in their life. They need God's power in the pulpit. Pray that your pastor will not serve in his own strength, but will serve in the power of God. S Pray for your pastor's study time. Pray that he will keep his own spiritual life nourished and fresh. As he prepares Sunday's message, pray that he'll have plenty of time that is uninterrupted in which he can discover "a word from the Lord." Pray that he'll stay up-to-date and will continue growing personally and spiritually. Be sure that he is taking time away now and then to attend conferences and continuing education events that will recharge his spiritual batteries. T Pray for your pastor's time management. A lot pulls at a pastor's time. His work is never completed. There is always someone else he should have seen, another prospect to visit or another call he needed to make. And in between a myriad of duties, Sunday is still coming whether his sermon is ready or not. O Pray for your pastor's obedience. Pray for God to help your pastor to know and do God's will. R Pray for your pastor's relationships. Pray for his family and pray that their time together will be rich. Pray for his work with the other ministers on staff. Pray for his relationships with church leaders and with other people in the community. Pray for harmony and a sense of teamwork.
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