[Please join me in praying for the Church on Sundays this year.]
“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you
with knowledge and understanding.” – God (Jeremiah 3:15 ESV)
“When the churches cease to pray for ministers, ministers will no longer be a blessing to the churches.” American Presbyterian pastor, Gardiner Spring (1785-1873)
Imagine yourself as Moses, “leading” a million former slaves, who aren’t exactly united, around a Middle Eastern desert for 40 years. Imagine yourself as the prophet Samuel, anointed by God to spiritually and governmentally lead a people who repeatedly are crying out – against God’s wishes – to have a king. Imagine yourself as Jesus, leading a very small group of mostly young, impressionable Jewish-born-and-raised men for three years as you teach them everything you know – and they still, truly, do not “get it.” Imagine being a pastor/teacher/church leader today who wrestled with a calling to ministry, spent and spends energy, money, and time with the Lord, in education/learning, and in ministering to people, and still feels beat up, let down, overwhelmed, and ineffective. On top of all that, church leaders hear James telling them, “Dear brothers and sisters…we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1) God’s calling isn’t just to a job, but to a higher and more righteous way of living life. Some pastors and church leaders, empowered by Holy Spirit and supported by the prayer and encouragement of those around them, live this out and their ministries are fruitful for the Kingdom. Others, well, don’t and aren’t. Either way, we are to pray for them. The Apostle Paul begged for his spiritual children to pray for him: “Brothers and sisters, I encourage you through our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit creates, to join me in my struggle. Pray to God for me.” (Romans 15:30 GW) Like those in Paul’s churches, we, too, must pray for our spiritual leaders.
Good Shepherd,
Today we come to you to intercede for those in church leadership positions, especially pastors and teachers, evangelists, apostles and prophets. We know you gave these men and women to equip the Church for service, unity in the faith, knowledge, maturity, and fulfillment in Christ. We know that your Body needs strong and talented spiritual leadership that is totally committed to following the Lordship of Jesus Christ and operating under the leadership of Holy Spirit. We pray for these leaders to be good shepherds of your flock under their care. May they watch over your people as you want them to, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to them, but being examples to the flock. May they always hear the word of the Lord and never allow their flock to be plundered or food for spiritual or material wild animals. May their self-care be full of recharge in your Word and Spirit so they can care for their flocks. When the Chief Shepherd appears, may they receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
God, in this day and age, Word-and-Spirit Jesus-followers who are called into positions of ministry leadership are targets for the enemy of our souls. We pray they will be alert and of sober minds, aware of the enemy, the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. God of Grace, we pray they will resist him, standing firm in the faith, and casting all anxiety on you. When sufferings and trials come, we pray you will bless them and make them strong, firm and steadfast in their perseverance so that, having stood the test, they will receive the crowns of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. We know you do not make us timid, but you give power, love, and self discipline. Strengthen them for such a time as this so they are seeking you through pressing, through confusion, through chaos and terror, knowing that you are always with them. May the life of Jesus be revealed in your Body.
May these church leaders always be humbly submitted to the leaders above them. May they be clothed with humility toward one another and under God’s mighty hand so that you may lift them up in due time. May they always be prepared to preach the word, in season and out of season, and to correct, rebuke and encourage your Body —with great patience and careful instruction. May their hearts, minds, and spirits be set on things above, not on earthly things. May they be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with each other and forgiving each other as grievances arise. And over all these virtues, may they put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. May they teach and admonish one another and their flocks with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. May they be shepherds after your own heart, who will feed their flocks with Spirit-infused wisdom and understanding. May their fruits in leadership be abundantly seen and known in the people they lead and the communities they serve. May the peace of Christ rule in their hearts, may they be thankful, and may the message of Christ dwell among them richly. May whatever they do, whether in word or deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. To him be the power for ever and ever and ever….AMEN.
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:1-11 NIV)
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV)
“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.” (Ezekiel 34:7-10 NIV)
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 NIV)
“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1 NLT)
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory… Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:1-4, 10-17)
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV)
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 NIV)
“If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best! (2 Corinthians 4:8-10 MSG)