The Weekly Encourager - April 6, 2011 - "Brothers, pray for us."

On Sunday, Pastor Dave Coffin preached on an important duty: "Brothers, pray for us." (1 Thessalonians 5:25)

I remembered a conversation I had once with a person who sounded dissatisfied with her pastor.  She noted certain personal shortcomings and said that his sermons didn't provide spiritual food for the whole week.  My first question to her was, how much time do you spend praying for your pastor?  The New Testament contains many requests for and references to the people of God praying for ministers of the Word.  Pastor Coffin noted that if any minister was blessed with impeccable background, great natural ability, superior education, high position, and surpassing spiritual experience, it would be the apostle Paul.  Yet Paul asks for prayer over and over in his letters to the churches.  How much more then should we pray for the preachers God has given us!

About spiritual food for the week, I made another comment to that lady.  Jesus asks, in His model for prayer, "Give us our daily bread," not "our weekly bread."  I reminded this person of the importance of having your own spiritual relationship with God, being diligent to read and study His word on a regular basis, praising God as you go about your day, meeting with family or friends for fellowship and prayer outside of church.  If I am invited to someone's home for a great feast on Sunday, that doesn't mean I skip all meals Monday through Saturday!  On the contrary, Christians have spiritual low blood sugar.  If we don't eat at regular intervals, we grow faint in faith.

As for the pastor's shortcomings, my thought is this: if you have extra powers of perception to point out problems, it probably means you have high intelligence, desire for excellence, keen insight, and analytical ability.  Rejoice!  These are fine gifts to be used for the glory of God and the good of the church.  But beware: these gifts can be used for good or for evil.  Because we aren't perfect either, it's a lot easier to criticize than to pray.  I firmly believe that if we see particular problems in a person, we are called to pray for that person more specifically and more fervently than the "average" Christian who doesn't have such insight.  It's easier to gripe than to get on our knees, but that is the way to honor the Lord (and make a difference!).

How much time do you spend praying for your pastor?  Start today.

God is faithful,
j

Copyright 2011 Janet A. Marney

To hear the sermon by David F. Coffin, Jr., go to http://newhopefairfax.org/ and click on Resources, Sermons to Hear, 04/03/11 "Pray for Ministers."