It is highly significant and instructive that the great Apostle Paul, who was used so mightily of the Lord for the spread of the Gospel in the 1st Century, never ceased to ask God’s people to be praying for him. He understood the sobering realities of the spiritual battle he was engaged in, he understood his own inadequacy for the task, and he understood the indispensible need for God’s people to pray for him if he was to be found faithful. Hear his pleas to this end:
“…and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Eph. 6:19,20)
“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.” (2 Thess. 3:1,2)
In this same way, and for the same reasons, I plead with you to continue to pray for myself and the other men who serve in leadership at RCG. All of us – Smokey, George, Sean, Eric, Pastor Steve, and I – desperately and continually need your prayers!
To spur you on in this blessed task, I commend to you an excellent booklet entitled “A Plea to Pray for Pastors”, by Gardiner Spring. You can “google” the title, and find the booklet online. Consider this excerpt from the booklet, apply it to all of us, and then pray, pray, pray!
And who and what are ministers themselves? Frail men, fallible, sinning men, exposed to every snare, to temptation in every form; and, from the very post of observation they occupy, they are an easier target for the fiery darts of the foe. They are not trite victims the great Adversary is seeking, when he would wound and cripple Christ’s ministers. One such victim is worth more to the kingdom of darkness than a number of common men; and for this very reason their temptations are probably more subtle and severe than those encountered by ordinary Christians. If this subtle Deceiver fails to destroy them, he cunningly aims at neutralizing their influence by quenching the fervor of their piety, lulling them into negligence, and doing all in his power to render their work burdensome. How perilous is the condition of that minister then, whose heart is not encouraged, whose hands are not strengthened, and who is not upheld by the prayers of his people! It is not in his own closet and on his own knees alone, that he finds security and comfort, and ennobling, humbling, and purifying thoughts and joys; but it is when they also seek them in his behalf, that he becomes a better and happier man, and a more useful minister of the everlasting Gospel!
Nothing gives a people so much interest in their minister, and interest of the best kind, as to pray for him. They will love him more, respect him more, attend more cheerfully and gain more profit from his ministry, the more they commend him to God in their prayers. They feel a deeper interest in his work the more they pray for him; and their children feel a deeper interest both in him and in his preaching, when they regularly listen to supplications that affectionately commend him to the throne of the heavenly grace.
Yes, it’s true:I covet something you have.Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I passionately, desperately, constantly covet something you have.I’m consumed with longing for it; I can’t quit thinking about it.Honestly, if I can’t get it from you, I don’t know what I’m going to do.You know what I want?
I covet your PRAYERS!
The longer I pursue all that God has called me to in Christ, the more acutely I feel an overwhelming sense of my complete weakness and inadequacy for the task.To “walk worthy” as His child, to be a godly husband, a diligent father, and a faithful pastor is not only difficult – it is humanly impossible.And so I covet your prayers on a constant basis. I desperately need God’s enabling grace moment-by-moment.Frankly, I know I speak for the other Elders and Pastor Steve in seeking your prayers
As I plead with you for your prayers, such a request could seem to be self-serving.But as I read the New Testament and see the great Apostle Paul so frequently pleading for the prayers of God’s people (as in Eph. 6:19,20; Col. 4:3,4; 2 Thess. 3:1,2; etc.), I’m both encouraged and instructed.
Paul understood that it was beyond his human ability to fulfill the responsibilities of faithfully preaching and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.He was constantly subject to all manner of dangers, temptations, weaknesses, and obstacles.His appeals for prayer were not self-centered, but instead he longed for God’s purposes and glory to be accomplished in his life, and for the Gospel to be powerfully advanced through him.Only divine enablement, provided largely through the prayers of God’s people, could bring this about.
At times, Paul was very personal and specific regarding his needs.Listen to what he says in 2 Cor. 1:8,9:
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead…”
I wouldn’t remotely suggest that I know anything about the kind of suffering Paul experienced.But I will say this:vocational pastoral ministry is profoundly difficult, painful, and consuming.In the spirit of “not wanting you to be unaware,” let me mention some of the challenges of such a calling.
Like any child of God, I’m under orders to “walk worthy” (Eph. 4:1) in every sphere of life.Along with this, I have the additional privilege and responsibility of being an “under-shepherd” in God’s flock.Thus, I must faithfully preach the Word of God (1 Cor. 4:1,2; 2 Tim. 4:1-5), and shepherd the people of God (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3).Such preaching and shepherding involves strenuous labor in prayer, study, preaching, teaching, training, meetings, counseling, evangelism, giving and receiving admonition, planning, phone calls, emails, visitation (in homes, hospitals, and workplaces), etc.Within all of this labor, I must “…pay close attention to myself and my teaching…” (1 Tim. 4:16), knowing that in this burdensome, but glorious work, I will give an account to God (2 Cor. 5:9,10; Heb. 13:17).
Moreover, I live in the same world you live in, and I’m made of the same stuff you are.I deal with the same hassles and difficulties of life (paying bills, taking cars to the mechanic, fixing broken faucets, etc.), and I face the same temptations (“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man…” 1 Cor. 10:13).And I have the same 168 hours each week that you do, and must exercise wisdom in how that time is used.Though woefully imperfect, I resonate with Paul’s testimony in 2 Cor. 11:28,29 – “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”
So brothers and sisters, please pray for me, along with praying for the other Elders and Pastor Steve.Pray that God would give us grace to walk humbly before Him, and fulfill all that He has called us to as under-shepherds among you, His people.Pray that He would be glorified in bearing much fruit in and through our lives (Jn. 15:8), and that the Gospel would advance powerfully through us (2 Thess. 3:1,2).And rest assured that we are praying diligently for you, even as Paul exemplified in such prayers as Eph. 1:15-19; 3:14-21; Col. 1:9-12.
In closing, listen to what Paul goes on to say in 2 Cor. 1:10,11 concerning his longing and appreciation for the prayers of God’s people:
“…who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.”
Prayer is to the soul what breathing is to the lungs. As breathing is the means by which necessary and life-giving oxygen enters into the lungs, so prayer is the means by which God’s necessary and faith-giving grace enters our souls. The only difference in practice between breathing and prayer is that one comes naturally to us, the other does not. But for the person who has been born-again through faith in Jesus Christ, the practice of prayer should become increasingly normal. Let King David teach us this lesson.
Prayer is the expression of a soul longing after God (Ps. 42:1). It is the cry of one in distress (Ps. 18:6), the scream of one in trouble (Ps 61:1,2), the confession of one paralyzed by guilt (Ps. 51), the request of one needing guidance (Ps. 25:4,5), the tears of one saturated with grief (Ps. 6:6,7), the comfort of one who is anxious (Ps. 94:19), the courage of one gripped by fear (Ps. 34:4), the hope of one in despair (Ps. 42:6), the confidence of one who is desperate (Ps. 40:1-3), the strength of one who is weak (Ps. 86:16), the joy of one who is trusting Him alone (Ps. 33:21), the song of one who is secure (Ps. 108:1).
Sadly, too many professing Christians are dull and disinterested when it comes to prayer. Why? Because they have for too long been breathing the polluted air of their own pride and self-sufficiency. Rather than thriving with the fresh air of God’s cleansing and empowering grace - supplied by Jesus Christ and appropriated through prayer. They are content to choke along with a strangled soul. Those in this condition have no power to resist temptation when it comes and they then sink deeper into spiritual slumber and despair. It need not and should not be this way.
The practice of prayer is in reality the practice of humility. Said another way, prayer is the practice of trusting only in God and His Word. The core of all sin is unbelief in the sufficiently of God, trusting in something of our own choosing other than Him. We don’t pray because we don’t trust Him alone to be our refuge. And from this we need to repent.
A drowning person instinctively longs for one necessity: air. Likewise, a humble and broken person is instinctively desperate for one reality: God. To those so inclined, He is eager to show Himself strong.
“Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.” Ps. 62:7,8
(Taken from The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennet, ed., The Banner of Truth Trust: 1975, 2002, pgs.264-265)
O Lord, in prayer I launch far out into the eternal world, and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs over all evils on the shores of mortality. Time, with its gay amusements and cruel disappointments never appears so inconsiderate as then.
In prayer I see myself as nothing; I find my heart going after Thee with intensity, and long with vehement thirst to live to Thee. Blessed be the strong gales of the Spirit that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.
In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.
In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, anxieties disappear, and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.
In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively thoughts at what Thou art doing for Thy church, and I long that Thou shouldest get Thyself a great name from sinners returning to Zion.
In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life, and taste heavenly joys; entering into the eternal world I can give myself to Thee with all my heart, to be Thine for ever.
In prayer I can place all my concerns in Thy hands, to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own.
In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers, sinners, the church, Thy kingdom to come, with greatest freedom, ardent hopes, as a son to his father, as a lover to the beloved.
Help me to be all prayer and never to cease praying.
