Prayer Works

The other day as I was at the Tag Office, I met a women whose love and concern for fellow Christians shone as a light. As we talked, I shared with her my spiritual goals, which center on the area of spiritual discipline. She expressed her love and concern for ministers of the gospel and their many responsibilities. Her parting comments were “I’ll pray for you.”

To my surprise, I received a call early the next morning to say, “I just wanted you to know that I just finished praying for you.” She offered words of encouragement that stayed with me throughout the remainder of the day. This experience was especially meaningful to me during this month of October, which is Clergy Appreciation Month.

Often ministers are left out when it comes to the prayers of others because they feel that we should be able to handle anything, jump buildings at a single bounce, and never have any problems. However, we do need your prayers and encouragement as we minister to others while at the same time ministering to our own households.

Clergy and their families’ lives are in a fish bowl as we go about doing the work of the Lord. The enemy is constantly roaming to and fro seeking those of us whom he may devour. We have mountaintop experiences wherein we empty ourselves of earthly tensions. But then what? We have to return to our families and friends and co-workers, all those whose lives crisscross and touch our own whom may not be interested in helping us strive for perfection.

God has no intention of any of us being confined to the mountaintop. He wants us to live our lives wholly and with Him at he center of all that we do. However, our children get sick, our jobs are demanding, our spirits get low, we get sick, and our bodies get tired. Spiritual warfare fought in our behalf by parishioners is needed.

The principle of binding and loosing found in Matthew 18:18 forbidding the enemy from attacking our ministers, their families, or the vision of God has been given to them so their congregations can be applied by our prayer warriors as well as by our pastors. Prayers for the children of ministers are needed because children of leaders are under heavy attack. Those young people who have the highest calling on their lives are the ones the enemy is targeting with greatest ferocity and destruction.

Please pray God’s Word and promises concerning our children and stand firmly on them with us. Remember that those things in everyday life, which seek to separate the congregation from God also, seek to try and separate clergy from God. Remember that Satan tempted even Christ. Your pastor needs your prayers as he does spiritual warfare for the congregation, the community, our government, and our schools. Join him in this battle, on his side-not as on seeking ay weaknesses that he may have.

The woman in the Tag Office has no idea how much she meant to me just because she cared. Not just about me as a minister, but as a person. Our paths had not crossed before that day. Imagine how much it would mean to a minister whose life touches yours as you interact with him on a regular basis.

During this National Clergy Appreciation Month, there are many things that you can do to encourage and lift your pastor and ministerial staff. Make it a point to send cards of encouragement, speak words of encouragement, and periodically telephone him to let him know that you’re praying for him. Pray earnest, effectual prayers for your pastors, ministers, and their families. Do things to help lighten his load so that he’ll be freer to study, to pray, to spend time with his family, and to intercede on your behalf.

And most of all, pray that God will give you a heart to receive his teaching and preaching even if it sometimes causes you to say “ouch”. Live what is taught. Let him know that “You’re leading, but we’re following you and supporting you. We appreciate your being available to us and being sent to us. Thanks for all you do!”