"I am convinced that most church members have little or no appreciation of the cost of being a pastor.
They know what their pastor looks like and sounds like on the outside, but they have little more idea of what is happening on the inside than they have about what is happening on the inside of their digital watch they look at many times a day.
If God is going to raise up a new army of intercessors who will support pastors and other Christian leaders in effective, fervent prayer, these intercessors need to know both the scope and the urgency of the task ahead of them.
I am going to be as frank as I possibly can in this chapter. I do not want to be sensational.
This is not a column for the National Enquirer. Nothing I say about pastors and other leaders is to be taken as critical any more than a doctor diagnosing hepatitis or high blood pressure is critical of the patient.
The purpose is healing. I believe that intercession can not only be therapeutic for pastors' spiritual and emotional maladies but much more importantly, I believe prayer can be preventative...
The pastor church members see week in and week out are on their best behavior.
They are appropriately dressed, they have a cheerful disposition, they are affirming, they do not lose their temper, they watch their language they treat their spouses well, they are unselfish, they work hard, they keep smiling and they hope their people see them as Christlike.
But this is only part of the story. Pastors are also human beings.
They are saved by grace, but they are saved and sanctified no differently from the auto mechanics and lawyers in their congregations.
Many, if not most, pastors will actually remind their people of this in their sermons from time to time."
Today's post: #28 Why Pastors Need Intercession, in the series taken from C. Peter Wagner's book, PRAYER SHIELD, How to intercede for pastors, Christian leaders and others on the spiritual frontlines. (pg. 61) By Regal Books
Let's pray: A prayer of thanks for pastors:
mail@biblesmtp.com
"We thank You for the spiritual leaders You have placed in our lives. We thank You for those who express personal concern when they see that we’re troubled and offer Bible-based counsel and encouragement. We thank You for those who contend earnestly for the faith as taught in the Bible. We’re strengthened as they kneel before You and lift us up in prayer as you’ve given them a burden to care for our soul. We hole them in the highest regard as they carefully deliver Scriptural truths that will keep us from being shaken as the slide to decadence continues to increase. Keep them and their family members safe from the evil one so that they are victorious in their Christian walk and remain a solid example to those whom they shepherds. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen."
Today’s Bible verse: Is. 32:15 "Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest."
Today's quote: Justus Martin - “God will give us compassion, with wisdom, so we’ll know what part we can play in ministering to others. No act is too small. Whatever God directs, we’re to do.”
Some thoughts today: Jesus stayed on the course His Father had given Him because of the joy He knew would be His, and ours. We can be captured by the hope of our future with Jesus. Jesus, be the hope and finisher of my faith!
- Today, as a Christian, we can enjoy God’s pleasure. Through Christ, we are accepted! It’s completely different from all other religions!
- Don’t be afraid to pray for any need, as God wants to show you He’s able to answer.
But this is only part of the story. Pastors are also human beings.
They are saved by grace, but they are saved and sanctified no differently from the auto mechanics and lawyers in their congregations.
Many, if not most, pastors will actually remind their people of this in their sermons from time to time."
Today's post: #28 Why Pastors Need Intercession, in the series taken from C. Peter Wagner's book, PRAYER SHIELD, How to intercede for pastors, Christian leaders and others on the spiritual frontlines. (pg. 61) By Regal Books
Let's pray: A prayer of thanks for pastors:
mail@biblesmtp.com
"We thank You for the spiritual leaders You have placed in our lives. We thank You for those who express personal concern when they see that we’re troubled and offer Bible-based counsel and encouragement. We thank You for those who contend earnestly for the faith as taught in the Bible. We’re strengthened as they kneel before You and lift us up in prayer as you’ve given them a burden to care for our soul. We hole them in the highest regard as they carefully deliver Scriptural truths that will keep us from being shaken as the slide to decadence continues to increase. Keep them and their family members safe from the evil one so that they are victorious in their Christian walk and remain a solid example to those whom they shepherds. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen."
Today’s Bible verse: Is. 32:15 "Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest."
Today's quote: Justus Martin - “God will give us compassion, with wisdom, so we’ll know what part we can play in ministering to others. No act is too small. Whatever God directs, we’re to do.”
Some thoughts today: Jesus stayed on the course His Father had given Him because of the joy He knew would be His, and ours. We can be captured by the hope of our future with Jesus. Jesus, be the hope and finisher of my faith!
- Today, as a Christian, we can enjoy God’s pleasure. Through Christ, we are accepted! It’s completely different from all other religions!
- Don’t be afraid to pray for any need, as God wants to show you He’s able to answer.
Saturday’s post: He Meets Us Where We Are Tracey Crump
Sunday's post: The Silent Sermon GodVine
A popular post: Be on the Alert: Prayer Note #113 Dutch Sheets shares this with us today: "The Bible talks about watching- in various ways and for different reasons, not the least of which is watching in prayer."
Samples of Jean's crafts
http://twitter.com/jeanoathout
http://facebook.com/jean.oathout
Sunday's post: The Silent Sermon GodVine
A popular post: Be on the Alert: Prayer Note #113 Dutch Sheets shares this with us today: "The Bible talks about watching- in various ways and for different reasons, not the least of which is watching in prayer."
Samples of Jean's crafts
http://twitter.com/jeanoathout
http://facebook.com/jean.oathout
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