Thoughts for Life: #70 You Are Responsible to Keep Strong & Blessed Through Prayer

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Spiritual ministry demands spiritual power. The Holy Spirit is the source of all power, and He is given in answer to prayer.

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Luke 11:13). (Google image, Pray for your pastor).

That promise is given by Jesus immediately after He had given the great command-promise:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Then for fear that Satan might tempt you to think this promise is for some specially chosen ones and not for you, Jesus added,

"For every one who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Luke 11:9-10).

This tremendous promise is available as you pray according to the will of God for many kinds of things. But as Jesus pointed out in verse 13, it is specially given in reference to the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual ministry is dependent upon the Spirit. There is no other way. You can never minister effectively unless you are filled with the Spirit and daily anointed, led, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Your greatest need if you desire to see the conviction of sin among the unsaved and the growth and blessing of your people is the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit.

Our teaching and our sermons, unless empowered by the Spirit, may hinder rather than bless. Truth in itself does not transform. Truth applied by the Spirit changes lives.

The effectiveness of your leadership is dependent upon your spiritual life. E. M. Bounds emphasized years ago,

"Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men." Again he wrote, "The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come upon machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men—men of prayer."

Dr. A. J. Gordon urged,

"Our generation is rapidly losing its grip upon the supernatural; and as a consequence the pulpit is rapidly dropping to the level of the platform. And this decline is due, we believe, more than anything else, to an ignoring of the Holy Spirit as the supreme inspirer of preaching.

You as a leader must maintain constantly a communing heart. You must live in God's presence and "under his wings" (Ps. 91:4),"in the shadow of" his loving wings (Ps. 36:7). Closeness to God and refuge in God are implied by these metaphors. You are not only to come close to God (Heb. 7:19; 10:22; James 4:8), but are to live close to Him throughout your days.

The local church is made or destroyed by its leaders. It is usually like leader like people. Only praying leaders have praying followers. A godly, dynamic, praying leader is God's gift to the people. A leader weak and careless in prayer is often a hindrance to God and the people.

Leaders who know how to pray are God's greatest gift to the church and to the earth.

Your task as a Christian leader is too big for you. Its immensity and awesomeness must drive you to prayer. Your vocation is too large for you and your calling too sacred for you. But God is available for your ministry if you are willing to pay the price in prayer.

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Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#70 You Are Responsible to Keep Strong & Blessed Through Prayer
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 213 - 216) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Praying for pastors
and their families

Father, as our pastor's spiritual ministry needs spiritual power through prayer, call us to fervent prayer on their behalf.
Their ministry depends upon Your Spirit to help them be effective as they are filled daily with Your Spirit to be anointed, led, and empowered.
Help them to see that our greatest need in order to see the conviction of sin among the unsaved and the growth and blessing of their people, is the powerful presence of Your Spirit.
May we understand that leaders who know how to pray are Your greatest gift to the churches and to the earth.
It is therefore our responsibility to cover ours with daily prayer, that they'll take time to pray for those who make up their congregations.
We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Luke 6:47, 48 (KJV) "Whosoever cometh to me, and
heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to
whom he is like: (48) He is like a man which buildt an
house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock:
and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon
that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon
a rock."

Heb. 10: 23-25 (KJV) "Let us hold fast the profession of
our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
(24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting
one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Today's quote-

Charles Spurgeon- "Our Lord Jesus does not flatter us. He lets us see our cases as they are. His searching eye perceives the bare truth of things. He is 'the faithful and true witness' (Rev. 3:14) who deals with us according to the rule of uprightness. Oh, seeking soul, Jesus loves you too much to flatter you. Therefore, I ask you to have such confidence in Him that, however much He may rebuke . . . you by His Word and Spirit, you may without hesitation reply. 'Truth, Lord.' " Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon on Prayer and Spiritual Warfare.

Today's question-

Do you understand what it is God wants for us?

Because God is a personal God, He changes us from the inside out through our investments in getting to know Him and others of the faith.
When we know the vision of our church, it's important that we support our leaders with faith that they have God's vision.
God wants to draw believers together so He can build their faith in Him. It takes a family to stay in faith. Nothing can build the church better than healthy relationships. How else can we learn to have our faith stimulated, than in connecting with others?
May it be true that we leave a legacy of obedience to Christ's commands, and a willingness to support our leaders, both in our church and in the leadership of our nation.

Upcoming posts-

What Difference Does it Make?

14th- Saturday's post by Sharon Jaynes

#71 Your Prayer Controls Your Work

17th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#72 Prayer Prepares God's Blessing for Each Service