Below you will find the update sent out by Ben Everson concerning his wife, Amanda’s operation. Praise the Lord for His goodness!
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Category Archives: Prayer
considered a “dangerous” operation and is pretty routine these days. However, it was a very scary time as she could not breath, and the hours before we knew the diagnosis were testing. The biggest factor is that her epileptic condition can make even the simplest procedures reason to be cautious.This is from the Ministry 127 blog. This is better than many of the “fluff” kind of praying we hear about. Every pastor I know needs help in all these areas.
How to Pray for Pastors
This was sent to me by my friend Pastor Dick Hester. It’s a reminder of why and how we should all pray for our pastors. I hope these things will become a part of your regular prayers for your pastor. He challenges us in praying for our pastors in the following ways:
“Allow me to give some suggestions of things I pray for pastors and leaders:
- I pray that they would love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that their ministry would never steal from them their first love, Jesus Christ.
- I pray that they would love and serve their wife and family with glad hearts and that their family would have love for the ministry instead of resenting it for “stealing” their husband and daddy away.
- I pray for a passion; for conviction and dedication to their calling and to Jesus Christ.
- I pray that they will walk in confidence while kneeling in humility as gentle shepherds who care for their sheep.
- I pray for encouragement in their faith and ministry, and against those who attack, slander, harm, or speak evil against them.
- I pray that their teaching and preaching will be accurate, true, bold, convicting, encouraging, anointed, and Christ-centered.
- I pray that God will guard them from burnout and depression.
- I pray that they will never fall prey to envy, jealousy, insecurity, or comparison.
- I pray for their holiness and purity, and against lust, affairs, love of money, and pride.
- I pray for rest spiritually and physically, and that they know that it is not their ministry they are leading, but God’s.
- I pray that they will finish better than they started.
- I pray that they will take time to have fun, do things they enjoy, spend time with their wives and play with the kids, and get away often to find peace and solitude.
- I pray for God to raise up people around them to assist them, serve them, honor them, encourage them, pray for them, admonish them, and protect them.
- I pray that ministry, teaching, preaching, and leading will never become a chore for them, but that it would always be a joy and blessing to serve the Lord and His people with kindness and gladness, and that they would enjoy every aspect of leading, whether easy or hard, for the glory of God.
I pray these things for pastors or leaders. I hope all of us will pray them for one another.”
(Written by Pastor Dick Hester)
The article below is from the “Wretched Radio” blog…
About nine years ago I developed the following list of prayer requests that I gave to every willing hand. I haven’t passed them out in at least four years, but I decided to resurrect them. Why? I need prayer…badly! And so does your pastor. As leaders in the church we have unique and often more intense temptations (“Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter”). So will you consider praying for your pastor the way I ask my people to pray for me?
1. That the gospel would be the focal point of my life and identity – not manhood, not being a husband, not being a father, not being a pastor, but who I am in Christ.
2. That I would not fear man by desiring the admiration of people; that the Lord’s “Well done” would be ever before my eyes.
3. That the Lord would not allow me to go long between repentances; that I would keep short accounts with him and be sensitive to and ruthless with my sin.
4. That I would continue to grow in the character qualities of the man of God (1 Tim 3:1-7; 2 Tim 2:22-26; Titus 1:5-9).
5. That I would have a consistent, powerful, diligent life of private prayer; that I would grow in my dependence on the Holy Spirit.
6. That the Lord would give me great diligence in study and sermon preparation, making the most of my time.
7. That my preaching and teaching ministry would be empowered by the Holy Spirit; that the Lord would effect real change in our lives through it; and that by it we would be more endeared to Christ.
8. That I would boldly and faithfully and humbly and joyfully and intentionally share the gospel with the non-Christians in my social orbit.
9. That I would see Jesus as supremely valuable, my greatest treasure, and as my dear friend.
R W Glenn
Pastor of Preaching and Vision
Redeemer Bible Church
Minnetonka, MN
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www.redeemerbiblechurch.com
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