One of the most important contributions you can make to your church is to pray for your pastor through the week. There are plenty parishioners who expect to get fed a good meal on Sunday morning, and are quick to get frustrated or discouraged if the meal is lean. But they never think of praying that God would work in and through their pastor. They never place their pastor in God’s hands. They never carry the burden in intercession. What a tragedy! And then they “kick” the pastor when he doesn’t measure up - without considering their own failure to pray. Remember, God spoke through a donkey. Don’t kick the donkey, please! Instead, tune your ear to what the Spirit may be saying to you. There are many serious flaws in our religious system. But that is not a reason to neglect prayer for the minister. I have seen God speak amazing truths on Sunday mornings - even through ministers whom I felt were not at all qualified to preach, or were not even born-again. There have been times when I would be jolted in my pew with a powerful word that I know could only have come from the Spirit. Once I was called to a church that had a minister who was ill and emotionally troubled, but he wouldn’t resign. The people were frustrated. I prayed for him, and then congregation told me how much his preaching suddenly improved. However, they were still too focused on the vessel, so I suggested that they listen to what God is speaking to them through the vessel, and pray for him. They had never thought about doing that. When we invest our own precious time praying for someone, it’s amazing how less prone we are to criticize that person. Instead, love grows. Why not pray for your pastor - that God will put thoughts, illustrations, helpful memories, scriptures etc into his/her mind even as he goes about the weekly duties. Pray that he would have quiet solitary times. Pray that God draw him to Himself. We can also pray that the hearts of the congregation will be willing to receive God’s truths. When I give prayer its proper emphasis, God often shares the same scriptures or ideas that he gives the minister. What a joy it is to hear the very thoughts birthed in the sermon on Sunday that were conceived through intercession. It is truly an honor to bear the burden. But I have to admit that the flesh resists. I often feel so very weak in spirit. It’s no surprise that God first speaks to me about myself. He exposes my own unrighteousness – wrong thoughts, attitudes, etc. And he draws me to his word. That is part of the process of intercession, I guess – to offer myself on the alter. I cannot begin to share the many blessings that have come from it over the past 10 years since God first called me to this. God is full of surprises. God can do the impossible. In fact, he specializes in the impossible. Do you believe that? Diane
