Will You Pray For Me?

Will You Pray for Me?

Exodus 17:9-13

[general outline only…please see sermon audio for many illustrations and other content that make this message tick] http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/WillYouPrayForMe.html

Moses is the man of God. He delivered God’s people from Egypt, led them thru the wilderness, dealt w/ the murmuring and disputes. By v. 12 he realizes he cannot do it all alone.

The Rod—symbolizes the Word of God. Moses held it up at the Red Sea, and smote the Rock with it…a picture of holding up the Word of God…but who will hold up the man of God?

Will you pray for me?

Here’s 4 reasons to pray for me every day [may sound selfish, but true]

1. Restoration – Bring back the glory of the ministry and the church. The office of pastor needs a restoration of respect and trust, given away by the last 40 years of scandals that have given us all a black eye.

Examples of Ted Haggard and many others

Each of these did wrong, but all of us suffered.

2. Limitations – mine, specifically! This is easy to agree with when I say it, but hard to remember when I disappoint you: “Human imperfection includes preachers.”

God paints His men in the Bible warts and all, and I’m glad [examples]

I’m not trying to excuse my mistakes in advance…I’m asking, Will you pray for me?

3. Expectations – Hundreds and thousands look to the pastor, and all have different expectations. And you should, and you should make them known, but if I’m gonna be able to amount to much, I’ll need your prayers!

Of course, my real goal cannot be to please everyone, but to please God, and that makes my point all the more…I need prayer!

4. Qualifications – No other profession requires a job description like that of a pastor.

Will you pray for me? Prayer is the oil that greases the wheels. And there’s something else you can do, and put feet to your prayers. Look at Ex. 18:1, 5, 8, 13 and following.

Allow your leaders to delegate…get ready to be asked to help, and to prayerfully seek where you can say yes!

The following is by David Chancey:

How do you pray for your pastor? Let’s use the acrostic P-A-S-T-O-R.

P ¬ Pray for your pastor’s purity. Pastors are human just like everybody else and they are subject to great temptation. One of the greatest downfalls affecting pastors and other ministers these days is Internet pornography. Pray that your pastor will not put himself into a position to be tempted, and that when temptation comes, he’ll have the strength to resist.

Pray also for your pastor’s perseverance. Discouragement comes easily when the work seems to be moving too slowly or when a congregation is underachieving. Burnout among ministers is common because they give and give, and don’t always receive. Fatigue is common. Contrary to belief in some circles, ministers work more than just one day a week.

I heard about one minister who could be found at the train station every day at 3 p.m. One church member finally asked him why he was spending so much time at the train station. He replied, "I come down here to watch the train come in. It’s so refreshing. It’s the one thing I see moving that I don’t have to push."

A ¬ Pray for your pastor’s anointing. Pastors need a fresh touch from God so they’ll have a fresh word for the people. They need God’s power in their life. They need God’s power in the pulpit. Pray that your pastor will not serve in his own strength, but will serve in the power of God.

S ¬ Pray for your pastor’s study time. Pray that he will keep his own spiritual life nourished and fresh. As he prepares Sunday’s message, pray that he’ll have plenty of time that is uninterrupted in which he can discover "a word from the Lord." Pray that he’ll stay up-to-date and will continue growing personally and spiritually. Be sure that he is taking time away now and then to attend conferences and continuing education events that will recharge his spiritual batteries.

T ¬ Pray for your pastor’s time management. A lot pulls at a pastor’s time. His work is never completed. There is always someone else he should have seen, another prospect to visit or another call he needed to make. And in between a myriad of duties, Sunday is still coming whether his sermon is ready or not.

O ¬ Pray for your pastor’s obedience. Pray for God to help your pastor to know and do God’s will.

R ¬ Pray for your pastor’s relationships. Pray for his family and pray that their time together will be rich. Pray for his work with the other ministers on staff. Pray for his relationships with church leaders and with other people in the community. Pray for harmony and a sense of teamwork.

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/WillYouPrayForMe.html