Before I went to bed I prayed for pastors. During the night every time I woke I prayed for pastors. The first thought I had when I woke was to pray for pastors. I love Saturday nights when pastors are brought to my mind. I pray people pray for their pastors. Many cannot comprehend the weight a pastor is under. For example, those who live in areas of bad weather will get up this morning and wonder if there is church. Some will call their pastor to ask. If they are in a large church, the pastor may not even be the one to make the decision. If church is cancelled, some will be mad at the pastor. If it is not cancelled, some will be mad at the pastor. Sometimes the pastor cannot win. There will be pastors who go and shovel the snow, salt the ice, plow the parking lot, etc. before anyone else gets there. Some pastors will walk around the church checking to make sure every room is ready for the day, the heat is working, etc. before anyone arrives. There is more to being a pastor than preaching. But many do not realize this. I prayed during the night for pastors who are on mission trips to not worry about what is happening back home. I prayed for those filling the pulpit to be filled with the Holy Spirit and pastors who will preach with an interpreter to be blessed. I prayed for pastors who will hear Dan Bohi and his team to be filled with God's love in a new, different way. I prayed for pastors who need a physical touch to receive. Most of all I prayed for pastors who need to be refreshed in their spirits to leave a new person. God provides exactly what we need, when we need it, when we allow Him to do so. He fills us up with more of Himself so people will see/hear Him instead of us when we step out of the way. God took me to Psalm 40 this morning. David waited patiently for the Lord. He had hope in God. He trusted God. He had faith that God would deliver him. In verses nine and ten it shows how he proclaimed God's love as he waited. That is exactly what we are to do today as we wait on His return. We are to be bold in our witness. As pastors proclaim the Gospel, they are to do so in a way that will be grasped by the people. Matthew Henry wrote of verse eleven: "The best saints see themselves undone, unless continually preserved by the grace of God." God's love, mercy, and grace are needed by all every day to get to live with Him for eternity. We cannot live in this world without Him and go to heaven. If we want our friends and family to be with us for eternity, we need to present the Gospel to them in a way they will desire to live a life for Him on this earth. Verse sixteen in The Message reads:
But all who are hunting for you—
oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
Yes! We cannot quit until all in our realm of influence hear the truth about God. We cannot quit until we know we have done everything there is to do to share the Gospel. God does not make quitters. When times get discouraging we may want to quit but we cannot quit. He did not call us to quit but instead He called us to win souls for Him.
cDear Jesus,
Thank You for the privilege to pray for pastors throughout the night. Thank You for Psalm 40 that encourages all to not quit in sharing Your love with others. Thank You for Your cleansing power that will wash me white as snow today so I can be Christ-like to all I meet. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. May You be greater than my flesh. Lord, go before all who will go into the pulpit today and speak boldly through them. I pray for pastors who will be listening to Dan Bohi and his team; Michael Adams; and others who are visiting in churches. I pray they will be refreshed and renewed through the services they are not in the pulpit. I pray for pastors who need a spiritual touch to receive it and be changed in their spirit. I pray for pastors who need a physical healing to receive it and be ready to share their healing not only in words but also in the empowerment their healing gives them. I pray for Mike Dennis as he and his team minister in Guatemala. Lord, go before the pastors who are discouraged and encourage them in a way their spirits will be changed. Thank You Jesus for being My Greatest Influence. Amen.
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