The Lord woke me in the night to pray for pastors to remember He loves them more than anyone on this earth has the capability to love. He had me pray they would remember His love is something to be shared with all they meet. He also had me pray for those who are struggling in their ministry to remember all they have to do is call upon Him and He is there to encourage them. Last night I was involved in a discussion with pastors of small churches. There is great discouragement among them. It hurts my heart and I can only imagine how it hurts God to see it. We all must remember God directs our life when we allow Him. If we walked in obedience to the church we are at, He choose the life we are living for us. Therefore, we need to lean into Him for His empowerment to get through the 'tough' days. We cannot fear the future of the church He has put us. Instead we need to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and allow Him to empower us to love those He puts before us and to continue to walk in obedience to His will. When we live such a life, we will be blessed. That does not mean our church will grow to being a large church. Oh course, that will happen if it is in God's will. What it does mean is that God will give us peace no matter what happens. He will give us His wisdom as we make tough financial decisions. He will give us His love to pour into the people. He also will give us joy in the process. This morning God took me to Psalm 48. I love how He works. First, He has me praying for pastors during the night. Then this morning He has me read about the glories of the church. Woo hoo! Matthew Henry writes of the first seven verses, Happy the kingdom, the city, the family, the heart, in which God is great, in which he is all. There God is known. Another word for 'happy' is 'blessed'! Churches will be blessed, pastors will be blessed as they put God first in their lives. Henry continues to write of the last half of the Psalm:
Let our faith in the word of God be hereby confirmed. Let our hope of the stability of the church be encouraged. Let our minds be filled with good thoughts of God. All the streams of mercy that flow down to us, must be traced to the fountain of His loving-kindness. Let us give to God the glory of the great things he has done for us. Let all the members of the church take comfort from what the Lord does for his church. Let us observe the beauty, strength, and safety of the church. Consider its strength; see it founded on Christ the Rock, fortified by the Divine power, guarded by Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps. See what precious ordinances are its palaces, what precious promises are its bulwarks, that you may be encouraged to join yourselves to it: and tell this to others. This God, who has now done such great things for us, is unchangeable in his love to us, and his care for us. If he is our God, he will lead and keep us even to the last. He will so guide us, as to set us above the reach of death, so that it shall not do us any real hurt. He will lead us to a life in which there shall be no more death.
As we lead people to Him, we are leading them to eternal life. Woo hoo! No matter if we are pastoring a church of fifteen or a church of fifteen hundred, He must be the Center of all we do and say. Then we will be blessed. We must remember to praise God through all of the ups and downs of ministry. Verses nine and ten of Psalm 48 in The Message reads:
We pondered your love-in-action, God,
waiting in your temple:
Your name, God, evokes a train
of Hallelujahs wherever
It is spoken, near and far;
your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action.
cDear Jesus,
Thank You for another Saturday night of praying for pastors! Lord, I especially pray for those who are discouraged. I pray for those who will look out over their people this morning and see fifteen or twenty. I also pray for those who will see hundreds or thousands before them. May each one remember, You must be the center of their life and their church. May each one be blessed in a new, different way today. Father, I pray an abundance of strength for Doc today. I pray he would be able to preach as You bless him with Your empowerment. I pray You will go before him and give him Your wisdom and peace. May You also go before me and cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with Your love. May You be greater than me in my words, actions, and attitude. I pray all pastors have this prayer in their heart so people will see Your love through all of us. Lord, I also think of my friend who is not in the pulpit at this time. I pray You will strengthen his faith, heal his hurts, and give him Your peace during this low time in his life. May Your soothing balm come down upon him and give him Your peace and wisdom. I pray for Tom who has ministered in two funerals this week and Scott who will be ministering in his friend John's funeral tomorrow. I pray Your continued strength for them. Lord, may all pastors call upon Your name and glorify it in all their days. Thank You Jesus for being My Center! Amen.
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