Pray For Your Pastor's Prayers
Helping One Another Serve Christ in Worship
Howdy,
As this section of the Westminster Directory of Public Worship closes out it ends with a transitional paragraph which readies us for what comes next, and that is preaching. We’ve before made the argument that Reformed worship is highlighted by the “Three P’s”: Preaching, Praying, and Praising. While preaching is central to the conversion of sinners and the comforting of saints it is prayer and praise where we receive the opportunity to speak personally ourselves to the living God. Again, what I am about to say is not to discount what we are called to do in all of worship in the days leading up to the Lord’s Day. However, it is especially in prayer that we see the nature of the strength of our own faith. Being conversant with the language of the Bible informs our heart and soul when we open to expose our needs to our Heavenly Father. The Psalms especially witness to how David learned so much from the experience of those who came before in dealing with the trials and tribulations of living in a fallen world.
Not to belabor the point, but one of the things about worship is that each part of it is meant to support the other. Nothing is disconnected from the movement before or after. We respond in praise to the call to worship. As we read the word of God we stand in respect, and then pray before the preacher begin to explore the testimony of Christ in the sermon. It is central to why we should never, to use a sports analogy, take plays off. We are to put our hand in the dirt and fly to the ball as each portion of the service comes and goes. If we get bored in the worship of our God it is because we are not spiritually engaged in what is taking place. One way we can ensure that this does not happen is to pray for the Spirit’s help to shew away the doubts and temptations of the evil one as he attempts to hide our hearts from Jesus.
Here’s the last portion for today. Let’s read it together:
More particularly, that God would in a special manner furnish his servant (now called to dispense the bread of life unto his household) with wisdom, fidelity, zeal, and utterance, that he may divide the word of God aright, to every one his portion, in evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power; and that the Lord would circumcise the ears and hearts of the hearers, to hear, love, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save their souls; make them as good ground to receive in the good seed of the word, and strengthen them against the temptations of Satan, the cares of the world, the hardness of their own hearts, and whatsoever else may hinder their profitable and saving hearing; that so Christ may be so formed in them, and live in them, that all their thoughts may be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and their hearts established in every good word and work for ever.
We judge this to be a convenient order, in the ordinary public prayer; yet so, as the minister may defer (as in prudence he shall think meet) some part of these petitions till after his sermon, or offer up to God some of the thanksgivings hereafter appointed, in his prayer before his sermon.
I hate talking about myself, but as the one under consideration in those opening sentences of the first paragraph I cannot thank you enough for the prayers you make for me, during the week, while I am preaching, and especially after all things are over. I tremendously value the supplications made to the Lord that I remain faithful, humble, and focused on what Christ has called me to do. Feeding His sheep, tending to their needs, and calling sinners to repentance and unbelievers to faith takes a village lifting up your pastor to the throne of grace. There are many voices in the head of your minister telling him to soften the message, cut corners, and smudge portions of the revealed will of God for all kinds of personal and professional reasons. The temptation is always there to, as Paul put it to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:3), tickle ears in order to grow in numbers. However, that’s not what a preacher is called to do. He is to preach Christ and Him crucified, the true hope for all mankind. Your pastor needs your prayers, he prizes them. (2 Cor. 1:11, Phil. 1:3, 1 Thess. 1:2, 1 Tim. 2:1, Philemon 1:4, Neh. 11:17).
In that act of proclaiming God’s word we also in our prayers are seeking that the Holy Spirit will apply the truth of the gospel as it is sowed by the sower. We pray that the ground will be heartily receptive, that the thorns will be removed, and that the young plant protected from all enemies, foreign and domestic will then thrive. Part of our confidence in these adoring words of hope is that not only that the Lord hears what we have to say, but that we believe the promise Jesus has attached to the preaching will come to pass. Any minister worth his salt recognizes his own weakness and inability to do all that he can do in the time allotted to him, either in the lone Sunday morning, or throughout his time in the pulpit. Both the hearer and the speaker are relying on the application of God’s gracious love despite that weakness. It’s part of the beauty of the Christian faith that we are wholly reliant on He who has tabernacled with us and that we rest in that glory for all things. It is such a spiritual relief to recall that He has all things in His hands.
In closing this morning we have taken stock of a central part of the mercy of God. Our prayers are never unheeded or unheard. No matter how far we may feel from Him, He is never absent from us. As we grow in faith we more and more see that. When it comes to the pastoral prayer we are helped greatly by our own walk in not only preparing for this part of our worship, but in benefitting from it for the week ahead. I encourage you to take stock of your spiritual heart health as we come into the house of God this week. Be in prayer for your pastor’s prayers. We lift one another up and serve one another best when we bring each other as one in prayer.
Last word:
https://www.crossway.org/articles/how-to-pray-for-your-pastor
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church