Prayer for Pastors

Father,

I see hurting pastors and hurting pastor’s wives all around this world. I hear their prayer requests. Lord, you hear so much more than my small outreach. I know you hear them, for you called them. They are yours.

The realities of 2020 are hard on all of us. But they are weighing heavily on our pastors and their wives. God, in our heaviness, we rely on these leaders to fill us with truth and promise from the Word. We trust them with our prayer requests. We lean on them as our Pastor. As we should, for you called them to do just that.

With the weight of 2020 weighing each of us down, many pastors are feeling the weight of the world, quite literally. They are carrying the weight of the physical church AND of each person who makes up the body of believers within that church. That is so much to carry.

Many are doing this without an open pulpit to preach to us and without allowance to counsel us and without full freedom to do what they were called and equipped to do.

Oh, Lord, I cry to you this morning on behalf of pastors.

Lord, I ask that you will hear their prayers.

~ Hold their emotions.

~ Fill them with strength and courage and confidence and purpose.

~ Help them rise above the storm of this year.

~ Help them to stand on the wave that is crashing.

~ Help them to see and to know and to fully comprehend that Your will will be done.

Father, as you work out the plan of your mighty hand in holy response to the darkness all around, I pray simply and sweetly for those who answered the call to preach and to lead. Father, breathe on each of them the breath of life. Renew their spirit. Sharpen their call. Reset their program. And lead them down the path of righteousness their congregation needs to go.

And, Lord, send a friend (a sweet, trusting friend) to pastor wives. Lord, let them know in full assurance that they are not alone.

Amen.

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Two Words: Home Work :)

With all the brilliance out there encouraging us to Stay Safe and Stay Connected I want to offer a different thought. Something a tad outside the bubble we are all living in.

Two words: Home Work

Now, don’t roll your eyes at me because we have plenty to study.

1. That Man

Things are real right now for some of us. 24 hours together tends to prove there may be a load of knowledge welled up in the proclamation of love growing in absence thing. So, what happens when social distancing disallows for your heart to abound in separation? Lol. We study.

Take today as a brand new opportunity to study this man. Who is he today? Yes, we know what he was like when we were dating. We know what he is like after a hard day at work. And we know the simple ways that make him smile. But some things may have turned upside down. Let’s not lose this opportunity to grow in knowledge. Let’s abound in understanding. And let’s be strong enough to enjoy right now with him.

According to Scripture, that’s wisdom. According to me, that’s fun wisdom! 😉 I say, let’s have fun!

Here’s your passage:

~ Proverbs 24:3-4

Here’s your challenge:

– Fresh sheets in a clean, candlelit room.

– Lingerie

– You know, shave.

– Be nice. 🙂

– Listen and hear what he is saying (FYI – I failed this one this week)

– Share your emotions. Maybe less demonstrating and more sharing. Unless your demonstrating resorts back to the fresh sheets, then by all means … demonstrate. 😉

– Send those “under agers” to their rooms, put on some music or a full concert of your favorite singer/band on YouTube, grab something delicious and get lost in conversation.

– Fall in love.

Let me tell you, a girlfriend of mine is a stay at home mom of one year old twins. 🙂 Did you feel her reality?? She ordered dinner from a favorite restaurant, slipped on a dress and stilettos, put on makeup and shaved, and surprised her husband with a date night.

That takes a lot of work and planning and preparation and energy. I say, we learn from her and seize today for what it is, a time for Home work.

2. That Child

…. yes, but, number one is too much fun to group into anything else. Kids will come later. Let’s stick with number one. Like, let’s jump online and order some things…

Ready?

Go!

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Lord, I Pray Your Rest Upon Those Who Call You Lord

Lord, Your rest is given to those who call You Lord.

Lord.

I pray for rest.

I pray for Your rest to wrap its arms around the faces that are flooding my soul with such love and joy.

Lord, there are friends who are working so faithfully for you, who pour out their all for You. Father, give them rest. Give them Your rest. Not from their work, for their work is not done. But, Father God, I pray You will flood their souls with Your rest in the midst of their work.

I think of the mountains that surround my home town. I think of the solitude and peace and rest that welcomes each hiker as they reach the height of each mountainous trail.

All that effort.

All that work.

All to sit in the beauty of Your creation.

All to breathe in Your wonder.

All to rest in the palm of Your handiwork.

All to gear up for the path that leads back down into the valley.

Lord Jesus, Your rest finds us in the midst of our efforts. It is felt in the midst of our work. It is a freedom that pushes us forward to our next step.

God, the mountains are breathtaking and the valley within is beautiful. Father, whether Your children (my friends) are on the mountain or in the valley, I pray Your rest will meet them where they are.

Thank you, Sweet Father, for the hands and the feet and the hearts of my friends who serve You with such faithfulness and love and determination.

It is for them I pray this prayer this morning.

In and for the Name of Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen.

** Matthew 11:28

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