PASTORAL MINISTRY-PRAYER
I have never known a pastor to be fired for prayerlessness, even though
I expect that many justly could have been (myself
included). There are at least three reasons for this. First, congregations
rarely hold a pastor accountable for his devotional life. Second, pastors
themselves too infrequently seek such accountability. Third, pastors can
conceal the neglect of private duties more easily than the neglect of public
duties. But what does such private neglect reveal? That a
pastor fears man more than he fears God.
The
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Used by Permission.
Prayer is the
most effective means of pastoral care… We have been set apart as shepherds and
teachers so that we may give time to intercessory prayer. It is no accident
that the one present activity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of
the sheep, to which the New Testament refers is His continuing intercession for
us (Hebrews 7:25). We are never closer to His heart than when we intercede in
His Name for His sheep.
On Being a Pastor, Moody Press, 2004, p. 157.
We are all
out of our depth in pastoral work. Our confidence must never be in our
expertise or training or experience, but in God’s ability to use frail
instruments filled with His Spirit. For this reason all pastoral work must be
linked with prayer. Without the enabling grace of God, no encouragement,
exhortation, admonition, or spiritual counsel will do any good; they must be
backed by prayer (cf. Romans 15:5-6).
Derek Prime and Alistair Begg
On Being a Pastor, Moody Press, 2004, p. 168.
Our
enemy knows that when he strikes the shepherd, the sheep will scatter (Matt.
26:31), and church leaders – even as the Lord Himself – are Satan’s special
targets. The more faithful and fruitful a pastor is, the more his people need
to pray for his strength and protection. He is more subject to the devil’s
schemes to make him discouraged or self-satisfied, hopeless or superficially
optimistic, cowardly or overconfident. Satan uses every situation – favorable
or unfavorable, successful or unsuccessful – to try to weaken, distract, and
discredit God’s gifted men in their work of “equipping of the saints for the
work of service” (Eph.
4:12).
John MacArthur
Ephesians, Moody, 1986, p. 384.
They are not
leaders because of brilliancy…but because, by the power of prayer, they could
command the power of God.
E.M. Bounds
Quoted by Oswald Sanders, Spiritual
Leadership, Moody, 1967, p. 11-12.
‘
A preacher
who prays little may see some results of his labors, but if he does it will be
because someone, somewhere is praying for him. The
“fruit” is the pray-er’s – not the preacher’s. How surprised some of us preachers will be one day, when the Lord
shall “reward every man according to his works.” “Lord! Those were my
converts! It was I who conducted that mission at which so many were brought
into the fold.” Ah, yes – I did the preaching, the pleading, the
persuading; but was it “I” who did the praying?
Author
Unknown
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 3.
A powerless
pastor is a prayerless pastor.
Author Unknown
Prayer is the
first thing, the second thing, the third thing necessary to a minister.
Author Unknown
Because [prayer for the church] is
secret and therefore unrewarded by men, we shall only undertake it if we long
for their spiritual welfare more than for their thanks.
John Stott
The Preacher’s Portrait, Eerdmans, 1961, p. 98-99, www.eerdmans.com.
If we would
do much for God, we must ask much of God… I cannot insist on this too much.
Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, and the third thing necessary for
a minister, especially in seasons of revival… Pray, then, my dear brother,
pray, pray, pray.
Edward Payson
All our libraries and studies are mere
emptiness compared with our closets. We grow, we wax mighty, we
prevail in private prayer.
C.H. Spurgeon
If we cannot prevail with men for God,
we will, at least, endeavor to prevail with God for men.
C.H. Spurgeon
His
public prayers were an inspiration, but his prayers with the family were to me
more wonderful still. Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in family prayer,
appeared a grander man even than when holding thousands spellbound by his
oratory.
A close friend of C.H. Spurgeon
Quoted in: Prayer Makes History by
David Smithers.
The enemy uses all his power to lead
the Christian, and above all the minister, to neglect prayer. He knows that
however admirable the sermon may be, however attractive the service, however
faithful the pastoral visitation, none of these things can damage him or his
kingdom if prayer is neglected.
Andrew Murray
It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.
Hudson Taylor
The leader must use God’s power to move human hearts in
the direction he believes to be the will of God. Through prayer the leader has
the key to that complicated lock… In prayer we deal directly with God and only
in a secondary sense other people. The goal of prayer is the ear of God. Prayer
moves others through God’s influence on them. It is not the prayer that moves
people, but the God to whom we pray.
Oswald Sanders
Spiritual Leadership, Moody Publishers, 1967,
p. 90, 91.
It belongs to
the very idea and nature of man to be in communion with God. It was once said
to a useful minister, “Sir, if you did not plough in your closet, you
would not reap in your pulpit.”
Samuel
Prime
The Power of
Prayer, p. 248.
Out
of love for those you lead, commit yourself to improving your intercessory
prayer. Ask yourself, If those I lead were dependent
on my prayers, how would they do?
Alexander Strauch
Leading With Love, Lewis and Roth, 2006, p. 123-124, Used
by Permission.
Without extended,
concentrated prayer, the ministry of the Word withers. And when the ministry of
the Word declines, faith (Rom. 10:17; Gal. 3:2,5) and
holiness (John 17:17) decline. Activity may continue, but life and power and
fruitfulness fade away. Therefore, whatever opposes prayer opposes the whole
work of ministry.
John Piper
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, Bethlehem
Baptist Church, 2002. p. 60.