Recently, God gave me the opportunity to pray with, for, and over my pastors and my church. I am not being facetious in saying this was likely the greatest honor of my life. I spent about two weeks preparing for this, in prayer, asking Christ what I should ask for, and how He wanted to bless this church.
Considering men in ministry who have apostatized or taken their own lives over the past year, I believe it is vitally important to pray for our pastors, elders, and leaders. I approached my own elders with the need to pray for them corporately, with the entire congregation, and praise God, they enthusiastically agreed. I did not expect anything from them, leaving them to figure out how they would bring it to pass. But our lead pastor contacted me and personally asked me to pray for, with, and over them. I was overwhelmed. The Lord Jesus had just given me faithful men and a beautiful church to pray for.
How could I possibly say no?
I decided if my pastors were going to give me the mic, I was going to make it a good and meaty prayer. I had to read this prayer from paper, because I'm a better writer than a public speaker, but I think, I hope, I pray, it blessed one and all. Many people approached me afterward to tell me they were greatly blessed and wanted copies of it to continue in prayer with me. Therefore, I decided to put it up on my blog to bless the whole world, and if you would like to pray this prayer over your own church, you are more than welcome to pray these words for your leaders as well.
Lord Jesus, we come before You today to lift up our brothers, these precious men whom You have chosen to lead this precious flock, the pastors and shepherds of Sonrise Church. Lord, You have told us that if we love You, we must feed Your sheep. These men feed us day after day with service - and music - and prayer - and sermons. And yet, who feeds them? Today, it is our desire as the congregation of Sonrise to lift them to You and feed them through the love of our prayers.
Song of Solomon 1:6 says, “They made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!” Never let this be said of these brothers. Our pastors love and care for us. We ask that You love and care for them as well, by helping them to keep their own vineyards. You have given them a Sabbath rest, and that is very good. We thank You for nourishing their souls by resting in You.
Lord, along with much needed rest, we also ask that You give these men wisdom, that they might speak the truth of God by knowing and studying Your doctrine. Grow their love for You, for Your Word, and for Your people, that all might know we are Your disciples when we love one another. We ask for obedience to Your Word and to all that You have commanded, even if it goes against the tide of our culture. In John 14, You have linked obedience to Your commands as true love for God. May our brothers truly love You by obeying all that You have spoken.
We ask that You grow their devotion to You, that their secret prayers be many, not only for this congregation, but also for their families and for themselves. Inspire them to ask You for what they need, whether it be more faith, more passion, more knowledge. Keep their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus through Your peace that surpasses all understanding.
Along with wisdom and devotion, we ask for sharp discernment, that they know how to rightly divide Your Word and spot errors easily and efficiently. Protect this church from false teaching, and make these men the wall against which error is dashed. Do not allow error to take hold here, and may we all edify each other and build one another up.
We ask for boldness and power, that our brothers will never waver, but stand firmly upon Your Rock with the unction and fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Move through these men, Lord, and through this church, as in the first century, and build our pastors into strong and brave men of God, as You did with Your Apostles, Peter, John, and Paul.
Yet we ask You to temper their boldness with humility, that they might always speak the truth in love by getting out of Your way, and making themselves as nothing in order to exalt You, the Lord Jesus Christ, to Your church, for their good, and Your glory.
We ask for holiness, as these men represent not only Sonrise, but You as Your ambassadors. You have told us we must be holy as You are holy. Grow each of these men into role models for this flock and for our community, that each man standing upon this stage can stand upon his own integrity as an example of a godly life.
We ask You for Your favor, that our Father, Almighty God, would approve of their leadership and open doors of opportunity for this church in Hillsboro, the Pacific Northwest, and perhaps even the world. Nothing is impossible for You, Lord Jesus. You have told us to take Your Gospel into all the world. Please help us to that end.
We ask for a deep reverence to settle upon their hearts, that when they speak, they do so with a sense of awe, knowing they have been hand-picked by the Head of the Church to do His work at Sonrise. Lord, eternity is at stake. These men and women of our congregation, our brothers and sisters who gather to hear our pastors every week, are those for whom You died. Let these men never be flippant or apathetic when it comes to the work of God.
And finally, Lord Jesus, we ask You to give our pastors a healthy fear of God, that along with their reverence, they tremble when they stand in Your presence, and never lose sight of just how glorious and magnificent You are. You are the God of Sinai, of Zion, of Calvary. Your history teaches us that You are not merely the God of Americanized Evangelicalism. You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Prince of Peace, and the Lion of Judah. One day, You are coming back in great power and glory, and we must make ourselves ready. We ask as Your church that You make Sonrise ready, by equipping not only her pastors, but her congregation as well, with all wisdom, obedience, devotion, discernment, boldness, power, humility, holiness, favor, reverence, and the fear of God.
Present Sonrise Church to Yourself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish before You.
Thank You for the glory of Your grace, Lord Jesus. This is what we ask the King of Heaven.
In Jesus’ magnificent name,
AMEN
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I decided if my pastors were going to give me the mic, I was going to make it a good and meaty prayer. I had to read this prayer from paper, because I'm a better writer than a public speaker, but I think, I hope, I pray, it blessed one and all. Many people approached me afterward to tell me they were greatly blessed and wanted copies of it to continue in prayer with me. Therefore, I decided to put it up on my blog to bless the whole world, and if you would like to pray this prayer over your own church, you are more than welcome to pray these words for your leaders as well.
I'm excited to watch how God's going to move at Sonrise Church, and His Church worldwide, through this prayer. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for this blessing and this gift, for trusting me with upholding Your church before You, and for allowing me to love on my pastors, who have so often loved on me.
~*~*~*~
Song of Solomon 1:6 says, “They made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!” Never let this be said of these brothers. Our pastors love and care for us. We ask that You love and care for them as well, by helping them to keep their own vineyards. You have given them a Sabbath rest, and that is very good. We thank You for nourishing their souls by resting in You.
Lord, along with much needed rest, we also ask that You give these men wisdom, that they might speak the truth of God by knowing and studying Your doctrine. Grow their love for You, for Your Word, and for Your people, that all might know we are Your disciples when we love one another. We ask for obedience to Your Word and to all that You have commanded, even if it goes against the tide of our culture. In John 14, You have linked obedience to Your commands as true love for God. May our brothers truly love You by obeying all that You have spoken.
We ask that You grow their devotion to You, that their secret prayers be many, not only for this congregation, but also for their families and for themselves. Inspire them to ask You for what they need, whether it be more faith, more passion, more knowledge. Keep their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus through Your peace that surpasses all understanding.
Along with wisdom and devotion, we ask for sharp discernment, that they know how to rightly divide Your Word and spot errors easily and efficiently. Protect this church from false teaching, and make these men the wall against which error is dashed. Do not allow error to take hold here, and may we all edify each other and build one another up.
We ask for boldness and power, that our brothers will never waver, but stand firmly upon Your Rock with the unction and fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Move through these men, Lord, and through this church, as in the first century, and build our pastors into strong and brave men of God, as You did with Your Apostles, Peter, John, and Paul.
Yet we ask You to temper their boldness with humility, that they might always speak the truth in love by getting out of Your way, and making themselves as nothing in order to exalt You, the Lord Jesus Christ, to Your church, for their good, and Your glory.
We ask for holiness, as these men represent not only Sonrise, but You as Your ambassadors. You have told us we must be holy as You are holy. Grow each of these men into role models for this flock and for our community, that each man standing upon this stage can stand upon his own integrity as an example of a godly life.
We ask You for Your favor, that our Father, Almighty God, would approve of their leadership and open doors of opportunity for this church in Hillsboro, the Pacific Northwest, and perhaps even the world. Nothing is impossible for You, Lord Jesus. You have told us to take Your Gospel into all the world. Please help us to that end.
We ask for a deep reverence to settle upon their hearts, that when they speak, they do so with a sense of awe, knowing they have been hand-picked by the Head of the Church to do His work at Sonrise. Lord, eternity is at stake. These men and women of our congregation, our brothers and sisters who gather to hear our pastors every week, are those for whom You died. Let these men never be flippant or apathetic when it comes to the work of God.
And finally, Lord Jesus, we ask You to give our pastors a healthy fear of God, that along with their reverence, they tremble when they stand in Your presence, and never lose sight of just how glorious and magnificent You are. You are the God of Sinai, of Zion, of Calvary. Your history teaches us that You are not merely the God of Americanized Evangelicalism. You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Prince of Peace, and the Lion of Judah. One day, You are coming back in great power and glory, and we must make ourselves ready. We ask as Your church that You make Sonrise ready, by equipping not only her pastors, but her congregation as well, with all wisdom, obedience, devotion, discernment, boldness, power, humility, holiness, favor, reverence, and the fear of God.
Present Sonrise Church to Yourself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish before You.
Thank You for the glory of Your grace, Lord Jesus. This is what we ask the King of Heaven.
In Jesus’ magnificent name,
AMEN
