A Good Reminder to Pray for the Leaders in Your Community

In just a little over a year, the capitol community saw the deaths of five members of the legislature. Three of these were quite sudden and unexpected. In a small community of 134 members, this certainly had quite an impact, both on the lawmakers themselves as well as on the staff and lobbyists who worked with them over the years. The widows of two of the legislators were appointed to fill the remainder of their husbands’ terms and are now serving in the House of Delegates.

As one seeking to minister in the capitol community, I had the opportunity to attend the visitations and funeral services for several of these leaders. I was reminded of the urgency and importance of sharing the gospel with them. Both in the capitol during the sessions and at home in their districts, many people descend upon our legislators to speak with them about a host of topics and issues. How many have a goal to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ? How many ever think to seek to help Christian lawmakers grow in their walk with the Lord? If people knew that their meeting with a legislator would be the last time they would ever see them or speak with them, would that change or add to the focus of their conversation?

This should certainly remind us to pray for the spiritual needs of our leaders, and that God would bring into their lives people who will faithfully seek to share with them the gospel and the word of God.

(This is from the transcript for a weekly spot I do on WOAY Radio (Oak Hill / Beckley) reminding folks to pray for their leaders.)

There Is No Duty So Neglected as Private Prayer - J.C. Ryle

"We live in days of abounding religious profession. There are more places of public worship than there ever was before. There are more people attending them than there ever was before. And yet in spite of all this public religion, I believe there is a vast neglect of private prayer. It is one of those private transcripts between God and our souls which no eye sees, and therefore one which people are tempted to pass over and leave undone." J.C. Ryle

From "A Call to Prayer" by J.C. Ryle

We Have An Advocate and Intercessor - J.C. Ryle

From "A Call to Prayer" by J.C. Ryle

"There is an Advocate and Intercessor always waiting to present the prayers of those who come to God through him. That advocate is Jesus Christ. He mingles our prayers with the incense of his own almighty intercession. So mingled, they go up as a sweet savor before the throne of God. Poor as they are in themselves, they are mighty and powerful in the hand of our High Priest and Elder Brother. The bank note without a signature at the bottom is nothing but a worthless piece of paper. The stroke of a pen confers on it all its value. The prayer of a poor child of Adam is a feeble thing in itself, but once endorsed by the hand of the Lord Jesus it availeth much. There was an officer in the city of Rome who was appointed to have his doors always open, in order to receive any Roman citizen who applied to him for help. just so the ear of the Lord Jesus is ever open to the cry of all who want mercy and grace. It is his office to help them. Their prayer is his delight."

A Call to Prayer - J.C. Ryle

Are You Thankful For Your Leaders? (Repost)

As you approach the Thanksgiving holiday and pause to consider all God’s blessings, are you thankful for your political leaders? ALL your political leaders?

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul challenges us to make it a priority to pray for our political leaders (“for kings and all who are in authority”). He uses four distinct words for prayer: entreaties, prayers, petitions, and THANKSGIVINGS. We are to be thankful for the leaders God has set up to rule over us. The leaders of whom Paul spoke in his day were those of the Roman Empire. They were immoral, brutal, and corrupt, soon to bring great persecution upon the church. Yet Paul exhorted the church to offer God thanksgivings for them.

We are to be thankful for all our leaders, regardless of party or ideology. This becomes easier when we remember they are established by God (Romans 13:1; Daniel 2:21) and are God’s servants (Romans 13:6).

We should be thankful for the order our government and its leaders provide as opposed to the chaos and disorder that would result in their absence.

We should be thankful that God is in control and has a purpose and plan to work out through the leaders He has put into place.

We should be thankful for how God is working in the hearts and lives of leaders and pray they would turn to Christ and grow in their walk with the Lord.

We should be thankful for Christian leaders who take a stand for the truth and pray they will have a tremendous testimony for Christ before those they serve as well as their colleagues.

As you take time for giving thanks, please remember to be thankful for the leaders God has placed over our communities, our state, and our nation.

Praying for Your Pastor

We want to encourage you to pray for your pastor and church leaders as well as our goverment leaders. Ligon Duncan had a great post at the T4G blog on how to effectively pray for your pastors. On this Lord's Day please use this list to remember them in prayer.

Praying for Your Pastor
by Ligon Duncan

Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: "how can I pray for you?" I've tried to put some thought into how I answer that question. So, maybe these ideas will help you pray for your pastor, or tell others how they can pray for you.

Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially.

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.

Praying for Your Pastor - Ligon Duncan

Luther's Puppy and Prayer

When Martin Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes. Luther said, "Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish, or hope."

Are praying for the salvation of others this way?

HT: Grace Gems

Praying for Your Pastor

We want to encourage you to pray for your pastor and church leaders as well as our goverment leaders. Ligon Duncan had a great post at the T4G blog on how to effectively pray for your pastors. On this Lord's Day please use this list to remember them in prayer.

Praying for Your Pastor
by lduncan

Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: "how can I pray for you?" I've tried to put some thought into how I answer that question. So, maybe these ideas will help you pray for your pastor, or tell others how they can pray for you.

Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially.

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.

Praying for Your Pastor - Ligon Duncan

Updated West Virgnia Leadership Prayer Guide

We have updated our West Virginia Leadership Prayer Guide for 2009 and it is now posted online.

West Virginia Leadership Prayer Guide

Are You Thankful for Your Leaders?

As you approach the Thanksgiving holiday and pause to consider all God’s blessings, are you thankful for your political leaders? ALL your political leaders?

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul challenges us to make it a priority to pray for our political leaders (“for kings and all who are in authority”). He uses four distinct words for prayer: entreaties, prayers, petitions, and THANKSGIVINGS. We are to be thankful for the leaders God has set up to rule over us. The leaders of whom Paul spoke in his day were those of the Roman Empire. They were immoral, brutal, and corrupt, soon to bring great persecution upon the church. Yet Paul exhorted the church to offer God thanksgivings for them.

We are to be thankful for all our leaders, regardless of party or ideology. This becomes easier when we remember they are established by God (Romans 13:1; Daniel 2:21) and are God’s servants (Romans 13:6).

We should be thankful for the order our government and its leaders provide as opposed to the chaos and disorder that would result in their absence.

We should be thankful that God is in control and has a purpose and plan to work out through the leaders He has put into place.

We should be thankful for how God is working in the hearts and lives of leaders and pray they would turn to Christ and grow in their walk with the Lord.

We should be thankful for Christian leaders who take a stand for the truth and pray they will have a tremendous testimony for Christ before those they serve as well as their colleagues.

As you take time for giving thanks, please remember to be thankful for the leaders God has placed over our communities, our state, and our nation.

Praying for Your Local Legislators

One of the purposes of the Prayer Column Blog is to help you pray specifically for your government leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). We want you to get to know the leaders from your area so that you might pray for them more effectively.

Here is a site where you can determine the legislators who serve your district. Just enter your zip code and the state senators and delegates for your area will be listed. You can then visit this page for the Senate or this page for the House and select a legislator in order to find biographical information about them.

Please take note of the legislators who serve your area along with your local leaders so that you may pray for them more effectively.

Let Christians Vote as if They Were Not Voting

As we pray for the upcoming election, we might find it encouraging to consider Pastor John Piper's thought provoking words. In an article at the Desiring God Blog, Dr. Piper wrote of the believer's priorities, even as they are involved in the political process. The article looked at an interesting passage in 1 Corinthians 7:

The appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

Dr. Piper goes on to share:

"...So it is with voting. We should do it. But only as if we were not doing it. Its outcomes do not give us the greatest joy when they go our way, and they do not demoralize us when they don’t. Political life is for making much of Christ whether the world falls apart or holds together."

"....So it is with voting. There are losses. We mourn. But not as those who have no hope. We vote and we lose, or we vote and we win. In either case, we win or lose as if we were not winning or losing. Our expectations and frustrations are modest. The best this world can offer is short and small. The worst it can offer has been predicted in the book of Revelation. And no vote will hold it back. In the short run, Christians lose (Revelation 13:7). In the long run, we win
(21:4)."

Great words to keep in mind as we pray and prepare to vote in the coming election.

Read Dr. Piper's complete article.

Spurgeon on Praying and Going

Spurgeon spoke of praying for the lost in His sermon, “Bringing Sinners to the Savior”:

I told you, the other night, of a dear brother who said, after I had exhorted the congregation to select somebody to pray for, that he had prayed for one person for twenty years, and that he is not converted yet. So I said to him, “Have you spoken to your friend personally about his soul? Have you made it your business to go down to his house, and tell him that you are concerned about him?” “No,” he replied, “I cannot say that I have done so.” “Well, then,” I asked, “do you expect God to hear prayers of that kind? Suppose I were to pray that there might be a good harvest in a particular field, and yet, for twenty years, I did not sow any corn there; the probability is that, when I did sow some, I would get my prayers answered, and gather in the harvest.”

If we pray for anything, God expects us to use the proper means of obtaining it; and if we neglect the means, we have no right to expect him to believe in the sincerity of our prayer. If a father and mother pray for their children, but never pray with them, or speak to them personally about the welfare of their souls, then they must not wonder if they are not brought to Christ.

As we seek to faithfully pray for those who do not know Christ, are we willing to go and boldly share the gospel with them?

Jesus' Pattern for Prayer

R.C. Sproul has been sharing some articles on prayer at the Ligonier blog. From The Pattern of Prayer:

"Jesus performed many miracles. During the course of his ministry, he walked on water, turned water into wine, healed the sick, raised the dead. As John said, "There are also many other things that Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written" (John 21:25).

"I have always been amazed that the disciples didn't ask Jesus how to walk on water, how to still the tempest, or how to do any of his other miracles. They did, however, ask Jesus to teach them about prayer. Note that they did not ask Jesus to teach them how to pray; instead they begged, "Teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). I'm certain that the disciples clearly saw the inseparable relationship between the power Jesus manifested and the hours he spent in solitude, conversing with his Father."

Our Problems Are Spiritual, Not Political

As we pray for our county and its leaders, we must always keep in mind that our nation’s problems are spiritual, not political. Ultimately, they can only be solved through spiritual means, not political strategy and maneuvering. This is so because of the spiritual condition of each and every citizen who serves in our government and lives in our country.

J.C. Ryle writes of this condition in Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots:

“I admit fully that man has many grand and noble faculties left about him, and that in arts and sciences and literature he shows immense capacity. But the fact still remains that in spiritual things he is utterly “dead”, and has no natural knowledge, or love, or fear of God.

“We can acknowledge that man has all the marks of a majestic temple about him—a temple in which God once dwelt, but a temple which is now in utter ruins—a temple in which a shattered window here, and doorway there, and a column there, still give some faint idea of the magnificence of the original design, but a temple which from end to end has lost its glory and fallen from its high estate. Nothing solves the complicated problem of man’s condition but the doctrine of original sin and the crushing effects of the fall.”

The only answer to this fallen condition is the gospel—hearts and lives changed through faith in Christ and His work on the cross and minds renewed through the Word of God. Political activism apart from the gospel can do nothing to deal with the root cause of our individual and national problems.

Let us keep this truth before us as we consider our prayers and our priorities in the days leading up to the election.

Praying for Our Church Leaders and Our Government Leaders

Timmy Brister over at Provocations and Pantings recently shared a devotion from Octavius Winslow's Morning Thoughts:

“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” Romans 15:30

“There are many weighty and solemn considerations which powerfully plead for the prayers of the Church of God, in behalf of her ministers and pastors.

"The first which may be adduced is- the magnitude of their work. A greater work than theirs was never entrusted to mortal hands. No angel employed in the celestial embassy bears a commission of higher authority, or wings his way to discharge a duty of such extraordinary greatness and responsibility. He is a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ- an ambassador from the court of heaven-a preacher of the glorious gospel of the blessed God- a steward of the mysteries of the kingdom. Properly to fill this high office- giving to the household their portion of food in due season- going down into the mine of God’s word, and bringing forth to the view of every understanding its hidden treasures- to set forth the glory of Emmanuel, the fitness of His work, and the fullness of His grace- to be a scribe well instructed, rightly dividing the word of truth- to be wise and skillful to win souls, the grand end of the Christian ministry- oh, who so much needs the sustaining prayers of the Church as he?

“Secondly. The painful sense of their insufficiency supplies another affecting plea. Who are ministers of Christ? Are they angels? Are they superhuman beings? Are they inspired? No, they are men in all respects like others. They partake of like infirmities, are the subjects of like assaults, and are estranged from nothing that is human. As the heart knows its own bitterness, so they only are truly aware of the existence and incessant operation of those many and clinging weaknesses of which they partake in sympathy with others. And yet God has devolved upon them a work which would crush an angel’s powers, if left to his self-sustaining energy.

“Thirdly. The many and peculiar trials of the ministry and the pastorate ask this favor at our hands. These are peculiar to, and inseparable from, the office that he fills. In addition to those of which he partakes alike with other Christians- personal, domestic, and relative- there are trials to which they must necessarily be utter strangers. And as they are unknown to, so are they unrelievable by, the people of their charge. With all the sweetness of affection, tenderness of sympathy, and delicacy of attention which you give to your pastor, there is yet a lack which Jesus only can supply, and which, through the channel of your prayers, he will supply. In addition to his own, he bears the burdens of others. How impossible for an affectionate, sympathizing pastor to separate himself from the circumstances of his flock, be those circumstances what they may. So close and so sympathetic is the bond of union- if they suffer, he mourns; if they are afflicted, he weeps; if they are dishonored, he is reproached; if they rejoice, he is glad. He is one with his Church. How feelingly the apostle expresses this: “Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of how the churches are getting along. Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?” To see a Christian pastor, in addition to his own personal grief, borne often in uncomplaining loneliness and silence, yet bowed down under accumulated sorrows not his own- others looking to him for sympathy, for comfort, and for counsel-is a spectacle which might well arouse in behalf of every Christian minister the slumbering spirit of prayer. We marvel not to hear the chief of the apostles thus pleading, “Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thess. 5:25).”

Octavius Winslow – Morning Thoughts (August 1)

Even as we are reminded to pray for our pastors and church leaders, I believe these thoughts can be applied to praying for our government leaders as well. Rememember, in Romans 13 Paul calls government leaders “God’s servants”.

• We should pray for our government leaders because of the magnitude of their work.

• We should pray for our leaders because of their insufficiency for their task. (Perhaps our prayer should be for them to recognize their insufficiency and their dependence upon God).

• We should pray for them because of the peculiar trials they face as leaders. From the challenges of making wise and godly decisions regarding a huge variety of issues to the temptations they face, our leaders need our prayers as they serve.

Let us remember to pray faithfully for our church leaders and our government leaders.

Do Not Trust In Princes

Psalm 146 is a great passage for us to remember during this election season:

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation,
4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.

5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever;
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
9 The Lord protects the strangers:
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

10 The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

We may be tempted to put our trust in “princes”, counting too much on those we elect and in the political process to change our state and our nation.

This Psalm reminds us it is God who is sovereign; it is God who provides; and it is God who saves. This means we do not put too much hope in the choosing of human leaders. Neither do we become discouraged or distraught over the outcome of elections.

If we have this faith and dependance upon God, it will drive us to pray for His work in our own hearts, in the hearts of our leaders, and in our state and our nation.

Andrew Murray on Prayer and Ministry

A challenging quote from Andrew Murray’s The Prayer Life on the importance of prayer in ministry:

"What is the reason that many Christian workers in the world have not a greater influence? Nothing save this – the prayerlessness of their service. In the midst of all their zeal in the study and in the work of the Church, of all their faithfulness in preaching and conversation with the people, they lack that ceaseless prayer which has attached to it the sure promise of the Spirit and the power from on high. It is nothing but the sin of prayerlessness which is the cause of the lack of a powerful spiritual life."

Please continue to pray faithfully for our leaders and for our ministry in the capitol and around the state.

The Difficulty of Praying for Government Leaders

John Piper preached a good message from 1 Timothy 2:1-4 on the importance of praying for all people, particularly for our government leaders.

He shared two reasons why it may be difficult to pray for our leaders as we should:

• Government leaders may seem distant and remote; if not in miles, then at least in accessibility.
  

“It is hard to pray earnestly for someone you don't know, and especially hard to pray for somebody you never see. Yet, this difficulty must be overcome, Paul says. You must pray for them: emperors like Nero, proconsuls like Gallio, governors like Pilate, kings like Herod. They may seem remote and inaccessible, but remember, they are not remote and inaccessible to God. And by prayer you can get as close as one of their intimate advisers.”

• Government leaders may be unbelievers and insensitive to the Holy Spirit.

“This should not cause us to hesitate one moment to pray for them, first, because God may save them and bring them to a knowledge of the truth, and second, because God uses rulers to accomplish his purposes whether they believe in him or not.”

Let us seek to be faithful in pursuing God’s priority of praying “for kings and all who are in authority”.