As ministers, prayer must be the engine that drives everything we do. We cannot move ahead without guidance and direction from God in prayer (Exodus 33:15). Prayer allows us to unload our burdens before God and to take on His direction for our lives (Matthew 11:28). Prayer is never rote or mechanical; it is always vibrant and alive, a real-time conversation with the creator of the universe.
This is why we need a call to prayer.
You are not alone. It’s a simple statement but so powerful when you realize that we are not in this by ourselves. Pastoring can be lonely work, but it doesn’t have to be. You are surrounded by pastors who are trying to lead their congregations and reach lost people just like you. Isolation comes when we isolate ourselves due to fear, insecurity or apathy. In prayer, we can ask for others to lift us up and join with us. We recognize that we are not alone.
You need strength for the journey. Ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to come aside from time to time and pray. Be surrounded by others who will lift you up in prayer but also pray to the Lord for strength, endurance, and courage to take the next steps. Ministers need to continually rely on the power of the Holy Spirit for wisdom, boldness, and perseverance. No one can do it alone – we need God to strengthen us.
You need fresh vision from the Lord. We’ve heard it and preached it several times, “without vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). And yet, we often find ourselves going through the motions, doing the same thing over and over again, asking ourselves, “what do we do?” We need to know where God wants us to go; this is vision. The problem with vision is it can be scary – what if it doesn’t come to pass? Don’t let fear or insecurity keep you from inquiring of the Lord what His vision is for 2022-2023 for you and your ministry. Discover His vision for the ministry in prayer and chart a clear path of direction to move ahead.
You need to be surprised by God. After a few decades in the faith, sometimes we think we’ve got it all figured out; been there, done that. When was the last time we didn’t try and predict what God was going to do or say? When have we allowed ourselves to be surprised by Him? When have we set aside time to notice where He is at work in the details of our lives? At times, we get so busy working for Him that we fail to notice where He is at work. Setting aside time in prayer and reflection allows us to ask Him the question, “what are you up to?” and then partner with Him in the work that He is doing.
You need to move to action. Prayer is not a substitute for obedience. We pray, and then we go. Times in the presence of the Lord always lead to mission (see Isaiah 6). Our prayers should not be limited to just ourselves and our immediate family. We should be praying for our community, our province, our nation and our world. We should be praying for souls to be saved and lives to be transformed. We should be praying for specific people by name and then asking the Holy Spirit to direct us to the next steps. Prayer and encounters with God should move us forward to steps of faith as He directs us. What is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it?
This Fall, the ABNWT District will be joining together across four different regional sites to gather to pray. Would you gather your team and join us at one of the four locations?
More info is available at www.abnwt.com/pg22 .
Jeremiah works as an Effectiveness Coach with the ABNWT District of the PAOC. He is a passionate and creative leader who believes that the church is the hope of the world. He uses collaboration, innovation, and inspiration to challenge churches and their leadership to engage in the only mission Jesus ever sent his church on: making disciples.