Praying for Pastors

This morning, I woke to come and check my e-mail because I knew I should be receiving a list of prayer items from my Pastor, which I did. And I was quick to send it on out to our prayer team who I lovingly refer to as "The Ridge Warriors". These folks are folks from all over East and Middle Tennessee as well as one from Ohio. In mailing things out to them, I added the following notes because these are my true and honest beliefs:

"I wanted to add my own "umph" behind Pastor's requests. Several years (okay, many years) back when I came to understand that my spiritual gift was intercession, and that my passion is servant-hearted pastors, it completely clicked with me as to why. I recalled all my growing up days in our home. My dad was a little Bible-thumpin' bi-vocational pastor. But aside from being pastor to other folks, he was just daddy to me. I lived under his roof. I knew his faults. I knew his struggles and frustrations. I knew his weaknesses. I knew he was "just a man" who was serving to the best of his abilities.

I sometimes look back and wonder if he had anyone other than my mom in his corner praying and interceding for him.

Anyways, as my Spiritual Gifts Assessment panned out, I was sorely disappointed at that time that prayer/intercession emerged as my "top" gift. I kept thinking to myself, "But anybody can pray!! And everybody ought to pray!" Then we assessed passions and I realized that my heart breaks for pastors who are in the trenches slaving away and who are seemingly under attack, taking a step forward and sliding back 3. (side note: Not long after I realized that, I read for the first time Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness. If you've not read it, it's a great read! If you have read it, you can imagine how that stoked my torch!!) It was from having read this book that I gave up my wrestle with God and said, "Ok! I get it! I will submit to prayer for my pastor(s) for all my days…and will sacrifice sleep if need be, I will sacrifice food, whatever You want me to sacrifice and I will pray."

Well, in all honesty, because of my health issues the past year and this battle with cancer, my prayers (facing the facts here) had turned "inward" to a great extent. I (and my family) topped my own prayer list and sometimes consumed it. I still prayed for my pastor(s) by name. But I know that I was not in full blown intercession for them.

Here and now is where all that changes. I guess what I'm doing in essence is confessing to you all, my fellow prayer warriors, and throwing in the "Woe is me" towel, and proclaiming that "she's back!"

So here is where I'm stepping up and leading in this warrior front the way that I believe I'm supposed to. As lead intercessor for Pastor Bobby and Ridge Community Church, I'm going to ask you all to cut 'n paste and print out Pastor's list above, (don't bother with all my ramblings on down here) and keep it in your wallet, taped to your computer monitor, on your refrigerator, your dashboard, your bathroom mirror…anywhere that you know that you will see it everyday and each time you do, please offer up prayer over it again.

BUT, I'm going to take it a step further. I'm going to ask you to at least twice in the next week, set aside a time and place and take a different posture in prayer…literally. If you typically pray sitting, then I'm going to ask you to take time to stand, or kneel, or fall prostrate, and pray. That may seem whack to you, but I guess that honestly doesn't bother me if it seems that way. :) I believe I'm supposed to ask it of you anyways.

We are only 10-11 weeks away from our 4 pre-launch services and I know I need to step it up in my prayer efforts for things coming together, for Pastor Bobby's strength, perseverance, and vision, and for the entire team.

Now, a couple final thoughts and I'll let you get to printing out Bobby's items:

1--How to say this? Uhm…most of our leadership team came together some what beat up and battered. We are a rag-tag little army at best. So in the items above where I *, I'm asking that you pray for us all. That we will be renewed, restored and that our hearts will pound wildly and passionately again for serving, and that we will serve whole-heartedly and enthusiastically in our mission to search and rescue. I believe we are the vessels by which God wants to take this city, and build His kingdom!

2--At one point during my learning journey about prayer and intercession, God drew me to Exodus 17. There I read the story of Aaron and Hur who stood with Moses on top of the hill while Joshua and the children of Israel battled the army of Amalek below. Whenever Moses kept his hands and the staff of God raised, Joshua was winning in battle. But when Moses grew tired and lowered his hands, the Amalekites would have the winning advantage. Noticing this, Aaron and Hur brought over a large stone for Moses to sit on and they held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down and Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle. We as intercessors are the modern day Aaron's and Hur's. We are to pray and undergird our pastors so that they can keep the posture God wants them to hold that the battle might be won.

Those are my true thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Thank you for joining me in prayer!!"

So there you have it! And if you are the praying sort, I'll ask you to join us in prayer, too!