Day 26 – Provision in Times of Need

By / Oct 26

”And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’”
– 2 Corinthians 9:8-9

Day 26 – Provision in Times of Need

From physical needs to spiritual needs, we can often forget that pastors and their families also go through times of need. As we continue to pray for our pastors and display appreciation for them, let’s consider how we can encourage them in times of need, whether that be physical, emotional, or spiritual support.

Here are a few ways to pray for your pastor:

  • Belief in the promises of scripture that the Lord provides for His children
  • Trust that the Lord is good in times of need
  • Willingness to vocalize times when they are in these seasons

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will trust in You to provide in times of need for him and his family. Give him the confidence in your goodness and promises to provide and a willingness to display vulnerablitity when necessary…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



Why the Church?

By / Oct 26

“Unchurched Christian” is not a biblical category. Ask Paul, John, or Peter what they think about unchurched Christians and they would have responded, “Why are you calling them Christians, if they are not a part of the church?”

The New Testament does not have a vision of the Christian life outside of the church, the local church. But there are many professing Christians today who seek to be committed to Christ with no commitment to the church. They do not believe in organized religion. They claim the church is full of hypocrites. They have experienced church hurt. They cannot find a faithful, biblical church. They do not find the church necessary, supportive, or beneficial. So they follow Christ but forsake the church.

It is wrong. It is unbiblical. It is non-Christian. You cannot have a high view of Christ and a low view of the church at the same time. Jesus declared, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The church belongs to Jesus. Christ himself is building the church. And nothing can defeat the church of Christ.

Christ is the head of the church. And he does not have out-of-body experiences. To submit to the authority of Jesus Christ over your life is to live in fellowship with the church.

Here are nine reasons why you should have a high view of the church…

Faith in God is practiced in spiritual community. The unbelieving society we live in regularly claims that faith is a private matter. But this is not the truth. Indeed, faith is a personal matter. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). But personal faith is not private faith. True faith is lived in spiritual community with others. In the Old Testament, the faith community was the nation of Israel. In the New Testament, it is the church, a new community in Christ that transcends gender, race, or status (Galatians 3:28). To live in faith in Christ is to live in fellowship with the church.

The church is the household of God. Writing to Timothy in Ephesus, Paul called the church “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). In salvation, we are born again and adopted into the family of God. But a newborn child needs to become a part of a household for nourishment, fellowship, and protection. The church is the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). More than that, it is God’s household. To reject the church is to reject the means of care the Lord has provided for his redeemed children.

Church membership brings assurance of salvation. A Christian is one who has professed saving-faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But that personal profession must be made to and among the church for there to be true assurance. In the New Testament letters, the two essential marks of true conversion are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love for all the saints. Christian fellowship is as essential to true assurance as personal faith. Love for the saints demonstrates faith in Christ. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers,” wrote the Apostle John, “whoever does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14).

The church is spiritually united to Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus called would-be disciples to follow him. But the actual relationship between Christ and his follows is greater, deeper, and higher than that: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). No other religion speaks of the relationship between its leader and adherents that way. But this is the spiritual union between Christ and the church. We are in Christ, and Christ is in us. This spiritual union with Christ is what binds us together as the church. The indwelling presence of the Life-Giver King resides within each us and has made us one in Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. The church is often rejected because of things members of the church do or do not do. But no leader or member of the church is the standard by which we measure what the church should be. Christ is the standard. He is the head of the church. The church is the body of Christ. The church is safe and secure in him, as you cannot drown with your head above water. “The church is full of hypocrites,” it is complained. But Christ is no hypocrite! And if Christ is not a hypocrite, he is worthy of our trust and obedience, even if he tells us to go hang out with a bunch of hypocrites!

The church is the most valuable thing on earth. Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the flock of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). The church is God’s flock, purchased by the blood of Christ. There is no institution in the world more valuable than that – not family, nor business, not government. There are many worthy causes in the world that deserve our support. But no worldly cause should usurp our commitment to the church for which Christ died. The church is the hope of the world.

The church is the outworking of God’s eternal purpose. This scripture is not a haphazard collection of stories, poetry, and letters. It is the unfolding of a divine plan. This plan of God was initiated in eternity past. It will be fully accomplished in eternity future. The church is essential to the eternal purpose of God. Paul declared “the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:9-10). The church is not incidental to the plan of God. It is the platform of the glory of God in the heavenly places.

The church is an earthly expression of heaven. What do you think heaven is like? To answer that question, turn to scripture, not near-death fantasies. For all we do not know about heaven, scripture makes it clear that heaven will be filled with the glory of God. In this regard, the church is to be a reflection of heaven on earth. Church growth experts advise pastors to shape the church around desires of the culture. But this only makes the church like the world. The church should be shaped around the character of God. Only the church can display the truth, love, and holiness of God, as it is in heaven.

Your sanctification is a community project. Hebrews counsels, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25) This is why is we must not neglect to meet together with the church for corporate and public worship. Many Christians feel it is no big deal if they miss a Sunday or two. However, scripture teaches, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).



Episode 183: Justin Buzzard on Ministry in Silicon Valley

By / Oct 26

On this episode of the FTC Podcast, we continue an occasional series on diverse missional contexts, as Jared Wilson interviews church planter and author Justin Buzzard about gospel ministry in the Silicon Valley of California.



Day 25 – Witness to the World

By / Oct 25

”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
– Acts 1:8

Day 25 – Witness to the World

Many pastors these days have a presence that expands beyond their local community. That might be on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, through a blog site, or in their connections with other ministry and business leaders. In and through any of those ways, pastors, just like all believers, should live a life that reflects Christ in all areas of life including in more broad platforms and opportunities beyond just their local communities.

As we continue praying for pastors, let’s pray for their witness to the local community. Here are a few ways to pray for him:

  • Being salt and light on online platforms like social media
  • Living that reflects Christ and highlights Christ’s global commission
  • Willingness to engage lostness in their community and beyond

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will reflect Christ as he engages the world through social media, travel, etc. Give him opportunities to share the Gospel, reflect how you’ve transformed him through the cross, and allow the witness of the church to be one that a globa and missional…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



Pastor, Your Body Keeps the Score

By / Oct 25

And after you have suffered a little while . . . — 1 Peter 5:10a

I finally went to the doctor. Here’s the deal: I’ve been suffering from a sporadic driving anxiety for about eight years now. For a long time, it was just an every now and again thing. I could go months without any trouble. For some stretches of time, however, I will experience it nearly every time I drive — especially on highways (high rates of speed), in heavy traffic, over bridges, at night, or in bad weather. It doesn’t always happen, and I could often take the same route in the same conditions with no issues one time, only to experience overpowering flashes of panic another.

I remember the first time it happened. I was driving back to our home in Vermont with my family from a ministry trip in Boston. On the interstate in our final leg of the journey, I began to have this overwhelming sensation of losing control, like my body was going to fly out of the car. I had to pull over and let my wife drive. Since that time, I’ve had this recurring issue.

In the last year or so, it’s struck me so often, I’ve started taking back roads everywhere. It takes me longer to get where I need to go, but I don’t seem to have any issues when I do. But that’s no way to live, right? So I finally went to the doctor. In a way, it was a follow-up, because I’d had my one and only non-driving panic attack January 2020. That was so bad, I didn’t realize that’s what it was at the time and thought I was having a heart attack. I started eating better, working out more, and — thanks to Covid — slowed my ministry pace considerably. But the driving junk persisted and actually seemed to get worse.

She asked me if I’d been any traumatic events related to driving in the past, any car accidents. I had, but a long, long time ago, and neither of them anything serious. Just regular fender-bender type stuff. I drove for nearly twenty years after the last accident with no problems at all. “I don’t think so,” I said.

“Well,” she said, “what was happening when the incidents started?”

“I was coming home from Boston–” I started.

“No,” she interrupted. “What was going on in your life?”

I thought for a second. And then I said, “Ohhhh.”

I don’t know if she was on to something or not. I’m not a psychologist, and neither is she. But when these incidents started, I was neck deep in a very long period of suffering in our church. Lots of death, including the death of friends. Lots of sitting by bed sides in hospitals and hospice rooms. Lots of grief and grief counseling. Funeral after funeral.

On top of all that, I realized, right when I was on the verge of burnout (for which I never had a substantive break), I was on the receiving end of multiple angles of conflict in the church. I was carrying a heavy weight and giving my blood, sweat, and tears to the ministry, and it didn’t seem to matter with some people. The criticism, anonymous and otherwise, was demoralizing.

When my wife and I came out of that situation six years ago, we both felt very beaten up. I would attend members’ meetings at our new church in Kansas City and feel jumpy, waiting for someone to come after our pastors. It never happened, but it was still difficult to go without feeling anxious. My body may be telling me, “You’ve never healed from this, bucko.”

You might say that being so far removed from that time, I shouldn’t have any “issues” today. But we know that incredible stress takes an incredible toll. Those who suffer far worse — abuse, the horrors of war, front-line first responder work — can tell you about the long-residual effects of past trauma that lingers in your mind, your nerves, overtaking you in sudden moments for years after the fact. It would seem that, as Bessel van der Kolk has said, the body keeps the score.

I don’t at all wish to put pastoral ministry on par with those experiences, but the impact is similar, I think. And others have said the same.

Every day it seems I read about or even hear from pastors who are struggling with anxiety, depression, or other severe effects of hard ministries. The burnout rate for ministers is too high, and things have only gotten worse over the last year and a half.

I take a weird comfort, I admit, when I read the apostle Peter characterizing the ministry of the elder as one of suffering. “And after you have suffered a little while,” he says (1 Peter 5:10). He makes no bones about it. Good pastoring means hardship. The emotional and spiritual weight of normal ministry is very heavy by itself. Good pastors take seriously the reality that they are responsible for the souls of their flocks, that they will give an account for all the precious people stewarded to them. The apostle Paul calls this just the “daily pressure of anxiety for the church” (2 Cor. 11:28). Add to that conflict, other harsh treatment, gossip, false accusations, weaponized disappointments, the frequent loneliness of leadership, financial stressors, and the like, and — well — the pastor’s body will keep the score.

If you’re not a pastor and you’re reading this, you may think it’s all overblown. You may think your pastor has it great and is doing fine. And he might be. (I pray he is!) But far too many are suffering in silence. This isn’t a call to throw pity parties. Pastoring is a great privilege and an incredible joy. But it can also take a serious toll.

If you’re a pastor reading this and nodding your head, you know it’s not overblown. I could probably say a lot more. But you may somehow already suspect that the irregular heart rate, sleeplessness, inability to relax, recurring feelings of depression, or even anxiety or depression may be your body telling you it’s getting frayed around the edges. You are physically dealing with something very spiritual. Your body has kept the score.

If that’s you, I want you to remind you of God’s affectionate grace. Yes, ministry is “suffering for a little while.” But this suffering is sanctifying. It is making something great of you, even as it makes you small. God’s strength, remember, is perfected in our weakness. Don’t be afraid (or too stubborn) to get help, to speak up, to do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself.

If you’re a pastor struggling with what my friend Jeff Medders calls “pastoral PTSD,” you should also know that you are not alone. There may not be many people around you, but the Lord is right beside you. He is facing down all the things you struggle to pick your head up and look at. He bears the scorn with you. And he is keeping track of all your hurts, all your godly anxieties. He will trade your ashes for beauty. He is storing all your tears in a jar (Psalm 56:8).

And when all is said and done, what feels like drowning now will strangely feel like victory. The greater your pain — and I really believe this — the greater your reward. That’s not a call to be a martyr; it’s simply a call to look to him. He will not forget you in this age or in the age to come. He remembers, and he will more than compensate you.

Yes, yes, pastor, the body keeps the score. But, then, so does Jesus.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. — 1 Peter 5:10



Five Views of Christ in the Old Testament

By / Oct 25

An Interview with Andrew M. King and Jason S. DeRouchie

Andrew M. King serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College and Assistant Dean of Spurgeon College. Jason S. DeRouchie serves as Research Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College. Their latest book, Five Views of Christ in the Old Testament, explores five different approaches on how the Old Testament points to Christ. King served as an editor for the publication and DeRouchie contributed one of the five views.

In the book, views and contributors include:

  • The First Testament Priority View, John Goldingay
  • The Christotelic View, Tremper Longman III
  • The Redemptive-Historical Christocentric View, Jason S. DeRouchie
  • The Reception-Centered Intertextual View, Havilah Dharamraj
  • The Premodern View, Craig Carter

They both joined me to answer a few questions about their book and the importance of Christ in the Old Testament.

BF: What inspired you and your fellow editor Brian J. Tabb to initiate this new book Five Views of Christ in the Old Testament? How did you narrow down the contributors for this publication? 

AK: I attended a session at the Evangelical Theological Society in 2019 on the topic of Christ in the Old Testament. Dr. DeRouchie was a presenter alongside other Old Testament scholars. There was standing room only, as attendees eagerly heard different perspectives on this question. I thought about how to bring this important conversation to a broader Christian audience. Dr. DeRouchie connected me with Dr. Tabb and we submitted a proposal to the publisher. We sought to find scholars who represented different approaches. We assembled a long list of potential contributors for the major views out there and worked with Zondervan to find the best fit.

In the book, you had the opportunity to engage with four differing views on Christ in the Old Testament. What was the experience like to interact with scholars on this topic in a publication like this?

JD: Faithful study includes observing carefully, understanding rightly, and evaluating fairly. All three of these habits of heart and mind were tested in this exchange of perspectives, and the topic required me to work very hard in the strength God supplied to accurately represent and critique my counterparts in humble and accurate ways that remained true to what I believe the Bible teaches. The interaction also forced me to critique and refine my own approach and presentation and to trust the Lord to guide readers in their own evaluations.    

Why is this topic of Christ in the Old Testament so important for Christians today? 

AK: The question of seeing the relationship of Jesus to the Old Testament is fundamentally about how we understand the nature of Scripture and how the two Testaments of our Bible fit together. As a people of the Book, Christians desire to read their Bible’s well. Through seeing seasoned scholars wrestle with the biblical text with an eye towards Christ, readers can grow in their own interpretive skills. We desire to be more faithful in our interpretation so we can worship rightly and be on mission fruitfully. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus called the men he spoke with “foolish and slow of heart” for failing to see how the Old Testament bore witness to him. Our hope is that this volume, in part, will help believers today avoid a similar rebuke.

You defend the redemptive-historical Christocentric approach in the book. Can you give us a preview of your chapter by briefly explaining the heart behind the redemptive-historical Christocentric approach?

 JD: An approach that is redemptive-historical is one that accounts for how God’s work and purposes in Scripture progress, integrate, and climax in Christ, and how all faithful biblical interpretation must account for the way Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection inform and influence everything God is doing in space and time (Luke 16:16; Gal 3:23–26). Through Jesus God discloses mysteries (Mark 4:10; Rom 16:25–26), allows shadows to reach their substance (Col 2:16–17), and inaugurates a new creation (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15), new covenant (Luke 22:20; Heb 9:15), and new law (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2). A redemptive-historical approach requires that we consider every text in view of its close, continuing, and complete contexts within Scripture as a whole to fully discern what God meant in any passage.

By Christocentric I mean that all we do and teach is in some way tied to the cross (1 Cor. 2:2). Indeed, we need to interpret Scripture through Christ and for Christ. To interpret through Christ means that we start our reading as those believing in Jesus, with God having awakened our spiritual senses to see and hear rightly (1 Cor 2:14; 2 Cor 3:14). To interpret for Christ means that we recognize that that Old Testament history (Mark 1:14), prophecy (Acts 3:18), law (Rom 10:4), and promises (2 Cor 1:20) point to Jesus, that he fulfills all of them (Matt 5:17–18), and that the Spirit who inspired the biblical text is working to glorify the Son through it all (John 16:13–14; cf. 1 Pet 1:11). Christian biblical interpretation reaches its end only after we have beheld Jesus’s glory and found him transforming us into his image (2 Cor 3:18).

What do you hope readers will take from this book? 

AK: We have designed this book to allow each contributor to “put their cards on the table.” Every essay unpacks the presuppositions necessary for the view, the specific steps readers must take to follow the approach presented, and three case studies from different genres of Scripture. In all of this, readers can see the process of each view from start to finish. The critiques of each view from the other contributors raise important objections that readers can evaluate. Our hope is that by the end of the book, readers will not simply align with a particular view, but have a robust toolkit for their own study of Scripture. We hope this book will help believers do their personal devotions more faithfully, preach and teach more boldly, and exalt our Triune God globally.

What encouragement would you give to readers as they pick up this book?

JD: Readers must be very discerning with their Bible’s open as they consider the multiple views in this volume. The book’s format may suggest that any of these perspectives are viable options for Christians, but readers should not assume this from the start. The discerning reader will ask questions like:

  1. Is this scholar approaching Scripture as God’s unified Word (2 Tim 3:16) and allowing Scripture’s claims in both the Old and New Testaments to stand?
  2. Does this proposal require biblical warrant for the way it presents seeing Christ in the Old Testament?
  3. Does the view allow Christians to try “to convince” others “about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (Acts 28:23)?
  4. Do the claims affirm with Jesus that “the Scriptures … bear witness about me” (John 5:39), that “Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day” (8:56), and that Moses indeed “wrote of me” (5:46)?
  5. Does this perspective agree with the apostles that (a) Isaiah spoke as he did “because he saw [Jesus’s] glory and spoke of him” (12:41), (b) “what God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled” (Acts 3:18; cf. 10:43), (c) “the gospel of God … concerning his Son” was “promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures” (Rom 1:1–3), (d) “it was revealed to [those prophets] that they were serving not themselves but you” (1 Pet 1:12), (e) the meaning of Scripture’s “spiritual truths” can only be “spiritually discerned” by “those who are spiritual” (1 Cor 2:13–14), and (f) “only through Christ” are minds softened to “read the old covenant” in a way that lets us “behold the glory of the Lord” so that we are in turn “transformed” into his image (2 Cor 3:14, 18)?

 

Editor’s Note: Five Views of Christ in the Old Testament is now available for purchase.



Day 24 – Witness to Local Community

By / Oct 24

”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
– Acts 1:8

Day 24 – Witness to Local Community

As a pastor’s kid, I was keenly aware of the witness of the pastor and his family in the local community. Even though I grew up in a smaller community, it often happens in larger communities too. Pastors (and their families) are often viewed through a certain lense to those in the community, but not necessarily in their church or any church. Pastors, just like all believers, should live a life that reflects Christ in all areas of life including in public, whether that’s at local community events, during sporting events, or at the local groery store.

As we continue praying for pastors, let’s pray for their witness to the local community. Here are a few ways to pray for him and his family:

  • Being salt and light in their community
  • Living that reflects Christ
  • Willingness to engage lostness in their community
  • Grace from others when they make mistakes

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will reflect Christ as he engages as a part of my community. Give him opportunities to share the Gospel, reflect how you’ve transformed him and his family through the cross, and allow the witness of the church to be one that is pleasing to our community…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



Day 22 – Unity in the Church

By / Oct 22

”I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:10

Day 22 – Unity in the Church

The world is a divided place in nearly every sphere of life. One of the ways the church can be a city on a hill is by its unifying spirit. That’s not to say there aren’t disagreements or hard decisions, but that the demeanor of the pastors and congregation seek unity and peace. Pastors play a significant role in exemplifying and leading their church towards unity.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

  • Personal spirit of unity
  • For a life of the fruits of the spirit
  • A church that desires unity and peace among one another
  • Ability to see the Gospel above all and pursue it above preferences

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will display a spirit of unity, peace, and love as he leads Your church. May he lead graciously in seasons of disagreement or indecision. Give him a people who desire unity and a love for the Gospel above all…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



He Shall Show It

By / Oct 22

“He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.”
John 16:15

There are times when all the promises and doctrines of the Bible are of no avail, unless a gracious hand shall apply them to us. We are thirsty, but too faint to crawl to the water-brook. When a soldier is wounded in battle it is of little use for him to know that there are those at the hospital who can bind up his wounds, and medicines there to ease all the pains which he now suffers: what he needs is to be carried thither, and to have the remedies applied. It is thus with our souls, and to meet this need there is one, even the Spirit of truth, who takes of the things of Jesus, and applies them to us. Think not that Christ hath placed his joys on heavenly shelves that we may climb up to them for ourselves, but he draws near, and sheds his peace abroad in our hearts. O Christian, if thou art tonight labouring under deep distresses, thy Father does not give thee promises and then leave thee to draw them up from the Word like buckets from a well, but the promises he has written in the Word he will write anew on your heart. He will manifest his love to you, and by his blessed Spirit, dispel your cares and troubles. Be it known unto thee, O mourner, that it is God’s prerogative to wipe every tear from the eye of his people. The good Samaritan did not say, “Here is the wine, and here is the oil for you;” he actually poured in the oil and the wine. So Jesus not only gives you the sweet wine of the promise, but holds the golden chalice to your lips, and pours the life-blood into your mouth. The poor, sick, way-worn pilgrim is not merely strengthened to walk, but he is borne on eagles’ wings. Glorious gospel! which provides everything for the helpless, which draws nigh to us when we cannot reach after it–brings us grace before we seek for grace! Here is as much glory in the giving as in the gift. Happy people who have the Holy Ghost to bring Jesus to them.



Day 21 – Delight in Christ

By / Oct 21

”Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
– Psalm 37:4

Day 21 – Delight in Christ

John Piper would describe “delighting in christ” in this way, “delighting in God means savoring the diverse excellencies of God, especially as they are manifest in Christ.” He goes on to describe how Christians should delight in God as Savior, as friend, and through the gifts He bestows upon his children.

In this world, we are encouraged and enticed to delight in so many other things, money, fame and power, sex and its allure, sports and teams, family, personal success, and self, but Scripture says we should find our delight in something completely different. We should find our delight (our greatest pleasure) in God himself.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

  • Genuine delight in the Lord and His ways
  • Recognition of how the Lord provides ways to delight in Him through the little and big things in life
  • Joy that overflows from delighting in Christ

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will be a pastor who finds his delight in you as your word says. Give him a genuine and deep affection for you and your promises. May delight in you provide the energy and stamina to serve you and your church…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.