Prayer For the Wives of Church Leaders

54 Powerful Prayer for Pastors and Church Leaders Points

Home Intercession 54 Powerful Prayer for Pastors and Church Leaders Points

Having been involved in ministry for a while now, I know just how stressful shepherding people can be. This is especially true for those who are truly sold out to the cause. A study carried out by Duke Divinity School revealed that the rate of depression among pastors is about double of that of everyone else.

The rate was slightly lower for pastors who were interviewed in person. One could accredit this to the pastors not wanting to burden others with their burdens. This is the way that our pastors are trained in general.  //today.duke.edu/2013/08/clergydepressionnewsrelease

As the body of Christ, we are called to hold each other up. The ones we often turn to and depend on need to know that at the very minimum they can depend on us to lift them up in prayer. Some of the greatest scandals that have rocked the church have been a result of mishaps and misfortunes of leaders.

These people are no deities; they are just as humane as any one of us. Expectations are higher for them, and so are some of the temptations and scrutiny that they face daily. Above that, they also carry additional problem that their flocks are facing at any given time. This is not easy, by any stretch of the imagination.

Matthew 26:31

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

The scripture above illustrates the key issue here. The enemy’s strategy will always be to target the ones who are in leadership positions. Jesus himself recognised this, as was said in Zechariah 13:7. Our prayers should stand guard over our shepherds. This is what these prayer points are about. As we stand guard over the men and women of God, the Lord will cover all of us.

Father keep our shepherds in the right place, may we not be scattered. Uphold and uplift their being, their standing and their voice. May they always stand in and rely on you! Guide and keep us oh Lord! We pray over every person that will raise their voice to you on behalf of their pastors and leaders. Bless and keep them oh Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Day to Day Ministry

2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

1. We want to pray that our pastors would be empower by the Holy Spirit in the preaching of the word.
2. Give them boldness oh Lord, to speak matters of your heart and not to seek to please man.
3. Give our pastors boldness to stand as corrector to the flock. In these times where wickedness goes unchecked in the church. Let our pastors arise.
4. Grant our pastors and leaders grace to be encouragers of the body of Christ. Give them wisdom to know what to say!
5. May their walk in Christ be filled with patience. May their footsteps bring peace and joy!
6. May their walk be blameless before you! Raise them to truly be men and women after your own heart.

Keeping Watch

Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

1. Father we thank you for the gift of stewardship. We thank you for the flocks that you have given pastors to watch over. Grant them grace to lead as you would.
2. May the value of the flock be never diminished in their eyes. May they always remember the price that you paid for every single person under their care.
3. Grant our leaders grace to remain watchful over themselves, that they may not stray from your will, oh Lord!

50+ Powerful Biblical Prayer Points for Healing for the sick

Authority

Hebrews 13:17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

1. Lord we come against the blinding spirit of pride and arrogance in our church leaders. May they remain coachable.
2. Lord we pray for the body of Christ. Grant us grace to submit to authority of the office that our leaders stand under. Give us wisdom to respect the anointing you have placed on these men and women.
3. May our ministries not be a burden for the leaders. Let them be a great source of strength and of joy.

To whom much is given

James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

1. Father we thank you for the sacrifice that leadership is. The pray for our leaders today. We pray for preservation for them and for their families.

New pastors and leaders

Jeremiah 3:15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

1. Father in these selfish times, raise selfless shepherds for your people!
2. Lord reveal your heart to your people. Raise pastors after your own heart.
3. We come against the spirit of arrogance and self-centred aspiration.
4. Father remove the spirit of greed that is eating at the heart of our churches today. May our churches be known for being your hand in our communities.
5. We pray that you would pull down those who have strayed away from your will, and seeking to profit off the gospel.

Servant Hearted Leadership

1 Peter 5:1-4 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1. Father we pray that our pastors, deacons, elders and all others serving in ministry would never forget the honour that it is to be able to serve your people.
2. Raise leaders who are more keen to wash others’ feet than to have their own feet washed.
3. May your gospel not be tainted by greed, oh Lord.
4. Father, may our leaders be exemplary in all that they do.
5. As church leaders, Lord we pray that we always remember that we are stewards of all that is in our hands. Grant us grace to multiply and not to hoard for ourselves.

Strength and Perseverance

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

1. Father we pray for all pastors going through tough periods. Renew their strength.
2. May they never forget that they can lean on you. Grant them humility and wisdom to know when they are weary and in need of rest. More than anything, grant them wisdom to seek you in these times.
3. We pray that you would raise a solid support system for our leaders. We come against the spirit of loneliness, in Jesus’ name.
4. We declare that our pastors will hope in you, oh Lord. They will soar eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Prayer Points for Pastors: Unshakable leadership

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1. Father we thank you for the families of church leaders. We thank your for the sacrifices that they also have to make. There is a cost to them as well, as their loved ones serve. Bless them oh Lord!
2. We pray for leaders who have sown seed but are yet to see fruit. Give them wisdom to know to wait on you.
3. Father let none of our service, as leaders be half-hearted. May we always be fully committed to all we do for you and through you!
4. We come against the spirit of envy, and denominationalism. Grant us grace to walk in one accord, in Christ.

Do not be weary

Galatian 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

1. Father we call upon a harvest for every seed sown in evangelism. Wherever the gospel has been shared, let it begin to take root.
2. We pray for consistency and persistence in doing your will.
3. May your good works never run short of doers, oh Lord. I refuse that the rocks would cry out while I live!!

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

1. Lord we pray for sustenance and provision for our leaders. May they not be plagued by lack while they serve.
2. We pray that their needs would not become gluttonous.
3. May their hearts not be filled with worldly desires of gathering possessions and wealth for themselves.

Prayer Points for pastors and church leaders: Do not muzzle

1 Timothy 5:18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

1. Lord raise us to always be uplifters of leadership.
2. May our leaders never have to carry burdens alone.
3. Grant us grace to be their providers as they provide for us spiritually.
4. May our leaders be known to be yours even by how they spend their resources. Your word says that where our treasure is, is where our heart is. May their hearts be in you always.

The ministry of prayer

Acts 6:2 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

1. Lord we banish the spirit of prayerlessness among our leaders. May they be men and women of prayer, more than they are doers.
2. Let their actions be birthed in the prayer closet.
3. We pray for our church prayer meetings to be uplifted.
4. Let our church prayer meetings become incubators of your glory.
5. We pray for overflow in the miraculous. Overflow in healing, in testimonies from time vested in prayer.
6. Our prayer closets will never be neglected.
7. Lord may your eternal word be shared relentless among us.
8. Bring unity and harmony beyond our religious and denominational divides.
9. Bring a prayer revival into our homes, into our workplaces, into our schools and more than ever, into our churches. In Jesus’ name.

We want to take this time to thank you for taking time to pray with us. Let us keep our churches and leaders uplifted through prayer. I remember reading how high the rates of suicide were among pastors. God forbid that this would become acceptable under our watch.

We are stewards even of our words, of our prayers. Let us not be the steward that buried his talent. May your mouth bring forth great things in your sphere, through Christ Jesus! Thanks for using these prayer points for pastors and church leaders.

These prayer points and more can be found on www.prayerrelay.com

Originally posted 2018-03-08 00:58:43.

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Источник: //www.prayerrelay.com/prayer-points-for-pastors-and-church-leaders/

5 Prayers to Pray for Your Church

“Prayer meetings were the arteries of the early church. Through them, life-sustaining power was derived. The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings.

So is the prayer meeting a grace-o-meter, and from it, we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God is near a church, it must pray.

And if He is not there, one of dying first tokens of His absence will be a slothfulness in prayer!” Charles Haddon Spurgeon

When is the last time you prayed for your church body? What about your pastor? Staff? Leadership? Have you prayed for your Sunday School teacher? Have you interceded on behalf of issues taking place in your church or decisions that need to be made?

Our churches are under the attack of the enemy never before. Our leaders and each of our brothers and sisters in Christ need our prayers. We are the Body of Christ and we must lift one another up! Let's use these prayers for the church – both your local church and those around the world. 

A Prayer for Good to Prevail over Evil

“‘As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Genesis 50:20

Lord, what the enemy means for evil against our church body, we believe You can use for good. Remind our hearts of this.

When we are being attacked and crushed from all sides, remind us of Your faithfulness to use everything for Your good and Your glory. May we not fear but trust in Your provision for our church family.

May we not only be readers of Your Word but believers and doers. Increase our faith, Lord.

A Prayer for Unity as a Church Body

“I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

God, help our church body to walk in a manner worthy of the calling You have given us. Help us in all our interactions with one another to have humble and gentle hearts. Grant us patience for one another, bearing with one another in love. Grant the Body of Christ unity. May we walk humbly with You, God, allowing You to show us our wrongs.

A Prayer to Seek the Lord

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” 2 Chronicles 7:14-15

Lord, You have told us in Your Word that You hear our prayers. We are crying out to You, we are humbling ourselves before You and seeking Your face. We come together as a church body to seek You. We repent and turn from our wicked ways, thank You for hearing us. Thank you for Your forgiveness and healing.

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Romans 14:19

Father God, You desire peace and unity and encouragement for our body of believers. Help us, Lord, to pursue what makes for peace and for building one another up. To pursue the things You will lead to peace and unity.

Give us discerning hearts to know Your will and give us the courage to be obedient. Lord, we know that without You and Your Holy Spirit indwelling each of us, we cannot do any of these things.

But, with You and for Your glory, grant our body peace and unity.

A Prayer to Follow Jesus

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24

Lord, You have given us what seems an impossible task with this passage. You have asked us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow You. Even when our spirits are willing, the flesh is weak. You know our hearts, Father.

Help us, with Your Holy Spirit, to examine our hearts and hear from You. The longer we walk with You, the more we look You. We desire to become more and more You, less selfish and more selfless, willing to deny ourselves in any and all situations.

You have told us that when we lose our life for Your sake, we will save it. Save us from ourselves, God.

As we lift up these words for our churches, let us come before God with humility and a willingness to obey. Let us put others first and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we seek God first, putting aside our own desires. May we become intercessors for our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we pray more and criticize less. May we be encouragers and uplifters.

Candace Crabtree is just a broken mama thankful for grace and new mercies every morning. She and her husband live in East Tennessee where they homeschool their 3 kids.

Candace also enjoys teaching piano, coffee, good books and blogging at His Mercy Is New.

On her blog, she shares encouragement for weary women from God's Word along with resources for learning to pray the Scriptures. 

Publication date: July 7, 2016

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Strength
Prayer for Protection
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers
Sinner’s Prayer
Prayer for Forgiveness
Prayer for Guidance
Intercessory Prayer
Prayer for Peace
Prayer for Faith
Prayer for Love

Источник: //www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/5-prayers-to-pray-for-your-church.html

Six Reasons the Church Needs Corporate Prayer

We read in Acts 2 that Peter preached to crowds and “they were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37).

Scriptures tells us that 3,000 were added to the church that day when Peter proclaimed, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Thousands were compelled by the working of the Spirit through Peter’s words to understand and believe that Jesus, whom they crucified, was indeed both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

Immediately after they believed, we read that the new believers “devoted themselves” to the teaching of the Apostles, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. We see signs and wonders, belief, and generosity. We see worship, hospitality, praise, unity, and evangelistic growth (Acts 2:42-47).

Who doesn’t want their church to look the body of Christians we see in Acts 2?

But the excitement of signs and wonders and favor and awe and new believers may cause us to race right past the first church’s commitment to prayer—their commitment to root their ministry in dependance on the Lord.

For the early church, prayer was not an afterthought, or the Christian way to start and end a meeting. Prayer was not an addendum to the “real work” of the apostles. Prayer was central then and it must be for us now.  

In this age when activity and productivity are equated with spiritual fruit, the quiet act of prayer is easily forsaken. But here are six reasons the Church needs corporate prayer.

1. Corporate prayer encourages.

Life is hard. On this side of heaven we face sickness, sin, death, and brokenness. As followers of Christ we can find ourselves at a loss for words—even at a loss for how to understand a calamity in light of God’s goodness and sovereignty. When we gather with other believers to pray we can “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  

In corporate prayer we can remind our brothers and sisters that God will never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39), and that we have a Savior who sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).

2. Corporate prayer disciples.

When believers of varying ages and stages gather together to pray, we learn from one another. I remember well being taught by example to pray for God’s glory and for his will to be done; and that this sort of prayer takes a biblical priority above that of praying for my own safety.

Just as Jesus taught the disciples to pray (Matthew 6:10), when young believers listen to the prayers of the mature and faithful, their faith grows. Corporate prayer moves us beyond simplistic requests for ease or health or blessing (though those are worthy requests too) and teaches us to ask instead that we might be conformed to the ness of Jesus (Romans 8:29).

3. Corporate prayer forms in us the habit of prayer.

Scheduling times to pray with others makes us more consistent in acknowledging that we are weak and God is strong.

When I dedicate specific days and times to pray with others—prayer partners, elders’ wives, ministry leaders, women’s Bible study attendees, my friends and neighbors—I simply pray more. any discipline, doing it with others motivates and grows me.

Setting aside time to pray together spurs us on in ways we wouldn’t be if we chose to only pray alone (Hebrews 10:24-25). Corporate prayer teaches us that, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).

4. Corporate prayer is needed for confession.

When we pray with others and confess our sin, we expose it to the light and Christ shines on us (Ephesians 5:11-14, 1 John 1:7-9). James exhorts us to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

Individual prayer only makes use of part of our weapon of prayer to battle sin. There is strength in gathering with others. If we are serious about battling sin, we must put corporate prayer in our arsenal.

5. Corporate prayer builds unity.

It is nearly impossible to hold a grudge against someone when you join him or her in prayer. Jesus instructs us, in fact, that we cannot offer him a gift if we have something against our brother (Matthew 5:23-24). He says we must first go and be reconciled.

Indeed, Peter reminds us that the Lord’s ears are only open to the prayers of the righteous, and not those who are walking in unrepentant sin (1 Peter 3:12).

As we regularly come together, we’re reminded to “maintain the the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

6. Corporate prayer invests in evangelism

Lastly, but not exhaustively, praying with others invests in God’s work to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. We see in Acts that “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). As we pray, the Lord works to draw others to himself.

John says, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 5:14).

And Peter tells us, that the Lord does not wish “that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

May it not be said of the church today that, “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2).

An Example to Follow

God graciously gave us the example of the early church, as seen in Acts 2, to spur us on 2,000 years later. May we not forget the power and priority of corporate prayer. May our small groups, Bible studies, churches, communities, and friends be known for prioritizing prayer together.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

Источник: //unlockingthebible.org/2018/05/six-reasons-the-church-needs-corporate-prayer/

After 72 Years of Marriage, a Church Leader Prepares Wife for His Death

February 8, 2015

Francis Wernick, a pastor, conference president, and former vice president of the General Conference, spent much of his life proclaiming the Advent message of Jesus’ soon coming to people around the world.

These days Wernick, who is seriously ill, is encouraging his wife of 72 years, Mary Sue, to keep her eyes fixed on that hope as he prepares her for his death.

Wernick, 95, has lung disease, ly brought on by old age, and has had several close calls in recent days, said the couple’s eldest child, Brenda Flemmer, 64.

Wernick himself is ready to go, his children said. But he also wants to make sure that his college sweetheart, who turned 95 on Feb. 3 and is 10 days younger than him, is ready to say goodbye.

“My dad is ready to meet Jesus. He wants to go to sleep and rest,” said his son, Robert Wernick, 57.

“When he talks to my mom about this, he reminds her that Jesus is coming soon and they will not be apart very long, to stay faithful, and there is a better life ahead,” he said. “My mom believes this, but after 72 years of marriage it is hard to say goodbye, even for a little while.”

Francis Wernick, a lifelong Seventh-day Adventist born in Lake City, Iowa, met Mary Sue at the library where she worked at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mary Sue Huffines, a native Texan, had studied the first two years at Southwestern Junior College, now Southwestern Adventist University, in Keene, Texas.

“My mom jokes that she went to Union College with the intent of finding a husband,” Robert Wernick said.

Francis and Mary Sue were in their final year of college when they met, and he was preparing to graduate with a ministerial degree that would allow him to become a pastor.

Within months they were engaged, and they married on the evening of May 24, 1942, just hours after attending their graduation ceremony in the morning.

The wedding, held at the Union College church, was inexpensive, and the decorations were homemade. The officiating pastor was Jerry Pettis, who went on to serve as a California Republican lawmaker in the House of Representatives from 1966 until his 1975 death in a private plane crash at the age of 58.

Married, With Orange Crates for Furniture

Two days after the wedding, the couple headed to North Dakota so Francis Wernick could begin his ministry.

“I never got the feeling they spent a lot of time analyzing whether or not they were right for each other, but both were praying that they would find the right person and trusted God to lead,” said Robert Wernick, who retired after 32 years in the energy industry in 2012 and began caring for his parents at his home in Ooltewah, Tennessee, near Southern Adventist University.

Everything the Wernicks owned was packed into their car for the move to North Dakota, and they started life together with orange crates as furniture. It took some time before they were able to acquire chairs, a table, and a bed. They also rented a room in someone’s house for most of their four years in North Dakota and didn’t own their own home until much later.

“I believe that their thought processes were much different than we have today in that they saw life as a set of responsibilities to both each other and to God, and they genuinely wanted to faithfully meet those,” Robert Wernick said. “What the world had to offer never seemed very important to them.”

After North Dakota, Francis Wernick led churches in Pennsylvania and Ohio and then accepted an invitation to become president of the Adventist Church’s East Pennsylvania Conference in 1958.

He held the position for 10 years, under presidents Robert H. Pierson and Neal C. Wilson, and retired in 1985 near the General Conference headquarters in the Washington area. He and his wife moved in with their son in Tennessee in 2012.

Secret to 72 Years of Marriage

The life of church service sometimes presented challenges, but the couple developed a close relationship that no crisis could breach, Robert Wernick said.

“I never saw a major crisis in the marriage, although I know at times my mom would have d to have dad at home more rather then out in the field supporting the work,” he said.

“My parents always believed God founded the marriage,” he said. “They trusted Him to help them keep it together and the home happy. They did their part and let God do the rest.”

Mary Sue Wernick never worked outside the home, a decision that allowed her to raise three children, Brenda, Robert, and a younger daughter, Carolyn Jimenez.

“We lived modestly and always had plenty of what we needed,” Robert Wernick said. “Given the commitment my dad had for the church and the time and energy he spent working for it, she had plenty to do to keep the home and raise the kids.”

But 72 years of marriage is a rarity, especially in rich countries where the average length of marriage before divorce is 13.6 years, according to data published by The Economist magazine last year. U.S. government statistics indicate that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, and those that do collapse only last an average of eight years.

A healthy Adventist lifestyle could certainly be seen as a contributor to the longevity of the Wernicks’ lives — and by extension their marriage. But their son said the secret to their successful marriage is much more: selflessness and a combined commitment to their marriage vows and to the responsibilities that God gave them in this life.

“I don't think my parents ever felt that life was somehow about them or personal thoughts about what they deserved life,” he said. “They never lived selfishly but always worked for the welfare of each other. They did not always get along, but my mom had a meek and quiet spirit that was a nice complement to my dad’s energy and drive to get things done and make things happen.”

He said his father was the glue that held both the marriage and the family together.

“My dad was always a peacemaker. He had a great ability to see both sides and find a solution that brought people together rather than drove them apart,” he said. “He also was not a dictator.

He never felt he needed to have all the answers or that he might be the smartest guy in the room. He genuinely wanted input from others to make decisions and was thankful to have people around him to help with decisions.

This attitude was also useful in the family.”

A “Solid, Old-Fashioned” Couple

Family friends spoke highly of the Wernicks’ commitment to God and each other.

“They were always together, he providing a strong arm of support for her when she was unsteady on her feet,” said William A. Fagal, 68, associate director of the Ellen G. White Estate, where Francis Wernick serves as a life trustee. “She looked up to him with admiration and love. Their devotion to each other was palpable, as was their commitment to the Lord.”

In an example of their companionship, Francis and Mary Sue Wernick welcomed Fagal and his wife of 43 years, Sylvia, to the Washington area in September 2003 by showing up at their front door with a box of homegrown garden produce and an invitation to Sabbath lunch.

“When around the Wernicks, I would see her attentively watching him, listening to him as he talked, with an expression of interest, maybe a tiny touch of awe, certainly pride and total support,” said Sylvia Fagal, 71, whose own relationship with the Wernicks stretches back to when her father, Frank L. Marsh, taught biology to the young Francis Wernick at Union College.

“It's the solid, old-fashioned situation of the man being the head of the family and the wife in total support and very important in her role,” Sylvia Fagal said. “They were such a team that even years later she would speak of how lonely she had been without him when he was traveling and she was home with the children.”

Despite the heartbreak of watching her husband die, loneliness appears to be less of an issue these days for Mary Sue Wernick, who is in good heath. The couple are together all the time in the same room. They often hold hands. Because they are both hard of hearing, they communicate more through touch. When he speaks, he offers words of hope about the resurrection.

“My mom always wanted him to go first,” said their daughter Brenda Flemmer, administrative assistant at the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference. “She said she didn’t think that dad would survive without her.”

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Источник: //www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story2269-after-72-years-of-marriage,-a-church-leader-prepares-wife-for-his-death

18 Things to Pray for Your Church

Have you ever been reading your Bible and noticed how Paul prays such rich, kingdom-saturated prayers for churches?

• For the church in Thessalonica: “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power” (2 Thess. 1:11; see also 1 Thess. 1:9–13).
• For the church in Colossae: “We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9–10).
• For the church in Ephesus:  “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph. 1:16–17; see also 3:14–21).
• For the church in Rome (Rom. 15:14–33) and the church in Philippi (Phil. 1:9–11).

Of course, there’s far more where this came from. See Don Carson’s excellent book on the topic, Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation (Baker) [excerpt], as well as TGC’s corresponding eight-session group study curriculum (LifeWay) [announcement | excerpt].

Leading the Charge 

It’s comparatively easy for you and me to pray for ourselves, our families, and our friends. But how can we learn how to pray more fervently and consistently for our local churches?

For one, we just need to start doing it—and encouraging others to do so.

To help with that, here are 18 things you can pray for your church. They aren’t as rich as Paul’s since I wanted to keep them simple and -length. (Also because I’m not inspired.) Still, perhaps you could print out this article and pray two or three of the points below per day for the next week—maybe in your quiet time, maybe at the family dinner table.

Who knows? One day in glory, perhaps we’ll see all the good accomplished from believers being more deliberate about praying for their churches.

What to Pray For

1. That we would have unity amid diversity—loving those with whom we have nothing in common but the gospel. 

2. That a culture of discipling would form in which making disciples is viewed as an ordinary part of the Christian life.

3. That faithful elders would use Scripture to train members to do the work of ministry.

4. That a hunger for studying the gospel would form among membersso that they can guide and guard one another in it.

5. Thattransparent, meaningful relationships would become normal and remaining anonymous strange.

6.The preaching of God’s Word—that it would be biblically careful and Holy Spirit imbued.

7. Thatelders would remain above reproach,kept from temptation, complacency, idols, and worldliness.

8. Thatthe church’s songs would teach members to biblically confess, lament, and praise.

9. Thatthe church’s prayers would be infused with biblical ambitions, honesty, and humility. 

10. Thatadult members would work to disciple teenagers and not just leave it to programming. 

11. That the church’s primary teachers grow in dedication to God’s Word even when no one’s watching. 

12. That it would grow in beingdistinct from the world in love and holiness, even as it engages outsiders.

13. That members wouldshare the gospel this week—and see more conversions!

14. That members would beprepared for persecution, remembering to love, not curse, their persecutors.

15. Thathopes for political change would be outstretched by the hope of heaven.

16. That giving would be faithul, as well as joyful, consistent, and sacrificial. 

17. Thatmore members would use their careers to take the gospel to places it’s never been.

18. Thatmembers would be good and do good in their workplaces this week.

Can you think of something I didn’t include? Then pray it and share it! This is hardly the “official list” of the 18 most important things to pray. They’re simply what one guy thought of while sitting in his office chair.

The point is for all of us to start praying more intentionally for our churches, and to encourage others to do the same.

Church Membership • Healthy Church • Nature of the Church • Prayer

Источник: //www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/18-things-to-pray-for-your-church/

6 Prayers For Your Worship Leaders

Here are six prayers for your worship leaders you might be able to use.

Prayer for God’s Glory

Righteous Father God, I pray for our worship leaders and also those who are leaders in other areas Sunday school and administrative positions, but for now, I ask you to help our worship leaders focus on what You desire and that is that You be glorified in our worship services as we worship You.

  I pray we worship You in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) so we can bring glory to You through our praises and thanksgivings.

  Please help your Spirit enable those who lead our worship services to seek to give You the credit for all we do and to help us focus on Your desire to be glorified and in His name we pray to seek more glorify for this, Jesus Christ, amen.

Prayer for Faithfulness

Holy Father in heaven, thank You for Your faithfulness given to us in Your own Word.  These hold great and precious promises that we can cling too.

  It is only by Your Word that we know we can trust Your faithfulness, so help us and our worship leaders stay faithful to You and to Your Word so that we can be empowered to live a life that is more pleasing to You.

  When we worship together, help us, as the body, and those who are leaders, stayed focused on glorifying You and in being faithful to what is revealed in Your written Word, the Bible.  May we all be faithful to its teachings and for the glory of the name by which we pray, Jesus Christ, amen.

Prayer for Godly Wisdom

Father God, You are full of wisdom and truth, so help those of us who lack wisdom be given the wisdom that comes from above (James 1:5).  Our own ways are not safe Lord. We know that what we think is right is often just the opposite of what You desire.

  Father, give our worship leaders the wisdom that only comes from You and that this godly wisdom would help them know how to apply biblical principles in a way that shows love, kindness, patience, but also discipline, when needed.

  Sometimes it is difficult to know what to do, so help them to know the way that You would choose and to follow those things taught from Scripture as the final word on authority, and to fear Your Word.  The beginning of wisdom is the fear of You oh Lord, and in Christ Jesus’ holy name I pray, amen.

Prayer for Humility

God our Father, You know our hearts and that they can easily deceive us (Jer 17:9), and we don’t always realize that we are taking credit for things that You have done and not we.

  I know I have done this before so please forgive me for when I have, and perhaps, for the time I do it again, but help those worship leaders in our church understand that You will resist anyone that is full of pride (James 4:6), and that Your grace is water; it always flows downhill to the lowly, the meek, the humble, and broken in spirit.  We have nothing that we did not receive from You God, so what could we ever boast about (1st Cor 4:7)?  Help me, help our church, and help our church leaders remain small in our own eyes and to recognize the danger of exalting ourselves which could bring a great fall from grace; so I pray for these things for Your glory and for the glory of Jesus Christ’s name, amen.

Prayer for Purity

Righteous God, I know Your desire is that we live holy lives that are pleasing to You.  Not sinless lives, but give us help to sin less by Your Spirit so that we can be salt and light to others who need this image of Jesus Christ so that they might be drawn to Him.

  Help, by Your Spirit, our worship leaders to be able to lead diligent lives that remain above reproach and help them to avoid those things in the world that tempt.  We know the enemy has a mark on the leadership of the church, but also on their families.

  I pray they put on the whole armor of God (Eph 6) every day and keep the pulls of the flesh and the pride of life from overwhelming them Lord.

  I ask Your hand to be upon them and their families and to hedge them in from the enemy who seeks to destroy their family, their ministry, and their witness for Jesus Christ and it is in His precious name I pray, amen.

Prayer for Peace

Father, there isn’t very much peace in the world today.  There is so much violence.  In fact, there is no real, true, lasting peace.  It comes and it goes, but we thank You God that You give us Your peace.  This peace came from Jesus’ own life and death (Rom 5:1), without which we would have no hope of ever having a relationship with You.

  I pray for these worship leaders and their families to have the peace of God, which You say surpasses all human understanding (Phil 4:7), and that they are at peace with You but also at peace with their family, which is their first earthly priority.

  So we pray for the worship leaders to live a life of peace in Christ, and we pray in Jesus’ holy name, amen.

Conclusion

Perhaps you could leave a comment and give us one of your own short prayers for worship leaders.  I am sure I missed some points that you have thought about that I didn’t, so please include those too.  We can never have enough prayers to pray for our church leaders and for their families.  Besides, if it blesses them, it blesses the whole church.

Article by Pastor Jack Wellman

Источник: //www.godtube.com/news/6-prayers-for-your-worship-leaders.html