Day 25…2 Thessalonians 3:1

"Brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:1) 

Notes from the devotional:

• Many pastors find themselves simply overwhelmed. Overworked, sometimes underpaid, under constant spiritual attack, many feel they’re over their heads.
• Pastors are expected to be all things to all people – expert counselors, deft mediators, eloquent preachers, gifted financiers, noble visionaries. In the face of these expectations, many pastors wonder if they’re really making a difference for you and me.
• As men of God, we must come alongside our pastors with our service and daily prayers for their families, their marriages, and most importantly, their continued growth in their relationships with Jesus.

My notes:

• I guess I am still in my state of mind from the week, because as I read this, it was really easy to see me in the place of the word pastor.
• Why do I feel so reluctant to ask others to pray for us? Is it a macho kind of “I’m okay, I don’t need help” kind of thing? Is it  a fear of admitting failure? Is it just flat out stupid denial that I need prayer? Or is it something worse – a lack of trust in the power of prayer?
• It is important for me to remember that I need to not only pray for my pastor, but not be afraid to ask others for prayer – to pray that when we get discouraged, when we start to lose our way, we find our way back to him and work for his will and his glory.

Personal challenge:

• Think of something encouraging you can do or say for your pastor this week.
• Pray for your pastor.

~~from Men of Integrity: A Daily Guide to the Bible and Prayer (1999)~~