First of All, Pray
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Benjamin Kreps:
Hey everyone, and welcome to the podcast, where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our Executive Director. Mark, on the last episode you shared with us some of the teaching that you did at the Global Leaders Retreat several weeks ago. And on this episode, you've got one more of those lessons for leaders that you want to share with us. And this is a massively important topic. We were talking before we started recording that perhaps at first blush it might appear to be a more mundane type of topic — but nothing could be further from the truth. And that's the need for the pastor's consistent prayer. Because consistent prayer is not some extra add-on to the deluxe version of pastoral ministry — it's actually integral to our calling. As pastors, we are called to study and teach the Word and to pray.
Mark Prater:
Yeah. And I think the topic of prayer can sound mundane. It can also land on anyone listening to an episode on prayer like condemnation — "I'm not doing enough." That's just not intended here. But it is intended for this podcast to elevate the priority of prayer. And in this case, I want to speak to pastors about the priority of the pastor's prayer life — the consistent prayer life. That was lesson number three: the pastor's consistent prayer.
Last week I talked about pastors viewing themselves as servants of Christ — keeping our identity rooted in Christ. And when we do that, when we really have that mindset and think that way, then we really want to know what the Master wants. And one of the ways we find out what Jesus our Master wants in pastoring our people and leading our churches is that we pray.
I think Paul is a compelling example. Here's what I mean. He obviously referred to himself as a servant of Christ, and that gets worked out in his prayer life. You see it because, for example, what's compelling is that he begins every letter he wrote with a prayer — except for three: Galatians, Titus, and 1 Timothy. Although in 1 Timothy, chapter 2, this is what he writes in verse 1: "First of all, then, I urge" — that's emphatic language. Not second of all. First of all — "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people."
Paul was making a point. This is actually the second time he urges Timothy in this letter. He says in 1 Timothy 1:3, "As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, stay in Ephesus." He urged Timothy to stay in Ephesus — and part of the reason he was leaving him there, as the rest of chapter 1 talks about, was that Timothy needed to protect the church from false teachers. And then he urges him again: "First of all, as you go about all that — you've got to pray. You've got to pray for all people." So Paul viewed himself as a servant of Christ, and one of the ways that got worked out in his ministry was that he was a pastor who consistently prayed, and he urged Timothy to be a pastor who consistently prayed.
Benjamin Kreps:
Yes. Excellent. Like you said, there's nothing mundane about this. It would be hard to think anybody checking out the podcast right now feels like they've arrived and have no further growth needed in this area. But we want to hear more from you on this topic. So share with us — drop down another level and get more specific. Why is prayer a priority for the pastor?
Mark Prater:
It's important for several reasons. I'm going to mention four, very briefly.
1. — First and foremost, it pleases God when you, as a pastor, pray. When you pray for your people and you pray for your church, it pleases God. This is what Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:3. Verse 1: pray for all people. Verse 2: pray for those who are in authority, for kings and all those in high positions. And then he says in verse 3: "This" — meaning prayer — "is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior." That's the highest priority right there. One of the ways a pastor pleases God, pleases the Savior, is that he is a man of consistent prayer. So that's the first one — it pleases God.
2. — Let's admit, guys, at least for me in my ministry, there are so many times I just don't know what to do. We face leadership challenges in the church, pastoral counseling situations, things that almost seem impossible to us. I can't tell you how many times I've thought that and I've just had to pray. I can think over the years of different conversations I've had with guys on the leadership team — and this example just references Jeff. I'm talking to Jeff Purswell and we're facing a leadership issue in Sovereign Grace, and I say, "Jeff, I honestly don't know what to do." And he says, "I'm not sure I do either, Mark — but let's pray." So we prayed, and God helped us, and God brought clarity. Let us admit our weakness. Let us admit our finiteness. There are times, brothers, we don't know what to do, and that should put us on our knees in prayer.
3. — Prayer is a way that we care for our people. One of the ways you care for your people, first of all, is in your private prayer life. Whether they know it or not, you're praying for them. It warms your heart toward them and helps you to be a better pastor. And then your private prayer affects your public prayer — whether that's in a counseling session with a married couple going through a difficult time, or from the pulpit in your pastoral prayer. Private prayer for your people will affect the kind of public prayer you make for your people. They receive your care in a very meaningful way when you pray for them, or when you communicate that you pray for them.
One of my practices in local ministry is obviously to pray daily. And there are times I'm praying and a member of the church comes to mind that I hadn't been thinking about, and I'll just pray for them. And many times I'll text or email them, letting them know I prayed. And it's always been a timely expression of care in their life — that's what I've learned over the years. The other practice I've had for at least a decade now is I pray for one Sovereign Grace church every day. That has just been a joy for me. Praying for one Sovereign Grace church every day causes me to love our churches more. And on some of those days when I'm praying, I feel compelled by the Spirit to email that pastor or pastoral team and tell them I've prayed for them today, perhaps in a specific way. Again, that can be a timely expression of care to a pastor and his pastoral team.
4. — Your prayer as a pastor, whether private or public — and I think those two things go together — will create a culture of prayer in your church. If you want your church praying more, look at your own example and see where you can grow in your prayer as a pastor, whether private or public or both. Because that alone will help cultivate a culture of prayer, because people will know that prayer is a priority for that man, and it must be a priority for us as well. So those are a few quick reasons why prayer is important.
Benjamin Kreps:
Well, that is excellent encouragement and very practically helpful, Mark. Thank you for those four examples. But before we go, there's one more thing you want to emphasize and encourage us on when it comes to this topic.
Mark Prater:
Yeah. There's one other reason why I think prayer is important — I wanted to pull this one out and emphasize it. I want to read a quote from Spurgeon. And it's this: prayer is important because if a pastor prays consistently, I believe his ministry will be marked by the presence and power of God.
Charles Spurgeon, in his book Lectures to My Students, has a whole chapter entitled "The Preacher's Private Prayer." And there's a quote in there that I love — one that actually motivates me to pray — and I want to share it with you. This is Spurgeon:
"One bright benison which private prayer brings down upon the ministry is an indescribable something better understood than named. It is a dew from the Lord, a divine presence which you will recognize at once when I say it is an unction from the Holy One."
That's what happens when we pray. When we pray, there is this indescribable something that marks our ministry — as he says, this dew from the Lord, this unction of the Holy One. It is a ministry marked by the presence and power of God. And I just think that's another reason why it's important for a pastor to consistently pray.
Benjamin Kreps:
Mark, who would not want to experience this?
Mark Prater:
Right. Exactly. That's why I read that quote.
Benjamin Kreps:
Thank you for that — what a wonderful quote. And actually, before we end the podcast, remind those who are checking this out — or inform those who may not be aware — that we actually have an opportunity to gather together as pastors regularly in partnership to pray.
Mark Prater:
We do, yes. I'm so grateful for the initiative and leadership of Joel Shorey. Joel Shorey is the senior pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Newark, Delaware, and also our Director of Church Planting. This man has taken initiative because he has a personal burden to pray more for Sovereign Grace. As many pastors know, I send out quarterly prayer requests for our churches — they go out once a quarter to cultivate a culture of prayer in Sovereign Grace and to strengthen partnerships so that we can pray for one another. Joel gets those. And about a week or a few days after those go out, he leads a quarterly Sovereign Grace Zoom prayer meeting that any pastor can participate in. If you've never done that and are interested, email Joel directly — you can find his email through our church network.
By the way, he and some of those guys who get together regularly in that Zoom meeting recently got together for a retreat. And Joel emailed me this lengthy document of the ways they were going to pray over a couple of days for Sovereign Grace. It was humbling to read. It was encouraging to read. It was inspiring to read — because they were really thinking through our partnership and our churches and our pastors. And I just thank God for that group of men who have prayed for Sovereign Grace recently. I would encourage you to participate in one of Joel's quarterly Zoom meetings.
Benjamin Kreps:
Excellent. Well, thank you, Mark, for inspiring and encouraging us on this episode of the podcast. And thank you all for checking out the podcast. We'll see you here next week, Lord willing. Bye for now.