Archive for the 'Pastors' Category
My Mornings
My Mornings are for God
In 1980, at an evening session of the Texas Baptist Evangelism Conference in Dallas, I heard the late and great W.A. Criswell challenge pastors to give their mornings to God. The following Sunday, I stood before the small church I pastored, the First Baptist Church of Milford, Texas, and announced to them my decision to give my mornings completely to God for prayer and study. All these years, I have lived by this firm commitment. So what do I do in this time with God?
My Morning Schedule, Sunday through Thursday
Over the years, on a typical day, my schedule has evolved into me typically getting up at 3:00 a.m. from Sundays through Thursdays. If I am traveling, this schedule is negotiated and, of course, Sunday is a very different kind of day due to responsibilities.
Sunday Mornings
On Saturday nights I usually struggle going to sleep, anticipating the day ahead. My goal is to be in bed with lights off by 10:15 p.m., if possible. My alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m. and I head into the family room, get a cup of strong coffee or green tea, my iPad, (on which I keep my prayer list), my Bible, and my journal. I begin in prayer, moving into the Word, interweaving with prayer, and journaling a prayer to God — which I’ve done daily since January 1, 1990. I am a big believer in having a spiritual journal.
At 4:45 a.m. I jog on my treadmill for an hour, going over my sermon, praying through it, and talking through it aloud. This is where I move to mastering the sermon. After an hour on the treadmill, I call a prayer partner for a few minutes. I have called this man every Sunday morning since 1989, it is a practice I strongly encourage pastors to develop. I then eat a very light breakfast and head for the shower.
By 7:35 a.m. I am on my way to church. After touching base with our leaders for ten minutes, I am in my office for prayer and additional study. By 8:40 a.m. I am on my way to greet church members and guests in an informal setting and by 9:00 a.m. I walk into a prayer room with several men who lay hands on me and pray for me. By 9:10 a.m. I walk into our worship center, greet more people, and begin the worship experience. At the present time, I preach two major services, one at our Springdale campus and another at our Pinnacle Hills campus. After the second service, Jeana and I greet people for at least 20 minutes, we usually leave the campus around 1:00 p.m. I may or may not have a luncheon, but whatever the schedule, I look forward to a brief nap in the afternoon.
Monday Mornings through Thursday Mornings
Again, the alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m. After water goes on my face and I grab coffee or green tea to help me start the day, I head to my home study. The first 90 minutes of my morning are spent in prayer and the Word devotionally. I reference a long prayer list on my iPad, which continually grows and is updated. I always end up in my prayer journal, writing a prayer to God daily.
By 4:45 a.m. I am totally into my sermon preparation. I take this very seriously. For a pastor, there is nothing that is more important than developing your personal walk, followed by preparation to teach and preach the Word of God. From 4:45 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., with the exception of one hour for exercise and personal fitness, I am in study preparation. Sometimes I will respond to emails if it fits into the moment. If not, I wait. By 10:30 a.m. I am in the shower and by 11:30 a.m. I am on my way to a lunch meeting.
Friday and Saturday Mornings
I usually sleep in until 6:00 a.m. on Fridays and 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays. I always begin my day with God for at least an hour to 90 minutes. On Saturday mornings, I move into sermon preparation, mainly working on memorizing the sermon. I finish around 9:00 a.m., which during college football season is just in time for my favorite television program, ESPN’s “College Game Day.”
Take Away for Pastors Today: Give Your Mornings to God!
Giving your morning to God will transform your life and ministry. Nothing, and I repeat nothing, is more important than your own personal spiritual development and walk with God. It will transform your life and ministry. So pastors, devote yourself to a deep study time giving yourself to prayer and the study of God’s Word.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
When Crisis Comes to Your Ministry
Crisis is a part of ministry. It is not a matter of “if” crisis comes, but “when” crisis comes. When it comes, how do you respond? When it comes personally, what do you do? When it comes in ministry, how do you respond?
I submit to you that crisis should move us to extraordinary prayer. You know, prayer beyond the usual! Prayer that is above the ordinary for each of us. If crisis does not move you to God, it will lead you away from God. As a God-called minister and born again believer, we should always interpret crises as God’s invitation to come to Him.
What About Extraordinary Prayer?
Most pastors I know believe in prayer. However, I am not sure if most pastors believe in the power of extraordinary prayer. Extraordinary prayer is prayer beyond the ordinary. Leaders of the past have called us to extraordinary prayer. Jonathan Edwards wrote about it and called for it among his peers.
I believe Jesus would expect us to rise early for prayer, even as He did in Mark 1:35,
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.
This was an ordinary practice of Jesus.
Rising early in the morning, even when it is still dark, and finding a private place to enter a session of prayer should be an ordinary practice in the life of a pastor. How could a pastor ever expect his people to do something he himself is not practicing and doing personally?
Therefore, extraordinary prayer would be something like this, plus more. Perhaps it would be a special season of prayer, possibly including a time of prayer and fasting. Or, something else that the Holy Spirit would lead a pastor to do. All I know is that we all need to be practicing extraordinary prayer.
Pastor, we need to rise up and lead our people in the call to prayer. We need to model ordinary and extraordinary prayer. We need to pray. We need to pray extraordinarily. We need the filling of the Holy Spirit. We need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We need the power of God. Extraordinary prayer is the key to the Spirit-empowered ministry of the pastor.
Are you leading your church to pray extraordinarily?
I have a major burden right now for my church to be stronger in the ministry of prayer. I am burdened that we seem to do many other things before we practice prayer.
I tell our team continually that if we are not careful we will diminish prayer even in a worship service. I love worship music, but it is not a substitute for prayer. I feel it is imperative that a pastor calls upon the Lord before his church weekly, modeling earnest, passionate, believing prayer. A pastor can mentor the people in prayer by practicing prayer in worship. Pastor, when you pray, “cut the flesh out of your prayer before your people” and “Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Jude 20) What does that mean? I am not sure we know fully what it means, but it does mean to be empowered by the dynamic of the Holy Spirit. Pastor, pray with urgency, passion, and hope!
Then, there are moments for practicing extraordinary prayer. I have tried to lead our church to engage in extraordinary prayer through the years in many ways like:
- Special prayer meetings on Sunday night
- Special seasons of prayer on Sunday mornings
- Special seasons of prayer and fasting
- Special nights of prayer
- And many other ways
An Idea for Extraordinary Prayer
In October, we launched our Cross Church Circle, a ministry of prayer in our church. I communicate with the people monthly with a prayer guide I have designed personally. I have asked our people to:
- Pray for 30 minutes weekly for our church by using this prayer guide
- Enlist others to participate along the way.
Amazingly, we are right at 3,500 people who are a part of our Cross Church Circle, praying 30 minutes a week using our prayer guide that I have designed by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, all focused on the mission and ministries of our church. We believe God is going to launch us into the next great move of God in our church. We need it! We are praying it through!
Can you imagine it?
What If?
What if you modeled before your people weekly praying passionately, urgently, and confidently? What if you mobilized your people to extraordinary prayer in their lives? What if your church, my church, and other churches did this at the same time? I believe God may take us into the next great move of God! May it be so to His glory!
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.