Archive for the 'Pastors' Category
When the Pastor Prays Publicly
Do you ever wonder why it is important for pastors to pray publicly?
The pastor should be one of the greatest prayer warriors in the church and in his city.
I believe that prayer by the pastor should be one of the highest moments in public worship services. This moment of public intercession can be absolutely powerful.
As the spiritual leader of the church, when you pray, you are standing the gap for the people of God.
8 Considerations When You Pray Publicly
1. Context
The pastor needs to set up the context for this prayer moment. He can do this before or after asking the congregation to bow their heads, preparing to pray. Plan this moment with diligence.
2. Timing
The timing for you to pray in worship is very important. I prefer to set this time just before we receive the offering. For us, this usually occurs just before the final song before the message.
One other thing pastor, do not shorten this time. Your people need to hear you pray and they also need you to do so in a way that is genuine, not just checking the list of things we do in worship services. Not only is the timing important, but the amount of time allocated for the prayer is important.
3. Agreement
When you pray, teach your people how to agree in prayer with you. As pastor, they need to be engaged with you while you are praying. They can agree with you verbally while you pray. As we turn the church house into a house of prayer for the nations, people need to become involved as you pray.
4. Planned
The ministry of prayer in worship needs to be a planned time. It should have purpose. The pastor can even list the topics of prayer to the people before the prayer begins. Understand what is happening in the culture and then you will know how to be relevant in your public prayer life.
5. Conviction
The pastor should pray with a strong conviction. A conviction is not just something you have in your heart, it something that has you. This will illustrate to the people that you pray because you believe in it, and it really matters. Pray with conviction.
6. Passionate
Pastor, when you pray, pray passionately. The people will then also become passionate in their prayers when they see modeled before them a pastor who prays with passion.
Never should we be afraid to have our emotions involved while we are praying, from enthusiasm to expectation, to weeping, and perhaps even shouting. Regardless, be authentic, but make sure you are passionate.
7. National and Global
Pastors should pray for national and global needs publicly. Pastors and churches need to pray for our national leaders, and about situations existing in the nation and across the globe. If we really believe in prayer, we need to act like it relating to national and global needs.
8. Posture
Oftentimes when I pray before our people, I kneel. I do so in reverence to God. He is Lord, not me. He is the Sovereign One, not me.
Then there are times when I pray publicly, I walk around on stage. At other times, I stand still when I pray in public worship settings. Whatever the public posture, the posture of your heart should always be humility before God.
The Church Needs to Hear You Pray
Pastor, I just want to be one of the people out here that appeals to you always pray before your people in public worship. You are the God-called and God-anointed pastor of the church, so do not try to delegate prayer away from your leadership.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Pastors: Lead Your Church to Give Through the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention
Pastors, take the lead, share the burden, and encourage your church to give through the Cooperative Program of our Southern Baptist Convention.
I realize pastors are not personally responsible for their church’s contribution amounts. But what we can do is lead, share the burden with our church, and encourage them to allocate more monies toward reaching our own states, our nation, and the entire globe with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
This Vision Begins with God
I believe Jesus died for every person in the world. I believe each follower of Christ and each church is commanded to present the gospel to every person in this world and to make disciples of all the nations.
This vision begins with God: For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (CSB)
None of us can do this alone, and no church can do this alone. Jesus’ call to each of us is overwhelming, but not impossible. That is why we need each other. That is why our churches work together.
How will we accomplish what Jesus calls us to do?
This is How We Can Accomplish This Vision Together
We can accomplish this vision together by leading our churches to give more than ever before through the Cooperative Program so we can reach every state, our entire nation, and the nations of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe this is the most effective strategy churches can embrace in order to finish the unfinished task given to us by Jesus Christ.
For the 47,000 churches of our Southern Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Program is our unified strategy to be part of reaching the world for Jesus Christ.
4 Reasons Why Our Church Participates in This Vision
Our church is giving more than ever before through the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. In our new budget that we just began on October 1, 2018, we increased our commitment again in a significant manner. Please consider these reasons for joining us in doing the same through your church:
1. It is more about the mission than money
The compelling mission of Jesus Christ to be His witnesses regionally, statewide, nationally, and internationally is what the Cooperative Program has been built upon, is built upon, and must be built upon in the future. Mission, not money, is the end goal.
2. It is more about unifying us than dividing us
Keeping the convictional call before your church to take the gospel to every person in your community, your state, our nation, and the world will unify your church. When the Southern Baptist Convention keeps this same vision before our 47,000 plus churches, it leads us toward walking in unity.
3. It is more about working together than working alone
While you may go faster alone, you will only go farther together. Cooperating to take the gospel to the world will take us toward penetrating the lostness in this world. Yes, working together is more difficult than working alone. But I can assure you, it is worth doing, and the gospel will be advanced so much more effectively.
4. It is more about your church than our convention
God has not called a convention to take the gospel to the world. God has called each of us personally and every church to take the gospel to this world. It is incumbent on us to finish this task. When we partner together in a cooperative manner, we will advance the mission of the gospel so much more strategically and effectively.
We Can Reach the World Together
Why do I believe this? Because God so loved the world! Yes, Jesus died for the entire world. Because He did, we must now give the best of our lives to ensure every person hears of Jesus and His love. Let’s finish this unfinished task together.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.