Pastors Praying With Other Pastors
There is nothing like seeing pastors praying with other pastors. I just returned from Little Rock, Arkansas, where I led a prayer gathering for 304 Arkansas pastors, church staff members, and ministry leaders. In light of this, I am reminded again of the value of praying with other pastors.
Prayer between pastors is needed
Every Christian needs someone to pray with from time to time. This experience is valuable, especially if you pray with someone who takes prayer seriously. Pastors have a unique need to pray with other pastors.
We need prayer. We believe in prayer. We need people to pray for us and with us.
Prayer binds pastors with other pastors
No one understands pastors like another pastor. The size of a church is really not a big deal to a pastor who walks before God humbly. Whether we preach to 25, 2,500, or 25,000 people a week, we all face challenges, criticism, and discouragement.
Prayer with another pastor binds us together. I have seen hundreds of pastors praying with other pastors, and I promise you, they form a strong bond between them.
Prayer with another pastor creates vision
When a man of God prays for me, my vision is enlarged. Why? Because pastors impart vision through their prayer. They help us to believe again that God can do anything, any time, anywhere.
Personally, I love to pray with and for other pastors. When I have the opportunity, I do my best to pray for their vision. Pastors get discouraged. Nothing moves a pastor out of discouragement more quickly than visionary, believing prayer.
Prayer with another pastor will empower your ministry
The Holy Spirit uses prayer with another pastor to empower our ministry. Rarely do pastors ask other pastors to pray with them. There is something about pastors that we try to make it alone for as long as possible. Yet, this is not God’s desire for any of us.
Be willing to acknowledge your need for other pastors to pray for you. Do not be ashamed, but embrace the power of prayer by asking other pastors to pray for you.
I am a big believer in men of God praying for other men of God. I need it. You need it. We need it. Why? It will empower your ministry like nothing else!
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
The God Who is Just
There is a wave across churches today, calling for followers of Jesus to be more concerned about justice in our world. The long battle against abortion, human trafficking, exploitation of the poor, and other important issues are being evaluated apart from politics. Christians are recognizing that God’s character is being disregarded in our society. His righteous standard is being ignored.
Injustice is not new
Much of the Old Testament deals with injustice. God repeatedly sent prophets to warn the people of Israel and other nations about their treatment of widows, orphans, and the poor. Sometimes, even the spiritual leaders were involved in exploitation, leaving their calling as “shepherds” to act like wolves.
Equal accountability for all
One facet of God’s justice is His call to personal, individual obedience and righteousness. God does not condemn one person based on the sin of another. Each man, woman, boy, and girl are responsible for their own sin. As Freddy Cordoza writes in the Summer 2014 unit of Bible Studies for Life, “God is fair in the sense that His justice holds everyone equally accountable for their actions. God is completely just, but He is also merciful, showing mercy to those who choose to turn to Him.”
The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel was commissioned by God to rebuke his people during some of the spiritually roughest days in the history of Israel. Yet, God demonstrated willingness to have mercy on those who trusted Him, “‘Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die. None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. ‘Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?’” (Ezekiel 18:21-23, HCSB).
God is just and merciful
The same sentiment is reflected in the New Testament when Jesus teaches, “I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance.” The “one sinner” is neither condemned nor saved due to the 99 righteous. The one must repent before God. When that happens, God hears and forgives.
The justice of God is not merely an expression of His wrath toward wrong. It is God’s willingness to show no partiality based on gender, age, race, tribe or social standing, His mercy in offering salvation to all, His grace in extending salvation to those who respond in faith, and His righteous judgment on those who do not believe that God’s justice is fully seen.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.