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Friday, July 24
Pray More Than You Criticize By Mark Driscoll
Pray for the shepherds. Pray for them more than you criticize, e-mail, gossip, or blog about them. Pray that they would have a discerning mind to know who is a sheep. Pray that they would have a thick skin. Pray that they would have a humorous outlook. That they would laugh at themselves, that they would have a tender heart toward Jesus and the sheep. That they wouldn't be hammered, that they would keep a tender heart, that they would have a humble disposition, that when criticisms are true, they would repent. That they would look at a criticism for a kernel of truth to be sanctified by. Pray that shepherds would have encouraging families, that their wife would endure all the criticism, backbiting, people who would use her to get influence, that she would remain close to Jesus and be a place of refreshment for her husband, that she would know her job is to keep her husband from despair—not by always agreeing with him but agreeing that she will always be for him. Pray for his children as people take shots at his family. That his children would not go astray because critics love that. Pray that one of the elders in the church is a good sniper. That he could spot people who are trying to take down the pastor. If the pastor tries to do it, it's a lose-lose situation. Some of you elders here need to get in the middle. Pray that the shepherds would have evangelistic devotion, that they would not just feed the sheep, but that they would love the lost. That they would not waste their time checking their ratings and overlook Paul's admonition to do the work of an evangelist. That they wouldn't be so buried in firefights that they can't see more people become sheep. Pray for the shepherds, that they would learn selective hearing, that they would listen to their elders, that they would invite into their lives good counsel. Not everything that is said is worth a hearing. Shepherds can become so hard-hearted that their ears are closed and they spend time justifying themselves when they shouldn't. They need to know who to listen to, who to heed, and who to not to. (Mark Driscoll)
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8 comments:
WOW, powerful words!!!
Oh even more should we saints pray for the ministry in the day in which we live. There is an all out war battling against the foundation of the church. Stirring post.
Great post! Something we all need to heed to!
Very Powerful and soul stirring. I copied this and printed it out. It now sits in a frame on my computer desk where I shall see it everytime I approach this area of my room to remind me of the urgency of lifting up my shepherd and his family in these last days.
Thank you and God Bless you and yours as well. Love to you all,
Jolene
Mark, these are powerful words and I know every pastor appreciates the church families' prayers.
Mark, these are powerful words and I know every pastor appreciates the church families' prayers.
Sis. Hopper, there definitely is a battling raging but thank God that prayer always prevails.
Jolene, thankful that this post was a blessing to you! I know that Pastor and Sis. Allard cherish your prayers. Keep on praying for the ministry. :)
Carol, thanks for stopping by. This is something that we need to read often and then apply it to our lives. God bless you!!
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