My family and I are separated for the next couple of weeks as I labor in the Calvary Baptist Church in Silver City, New Mexico, and the Gila Christian Ranch, the camp connected with the church. My family are all home ministering in our home church while I am away.
One of the greatest treasures that God has given me in the ministry is the number of people that pray for me on a regular basis. They come from all over the country, from all walks of life, and from all stages of spiritual growth. Still, they thrill my heart with the words “I pray for you daily.” It is not uncommon for some of you to ask me for a prayer list. Understandably, you want to know what requests are on my heart so that you can partner with me in asking God for them. For those of you who want that prayer list, I offer you one today. This is the most important prayer list I have ever given anyone, and it is my desire that you partner with me in praying for these requests. As you will soon see, this prayer list is not original, but it is of utmost importance.
The first request that I would venture is that God would help us to maintain a clear conscience in everything that we do in the ministry. The writer of Hebrews requested, “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.” (Hebrews 13:18) As one in the place of serving God, there is a temptation to do so in a dishonest fashion. Some had succumbed to the temptation in Paul’s day. He reminded Timothy, “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander.” (1 Timothy 1:19-20) Timothy had not far to look before he could see evidence of some who started in ministry only to abandon the idea of a clear conscience.
The next request is for freedom of the Scripture. This request comes from the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians. He requested, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:1) “Free course” refers to a runner who is unhindered in his push to the finish line. It describes ability to move unhindered and swiftly. So Paul instructed the Thessalonians to pray concerning his ministry, and so I would request that you would pray for me.
The next request comes from the very next verse. “And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.” (2 Thessalonians 3:2) Deliverance from those who are unsaved is an important request. For every man that God raises up, Satan raises up a man or woman to oppose them. Paul’s request was he might be delivered from such people.
The final request is perhaps the most important. It is given almost verbatim in two books of the Bible. To the Ephesians, Paul put it this way, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:18-20) To the Colossians, the request was similarly worded: “Withal praying for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” (Colossians 4:3-4) The ability to speak fluently and persuasively was highly valued in the Hellenistic Age in which Paul lived and ministered. He therefore requested for the ability to speak well in the cause of the Gospel—that God would empower him to speak with not only skill, but also with boldness. If the Apostle Paul needed skill and boldness to proclaim the Gospel, then who am I to not request prayer for the very same thing?
These are my four requests that I would ask you to pray for in my behalf. But would you not take these requests and step farther pray for your pastor along these same lines? Would you not take him to the throne of God and ask that God would do for him what I am asking that he do for me?
Thank you for your prayers and for listening to my prayer list.
