Sunday, July 18, 2010

Sheep can bite!


We left for church a little after 7:00 this morning. Alex has a pre-church meeting before it all gets going, and it just doesn't make any sense to take two vehicles to church, especially when only one has air conditioning. God keeps laying it on my heart to pray for the church and the shepherds that lead it. It might help matters that I'm reading Terry Teykl's book Preyed on or Prayed For. The more people in your church who are praying for your pastor, the fewer who will be left to join the firing squad. It's really a good book, and it's helping me see how important it is to be praying for our pastors, not just because one of them happens to be my husband.
As I have mentioned before, I have been praying about starting this ministry up in our church. Come to find out there is a ministry going, and I'm thinking I might be able to give it a shot in the arm. Not sure how just yet, but I'm being open to whatever the Spirit wants me to do. So this morning, I felt like I needed to go pray over the chapel and the sanctuary. So that's what I did. I was taken back to the last two semesters at Asbury, where a small group of us (two) would meet before each chapel and pray for chapel and the worship. I thought about how important that was to the people involved in the service. I doubt that the folks out in the pews noticed much and that's OK. We weren't doing it for them to notice. We were doing it to invoke the anointing of the Holy Spirit on that place. We we praying that all who walked through those doors would know that they had come into a Holy space, a space where the Holy Spirit was having His way! We prayed that a thirst would be created in each person for more, more of God and His presence in everyone's life. It was a normal way of the week to happen for me and I have to say, praying over our church today brought it all back to me in a rush of giddiness. 
I was pumped up when I finally got into the service, and it just carried over into Sunday School and the third service. I think this is something that doesn't happen too often in our churches as a whole. Maybe everyone thinks it's the pastor's job to pray for the church and for the services before they happen. I'm pretty sure that most of them do pray, but my question is, “Who is praying for them?” If the church doesn't pray for its shepherds, then that leaves a huge gap for them to be preyed on by Satan. If you don't think it's possible, then you haven't been keeping up with how many pastors leave the ministry every year because of burnout, ineffectiveness or scandal. We are losing them faster than they can be educated and stuck into the same killing churches. So sheep, here is my request to you and your lovely flock at your church. Pray for the shepherd! Satan hates pastors! Did you know that? Do you know the first way to get rid of a pastor is to go after his family? Satan knows this, so why don't you? If you need a book to read, get this book by Terry Teykl. He tells it like it really is with no sugar on top. This is a war, people. We will either fight to win, or we will do nothing and lose. Don't be one of the biting sheep. Be a praying sheep! Baaaaaaa!

1 comment:

redheadbeck said...

Very interesting points indeed!!! I'm reading Joe Beams, "Seeing the Unseen"

Love and Hugs!