Praying for your Pastor - by Ligon Duncan

Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: "how can I pray for you?" I've tried to put some thought into how I answer that question. So, maybe these ideas will help you pray for your pastor, or tell others how they can pray for you.

Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially,

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.

Gratitude and Concerns

Ray Ortlund lists four things he is thankful for, and four things he is concerned about.

Going into this new year of grace 2009, I am thankful for four things and concerned about four things.

Thankful:

1. The gospel is being rediscovered and rejoiced over and ransacked in a fresh way, as evidenced by Together for the Gospel, The Gospel Coalition, Acts 29, etc. God seems to be creating new conditions for revival in the future. I hope I see some of it in my lifetime.

2. The rising generation, now in their 20s and 30s, are both theologically-minded and emotionally-intense toward the Lord. This is a powerful mix. If they will stay focused, we're in for some good days. Future buffetings will test us, and we are all weak. But the race of Hebrews 12:1-2 is always runnable, if we will keep our eyes on Jesus.

3. The age of parachurch usurpation seems to be ending, and the rightful, biblical dignity and authority of the church are being re-asserted. Since the church is where God locates his power (Ephesians 3:20-21), again, it looks to me like the preconditions of revival.

4. The Bible is the focus of renewed fascination and serious study. I see the success of the ESV Study Bible as one evidence here. Pragmatism is less acceptable as a form of validation, and biblical authority is increasingly required. This is the Lord Jesus himself touching us with his royal scepter, asserting his authority, for his greater glory and our greater power.

Read Concerns...

Daily Text - Christmas Day

Thursday, December 25


Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day)

Watchword for the Day
Jesus is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's
very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:3


Psalm 147:7-14; 2 Kings 23:21-24:20; Acts 7:30-43

Nativity of the Lord

Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12); John 1:1-14

I will send survivors to the nations, to the coastlands far away that
have not heard of my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my
glory among the nations. Isaiah 66:19

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had
heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:20

Lord Jesus, today we celebrate your birth; your coming to earth as a
baby. We worship you and give you the gift of our lives, ever faithful
to you until we come to live with you again in our father's kingdom.
Amen.

The Tale Of Despereaux

Posted December 18th, 2008 by Tullian Tchividjian

Universal Pictures has given a gift to our families this Christmas. The Tale of Despereaux (G) will be released in theaters this Friday, December 19th. You can view the trailer and website here.

My friend John Seel (a cultural analyst par excellence) sent me this note the other day:

I’m really high on the upcoming film, “The Tale of Despereaux.” When Hollywood does something right, we really need to applaud! May be some day they’ll really start listening to their audience.

So I asked John if he’d be willing to write a guest post here exlpaining the story and why he thinks it’s important. Thankfully, he agreed. Take it away John…

Life isn’t fair. Life is hard. This is not a lesson we often teach our children. We tend to protect them from the hard edges. But a sense of entitlement leads to an attitude of victimhood. It’s far better to forgive and overcome.

Kingdom People Christmas Giveaway

Trevin Wax is giving away a big o' stack of new books. For a chance to win, check out his blog post where he explains how.

Looks as if Prop 8 in California will pass!

Proposition 8 - Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry
93.6% ( 23,809 of 25,423 ) precincts partially
or fully reporting as of Nov. 5, 2008, at 6:22 a.m.

Early poll results Tuesday night showed California voters leaning toward overturning same-sex marriage in the state in a decision that could impact how the issue plays out elsewhere in the nation.

Approval of Proposition 8 would be a stunning upset in a $70-million campaign that just weeks ago looked to be running in favor of preserving gay marriage rights.

By 12:34 a.m. in California, 53.1% of voters favored passing Prop 8, as the measure is known, and 46.9% were against it, with 60% of precincts voting, according to the Secretary of State. However, both sides cautioned the vote could be very close and that it might still be early to declare a winner.

The passage of Prop 8, as it is known, would be a major victory for religious conservatives seeking to ban gay marriage in other states, and a crippling setback for the gay rights movement nationwide.

How the Democrats Weakened Freddie and Fannie Mac That Led to the Mortgage Crisis--Thanks Dems!!

Friends, a few years ago Republicans in Congress were fighting to get tougher restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac so that those institutions would remain solvent. Democrats were adamant that those institutions should remain "as is" with even less controls. Wow, the mortgage crisis could have been prevented if Democrats were interested in fiscal responsibility. It is actually, impossible to blame the mortgage crisis on the Bush Administration while the Democrats paved the way, on purpose, for increased irresponsible lending practices. The truth hurts.

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