Whenever I Open My Mouth

While our Session had its retreat a couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to take a brief "retreat of silence." We spent about an hour on our own-- no cell phones, no conversation, no iPods...absolute silence. I found it to be a very enriching time. As suggested by a study guide we were given, I prayed through the following verse. It helped me get the right perspective on what God asks of every pastor. I hope you'll consider praying through it yourselves on a Sunday morning for your own pastor(s).

Ephesians 6:19-20 (NIV)
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

You'll note, of course, that such an idea is not limited to those preaching and teaching-- it is a prayer we would do well to pray ourselves in any situation where we have the opportunity to share God's Good News.

God...Help Wanted

I don't know about you, but I often catch myself doing things on my own. Recently, after a particularly frustrating Sunday morning (low attendance, low energy, sound problems, set-up problems, bad cell phone reception, and no milk for my cereal) I found myself asking, "What am I doing wrong?"

And it hit me, "That is what I'm doing wrong. I'm doing it all myself."

It's pretty sad when you're a pastor and you find yourself not relying on God. We can only lead people where we ourselves have gone. After some time of confession and stepping back to catch my breath, I talked to my wife. We realized we both had been struggling with our spiritual energy.

I'm reminded of God's promise to us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 " “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” When I'm weak, I'm tempted to fix myself. In reality, God is already at work.

Here's a couple of books my wife and I have found helpful in keeping our spiritual momentum maintained:
-The Power of a Praying Husband
-The Power of a Praying Wife