At Burlington this Sunday Julie Kite, our Head of Evangelism, will be preaching as part of our series Following Jesus. Don’t miss it! And don’t forget to pray for her.

In fact wherever you are in the world this Sunday make sure, before then, that you stop to pray for the person who will bring God’s Word.

As an encouragement, please read this Word for Today post from a few weeks ago.

17 Jan 2012

Pray for Your Pastor

Pray…that…words may be given me… Ephesians 6:19

Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus: ‘Pray…that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me…that I will fearlessly make known…the gospel.’ Do you pray for your pastor? You should! After Wilbur Chapman’s first sermon at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, a man said, ‘You’re pretty young to be pastor of this great church. We’ve always had older men. I’m afraid you won’t succeed, but since you preach the gospel I’m going to help you all I can.’ Chapman thought, ‘What a crank.’ But the man continued, ‘I’m going to pray for you, and a few others have covenanted to join me.’ Later, Chapman wrote, ‘I didn’t feel so bad when I learned that they were going to pray for me. Soon the three became fifty, and the fifty became two hundred who met before every service to pray for me. In another room eighteen elders knelt so closely around me that I could put out my hand and touch them. I always went into my pulpit confident that I would have God’s anointing in answer to the prayers of those people. It was easy to preach, a real joy. And what was the result? Eleven hundred people were saved and joined the church in the next three years, and six hundred of them were men. It was the fruit of the Holy Spirit in answer to prayer. Church members have much more to do than go to church as curious, idle spectators to be amused and entertained. It is their business to pray mightily that the Holy Spirit will clothe the preacher with power and make his words like dynamite.’