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Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us (Colossians 4:2-3a, ESV).
For the last four years of my ministry as a pastor at Fellowship Church, a sister would approach me weekly and ask how she could pray for me the next week.
I would see her in a hallway, “Pastor, how can I pray for you this week?” Sometimes she would seemingly materialize behind me in the sanctuary, and when I turned around, she would ask, “Pastor, how can I pray for you this week?”
She never missed a week. I could expect every Sunday, “Pastor, how can I pray for you?”
At first, I would give her a throw-off type of request, “Pray that I will have a good week.” or “Blessings for an upcoming mission trip.” But as I realized (by her persistence) that she really prayed, I accepted this blessing of offered prayer and began getting more specific with my requests — we need to increase our giving by $1,000 a week; I have a difficult funeral to preach; and lots of criticism about my ministry recently, pray for my patience.
I’d ask and she would pray. She would never judge my motives or think a request too outlandish.
My last four years at Fellowship were the most difficult of my 49-year career as a pastor. The transition and change were extreme, and many times, I found myself emotionally and spiritually depleted.
I took comfort that God provided a prayer warrior who, like an intercessing guardian angel, undergirded me continually with her prayers!
Here’s what I found most helpful. (Lessons in praying for others.)
- Persistence. She always asked for my requests.
- No judgment or comments. She would shake her head “yes” and say, “I will pray this week.”
- I didn’t know her socially that well, she wasn’t in my small group, and rarely did our conversations go beyond her asking for my requests, and yet she carried a burden to pray for me. What encouragement!
- She always smiled right before she asked about my prayer requests for the week. She had the gift of encouragement along with her ministry of praying.
Smiles and prayers. I wished back then that I could clone her a couple hundred times and have them all join the church. Paul had this same desire for many prayer warriors in his ministry. . .
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf (Romans 15:30).
In 49 years, I had only one very visible intercessor in my life, and only in the last four years of my ministry. I’m sure that many others prayed, but none as steadfastly or weekly, asking, “Pastor, how can I pray for you?”
I’m grateful. Let’s pray for one another.