The pastor's prayer life

 The Scottish pastor, Robert Murray McCheyne wrote, “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more.” While this is true of all Christians, it is especially true for pastors. Unfortunately, many pastors, myself included, often find it difficult to spend the time in prayer we need.

Young pastors sometimes feel they have been trained and equipped through their education to lead a church. While they may say they are committed to prayer and following God's will for their church, that is not always the case. They may be more committed to following the latest fad they learned from a book or a recently attended conference. Those with a CEO view of ministry may want to focus on management skills they've learned, and these skills can often lead to some success, but they do not necessarily take the church where God is wanting to lead it.

Older pastors may want to depend upon their experiences in ministry. The longer one is in ministry the more one learns, both good and bad. Those experiences can help both the church and the minister, but, again, they may not lead the church to the place God wants it.

It is only when we spend time in prayer seeking God's vision for our churches that we can move in the direction He wants. As I write this I must confess that I struggle here as much as many pastors I've met. Too often my life prayer has been an after thought. I've asked God to bless my plans rather than seeking His will. I've asked Him for guidance, and then went my own way without stopping to listen to His leading. I read about some of the great prayer warriors in ministry and then overload my schedule with things to do without setting aside time to pray and worship.

Anyone who has pursued a doctoral degree knows that there is a lot of reading required. When I was in my doctoral studies I marked time on my calendar for reading. I would set aside an hour or two at least once a week to devote to reading. It was on my schedule. I had an appointment. Why do we not do that with our prayer lives?

I find myself spending more time in prayer these days now that I've gotten older. Life really hasn't slowed down, but I find more time to pray. I'm glad, but I do regret the former years when I didn't pray as much as I should have. I can only imagine the blessings I've missed because of it.