Monday Morning Manna: A Prayer Passage for my Pastor

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. As I pray for my Pastor this month, I am led to Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessalonica, where he prays that “God will consider you worthy of His calling” (2 Thessalonians 1:11, HCSB). This “calling” began at conversion (according to 1 Thessalonians 4:7) and continued through a life of service. The “calling” was the first link in a chain that terminated in glory, thus it is used to denote the whole Christian life. Within this “calling,” some are called to full-time, vocational ministry. Herein, I find my Pastor in this passage. In “The Pursuit of God” A.W. Tozer writes, “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it. The motive is everything.” That which motivates pastors to do what they do, is the special call of God on their life. To accomplish this special calling, a pastor must, while still being human, live above the rest, a person beyond reproach. In so doing, a pastor lives “worthy of” God’s calling. So, this month, I will pray that my pastor lives and serves “worthy of His calling.” What will you pray for your pastor this month?

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.