I (and all of the other parish clergy) depend on your prayers.
But, what should you pray for God to do for us, or make us, or lead us into? A Bible reading gives some great guidance: direct from 1 Timothy 4:1-16, here are nine ways I hope you will pray for us:
·1.(Verses 1-3) Pray that your clergy will be delivered from false doctrine which is all around us in the church today, just as St Paul and the Holy Spirit have warned. Things don't change with the passage of time.
·2.(Verses 4-5) Pray that we never lose sight or confidence in the goodness of the creation that God has made; and that we focus on prayer and thanksgiving for all that God has put before us.
·3.(Verse 6) Pray that we put sound instruction out for all of you, and so prove to be good ministers, nourished on faith and good doctrine ourselves.
·4.(Verses 7-9) Pray that we continue to train ourselves in godliness, avoiding godless and silly myths, with hope for the present life and the life of the world to come.
·5.(Verses 10-11) Pray that we keep our hope set on the living God, and remember that the message of the Gospel is for all, not just for some.
·6.(Verse 12) Pray that we are wholesome examples in speech and in conduct, in faith, in love, and in purity.
·7.(Verse 13) Pray that we attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, and to teaching.
·8.(Verse 14) Pray that we do not neglect the spiritual gifts which God has given us through the laying on of hands by the Bishop at our ordinations.
·9.(Verses 15-16) Pray that we remember all the duties in the above prayers, and that our own practice and development will bring the message of salvation to many, including ourselves.
This is a lot of prayer. More than you may want to do all at one time. I suggest that you take one prayer intention a day, and include it in with your other prayers. Maybe you will print this and put it in your prayer book or prayer place to help you remember us. Nine day cycles of prayer (called novenas) are a long Christian tradition dating back to the nine days between Jesus' ascension into heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
I am very thankful for all of the prayer already offered for the clergy. Please remember us all:myself, Father Joe, Deacon Reese, Father Cage (who helps us with hospital ministry), Bishop Pope (our second rector and retired bishop of Fort Worth) and Father Tilley (a retired priest of the diocese who is part of our parish).Also, remember to pray these same prayers for Bishop Jenkins in his retirement and for our bishop-elect, Morris Thompson.
