Tag: prayer

  • Letter #36 (Time)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         In the last letter, which covered the topic of Priorities, I dealt with looking at how we invest our time as one of the indicators of what we consider priorities.  Allow me to continue approaching this topic of time and how we use it for a few minutes, with emphasis on one use of time.

         We all know we only have twenty-four hours in a day.  Part of that day must be invested in resting and part of it in eating and taking care of personal physical needs.  The big question about time is, “How do we spend the rest of our time daily?”

         We are exchanging our time for something; that’s why we say we are “spending time” doing that something.  Well, what should we be doing, as compared with what we actually do?  As pastors, how can we most efficiently use our time to fulfill our God-given call and to utilize our God-given talents?

         We usually attempt to block out time for things like visits to congregational members, counseling, Bible study, sermon preparations, administrative duties, and a host of other responsibilities that go along with the written or perceived ministry of being a pastor.  However, I sometimes wonder if there is an aspect of being a pastor that we overlook and simply do not put near the top of the list.  That something is time spent in prayer.

         While conducting a School of Christ International missions training at a Christian campground my wife and I used to manage, Bro. Bert Clendennen had a standing rule for each day of the training.  The prospective missionaries/ministers were required to meet before breakfast daily at a set time and pray for an hour.  The first day one of the ministers attending was about ten minutes late for prayer.  He was reminded of the beginning time.       

         The second day that same individual was late again.  Bro. Clendennen pulled him aside and indicated to him that he needed to pack his things and return home.  Then that wise man of God told the late one that if he could not control himself enough to get up on time and pray for at least an hour before the day started while here in the states where there was no real pressure on him, he would never succeed in the field, because there he would need to pray for a much longer time daily in order to serve in complete dedication and submission to God just to be able to stay alive, depending on the country in which he would serve.

         I’m reminded of how the original apostles had the large group of disciples choose out seven men to take care of the feeding ministry during the beginning days of the church.  They said that would enable them to devote their time to prayer and the ministry of the word.  I often wonder if that would work today.  What if disciples in whom trust could be placed took care of the physical needs of a congregation and the pastors devoted themselves prayer and talking about Jesus?

         My question is this–How much time do we pray daily?  If the answer is a hour, is that enough time?  If the answer is two hours, is that enough time?  

         How much is enough will probably depend on your schedule for the day.  It may depend on how much you expect to be fighting opposition to the teaching of the word in your town.  There are many other things that can influence how much time we spend in prayer.  But the bottom line is, are we praying in proportion to how much we are ministering?  Those original apostles decided to devote themselves to prayer and the word.  I imagine that involved a great deal more prayer than is talked about today.

         I read an article on prayer years ago that made an impression on me.  The writer (whose name I cannot remember for this letter) told his secretary to hold all his calls for two hours because he felt that day deserved at least that much time in prayer before continuing.  She looked at his schedule and saw he had one appointment for counselling that day.  One appointment.

         We know we are admonished in scriptures to pray constantly, in all things, with faith, through the powerful name of Jesus and His authority.  We know Jesus set aside time to pray, sometimes all night.  We know we are to pray with understanding and in the Spirit.  We know prayer matters and that it gets results, and those results can be miraculous. 

         Knowing all these things, we still procrastinate when it comes to the actual activity of praying.  When it comes to time, is prayer a priority for us?

         I challenge you to look at your daily schedule and see if you can determine just how much prayer time you are putting in for the Kingdom of God.  Then ask yourself if you think it is enough.  Perhaps we all can do better in how much time we invest in our prayer life.  I know I can.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #35 (Priorities)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 both state, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also”.  It can also be said that you invest your time and your talents in those things that are important to you.  In other words, you will put your time, skills and money into those areas of life that you consider important enough to require your focus and devotion.  These areas can be referred to as your priorities.

         I don’t watch much television, but I recently happened to see part of a football game that was televised from a large outdoor stadium.  It was snowing and, based on the clothing people were wearing, quite cold.  According to an article from the New York Times from September 5, 2025, the average cost of a ticket to attend such a game is $279. 

         The typical pro game lasts about 3 hours.  That does not include driving time to and from the game or any side trips for meals or the famous tailgating parties.  Attending the game would essentially take the better part of a day and would, all incidental expenditures considered, involve a hefty empty space in each attendee’s wallet.

         Based on the money and time investments, I would venture to say that attending that game was a priority for the people sitting on those snow-covered bleachers. 

         Humor me and allow another example from a situation closer to home, so to speak.  A young couple we know came to worship complaining about not having enough money to repair their malfunctioning HVAC unit.  They talked about how their month seemed to always be more than their paychecks.  I knew the husband had a very nice newer truck, and the wife had her own vehicle, both with payments.  Then the wife said two statements that shed some light on their financial situation.  She first commented that they were going to be short on finances the whole season and did not know where they would get the money to pay all their bills.  Secondly, she revealed they would soon take a trip to a theme park that would cost them over $1,000 for a weekend stay at the park.  She had unintentionally revealed their priorities.

         Please do not misunderstand me.  There is nothing wrong with attending a sporting event or going to a theme park.  I have participated in similar activities.  However, I do understand we all will rationalize our “priorities” from time to time to make ourselves feel good about our expenditures of time, skills and money.  I’ve done that, and I dare think you may have, too.

         Here’s the rub with this priority topic—when we set our priorities, what do we use to establish a standard for setting those priorities?  Where do we draw the line on using our talents?  How much is too much to spend for something not already budgeted?  What is “wasting time” as opposed to “using time wisely?”

         Our priorities will determine the paths we take in life.  When we realize this fact, we should determine if our priorities are lined up with God’s will for our lives.  We must ask ourselves if our priorities demonstrate that we are living according to God’s call to minister to others for His kingdom’s sake.  We must take a serious look at those things we consider to be most important and determine if they coincide with what God says should be most important.

         Serious stuff, right?  Absolutely!  So, where do we turn to find out what God wants us to establish as our priorities?  You know the answers—scriptures and prayer.  But how often do we not go to those sources when we promote things in our lives into the position of being priorities?  How often do we do what we want, instead of seeking God’s guidance on how important something should be in our lives?

         Please do not take this letter as a personal condemnation.  It is a challenge.  Allow me to challenge you to sit down with whatever you use to take notes and begin to list where you spend your money, how you use your skills or talents and where you invest your time.  These three indicators will show you what you consider a priority.  Once you have done the identifying, then prayerfully go to scripture and seek God’s guidance on what you need to keep on the list and what you can reduce or eliminate from the list.  Remember, your priorities will motivate you and influence what you do, where you expend your energies, and how you invest your resources.  Just be sure your priorities agree with what God wants you to consider important.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #32 (Unity–3)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         The following is a list of various scriptures that deal with the topic of unity.  I encourage you to read them, including the contextual verses around them.  Unity—Ps 133:1, John 17:23, Ephesians 4:3 & 13 (NLT); Unified—Ezra 3:1, Nehemiah 8:1 (NLT); In One Accord–Acts 1:14; 2:1; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12 (NLT); (According to my concordance, there are 34 verses I did not list that come from the KJSV and the NLT that list the word unite/united.)

         In this third letter concerning unity, allow me to give you a “case study” of what can happen when unity exists from my experience as a small church pastor.  Our congregation had mentioned we should work on something to connect with the young people in our community who were related to our attenders or lived in our general area.  As we prayed and sought guidance from God on how to go about doing this, the idea of creating a safe place for young people to gather on a regular basis was brought up and discussed. 

         The discussions led to a major project that we decided to call The Landing.  The project was the creation of a large youth shelter with a platform on one end for various events, supplemented by a fire pit and sports areas.  The congregation began working on the project “in one accord.”  Through their enthusiasm, dedication and hard work that was covered in prayer, what we refer to as miracles began to occur.

         We had to clear over an acre of thick woods to create the building site.  One of our members worked for an underground utilities company.  The company donated the use of the equipment we needed to clear the woods and prepare the ground.

         The poles for the structure were donated by an individual.  We purchased the trusses, and when it came time for them to be set in place, a commercial contractor brought his crew two consecutive weekends to set them without cost to us.  (Four-man crew for 20 hours of labor) 

         The lathing for the trusses was donated by way of a developer who gave us over 120–2”x12”x14’ planks that were considered scrap concrete form boards.  A local man who owned a sawmill cut enough of the lumber to make the lathing (at no cost). 

         The structure was ready for roofing.  A large congregation in our area heard what we were doing and bought the metal for the roof.  A local resident who installs roofing came to direct and work with us to install the metal.

         It was time to build the platform.  We had enough planks left to create a 13’x40’ platform, but we needed to raise it off the ground.  I got word that a mason I know was cleaning around a house he used to store various building materials and I contacted him.  He donated 150 lightweight 8”x8”x24” blocks, which were more than enough to build the foundation for the platform.

         Some of the leftover blocks became the walls for the fire pit.

         We hired a local electrical contractor to install power so we could put up lights and outlets for night-time activities.  The power pole was donated by the same person who donated the shelter poles.

         Poles for creating a volleyball court were donated.  A moveable standard basketball goal was donated.  A set of small goals for children was donated.  A ski-ball table was donated.  A foosball table was donated.  A child sized billiard table was donated.  We bought an air-hockey table and built a sturdy ping pong table.

         This whole process took a little over 2 years of prayer, discussions, phone calls, decisions, work, scraped knuckles, sweat, hope and dependence on God to move for us, to provide for us, to keep us on track and to anoint our efforts.  God did His part for that small congregation that had to rely on Him to achieve what we were doing together, what we were united about, what we prayed about in one accord.

         Take another look at those scriptures in the beginning of this letter, especially the ones in the book of Acts.  Unity creates miracles.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #28–Heritage

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         I had occasion recently to attend a Christmas worship service in the church house where I officiated my first funeral message.  One of my uncles passed, and I was asked by the family to present his eulogy and the funeral message. 

         The building was erected in the late 1800’s.  You can see the footprints and handprints of its builders in the rough-sawn planks that cover the ceiling, walls and floor.  It was the same church house and cemetery where my maternal grandparents were laid to rest, as well as my mother and all her siblings.  Numerous cousins and extended family members either had their funerals there or had been interred in that cemetery.  You could say my family has deep roots in the place. (No pun intended.)

         Sometimes a small church pastor is sent by God to such a location as the one I just described.  As the pastor begins ministry in that congregation, the heritage of the congregation can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.  Many congregations have great histories.  Revivals of the past, record missions offerings and long-established spiritual traditions all reflect the heritages of many small congregations.  However, the memories of those past events can become a two-sided coin that impedes the progress of a congregation’s spiritual growth.  The memories can become the focus of the people, who long to see those memories come to life again.  And their focus on the past can slow their movement into the future.

         A small church pastor should tread patiently and carefully when it comes to the heritage of a congregation.  Trying to deal with any aspect of a congregation’s heritage that may be hindering their spiritual growth is tricky business that requires much prayer and discernment from God.

         The pastor should learn as much as possible about the history and traditions that exist in a congregation.  Some things will be pleasant memories that are casually discussed and some things will be so ingrained in the congregation that they are considered as absolutes to their operation and will be expected to be held in extremely high regard, almost to the point of idolatry.

          Examples: A congregation in a neighboring county accepted the use of a computer and projector for singing without much opposition because they enjoyed being able to worship without having to hold a book when they wanted to clap along with a song or raise their hands as they worshipped.   I also know of a congregation that would wait until a particular member would quietly raise a hand and start to weep before anyone else would express any reaction to an inspiring sermon.  Their comments about this included a statement that the individual knew when God’s spirit was moving and no one wanted to “get ahead of that person” during worship.

         Once the pastor has learned about the history and traditions, prayerfully consider what has been learned to determine if anything is standing in the way of the congregation getting closer to following Jesus.  If there is anything, then slowly, graciously and lovingly broach the subject after asking the leadership to help you pray about something.  Remember to bathe every decision in prayer, seeking the guidance and timing of the Holy Spirit when dealing with anything such as this.  As with any change, speak to your leadership before speaking to the general congregation.  Be sure the leaders are willing to make any adaption to a tradition.

         Keep in mind that those folks who are the backbone of the congregation have much time, money and effort in the history of the congregation.  They are the ones who probably did the cooking, painting, sweeping, repairing, singing, praying and witnessing that were integral parts of any heritage they have.  And if they were not the ones, their parents and grandparents were.  They have family ties to their past, in all likelihood.  Remember how thick blood is.

         Those parts of the heritage that are blessings and points of encouragement should be celebrated when the occasion arises.  You might remind the current members how their ancestors would pray earnestly for revival and encourage them to do the same.  You could point out how growth in numbers usually came after those prayers were coupled with community-wide evangelistic outreaches that they could do themselves.  Honestly admit to the people when the traditions are helpful and point out how they bring people closer to Jesus and encourage them in their faith.

         You might have a heritage, with its traditions, in your own family.  Remember how much that means to you.  A congregation feels the same way about its heritage and traditions.  The local congregation’s past can be a source of inspiration and encouragement for your people.  Seek God’s guidance and anointing as you approach the reality of having to patiently deal with the good side and the unfortunate side of any local heritage.  As I mentioned in Letter #27, remember your source, especially when you deal with a congregation’s heritage.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor