Tag Archives: Prayer

A Prayer For the PCA General Assembly

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to provide a prayer guide for our upcoming General Assembly.  This is based off of one that was produced by ByFaith magazine in 2017, and updated for this year’s assembly.  Please keep the Church in your prayers.

logoA GUIDE FOR PRAYER
46th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America
June 25-28, 2019
Dallas, TX

General Prayers

Pray that the Commissioners will have an ear only to the Word of Christ, as delivered in the Scriptures, as the rule for settling all substantial matters before the General Assembly (GA); that they will exercise prudence and good sense in all matters merely circumstantial; and that they will have the wisdom to so distinguish among the matters before the GA.

Pray also that the Commissioners will engage in debate with a sense of fair play, integrity and charity, and that they will be so moved by the Spirit of God, as to put aside selfishness, pride or party spirit, in order to glorify Christ in His Church and edify His people; pray that in times of work, worship & fellowship, the bonds of love & unity among our Elders would be strengthened; pray that Pastors who come in discouragement would be heartened & encouraged to be faithful in their labor.

Pray for the Moderator (and his assistants); the Stated Clerk; the Parliamentarians; and the office staff.

Pray that there would be a closer balance of Ruling and Teaching Elder, and for the Elders’ faithful participation in the work of the Assembly.

Through the Week

Tuesday

Pray that all Commissioners would arrive safely, well rested and read for the week to come.

Before the Assembly begins, the Overtures Committee and the Committees of Commissioners meet to frame their recommendations on all the business coming before the Assembly: pray for the wisdom and knowledge of God to guide these men in their deliberations.

Wednesday

Committees of Commissioners continue in the morning.

The Opening worship service begins after lunch. Pray for the Lord’s blessing upon the means of grace, particularly the moderator’s closing address.

Following worship, the first business session convenes. Pray for the election of the new moderator: that he would be a man of godly wisdom, grave, compassionate, patient, and charitable as he leads the Assembly through the week.

Report of Stated Clerk—give thanks for the continued growth of the PCA evidenced in the Clerk’s statistical report; pray that the revised docket arrangement, joining committee & agency information reports with their committee of commissioner reports, will continue to lead to greater efficiency and edification.

Report of Committee on Interchurch Relations—pray for the members of the permanent committee; for delegates from other denominations who will address the Assembly; pray especially for a Reformed & Presbyterian unity throughout the world that does not violate the Church’s calling to be a pillar and support of the truth.

Report of Committee on Presbytery Records—give thanks for the committee members who regularly undertake the challenging task of reviewing all presbytery records for Constitutional conformity; pray that the commissioners will consider with care this very important part of the Assembly’s oversight responsibility.

Pray for the the Nominating Committee as they meet Wednesday evening to prepare the slate of nominees for Assembly permanent committees.

Thursday

Report of Cooperative Ministries Committee—pray for the members of this committee as they seek to foster cooperative ministry among GA Committees and Agencies and provide a forum for resolving issues of inter-agency conflict.

Report of Committee on Constitutional Business—pray for the Committee, that they advise accurately and wisely on any disputed questions during the Assembly.

Report of Theological Examining Committee—pray for care & faithfulness in their work of examining GA-nominated officers.

Report of Committee on PCA Retirements and Benefits, Inc.—pray that they be wise stewards of the various insurance plans they administer, as well as of the investments made on behalf of the PCA; and pray for the prosperity of the retired ministers and widows relief fund.

Report of the Committee on Reformed University Ministries—pray for the RUF leaders and ministers in 145 colleges and universities across the Unites States.

Report of Committee on Covenant Theological Seminary—pray for the Seminary, its President; and for the continued faithfulness of the faculty, the Board of Trustees & the students.

Report of Committee on Covenant College—pray for the College, its President; for the faculty, the Board of Trustees & the students.

Report of Standing Judicial Commission—pray for the members of the SJC, that they would have a love for justice in the administration of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and for the glory of the Lord & the upbuilding of the Body; that the parties involved will receive the decision of the Court with humility & grace, that there will be repentance where there is sin, understanding where there is hardness of heart, and restoration among brothers & sisters who are divided.

Report of Committee on Ridge Haven—pray for the board of directors and the new camping season, especially that the children attending would come to know Christ or be further nourished in their faith.

Report of Committee on Discipleship Ministries—pray for the staff and the permanent committee; for an increase in contributions toward the Committee’s calling; and pray for the work of discipleship across our denomination.

Report of Committee on Mission to the World—give thanks for and pray on behalf of the MTW staff and the permanent committee; and pray for our missionaries throughout the world.

Report of Committee on PCA Foundation—pray for the staff and the Board of Directors; for the fruitfulness of their fine work in the management & distribution of assets for the cause of Christ; and for faithful stewardship across the PCA.

Report of Committee on Mission to North America—pray for the MNA staff, and the members of the permanent committee; for capable men to plant churches; for the work of church planting, particularly among people from other cultures; and for PCA Chaplains.

Report of Administrative Committee—pray for Dr. Roy Taylor (Stated Clerk), the staff, and the permanent committee; pray for good stewardship in the approval of the budgets.

Report of Overtures Committee—Pending are 11 Overtures that address the issues of Human Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Identity (some dealing directly with the Revoice Conference – see here for more information); there are 9 overtures calling for a study committee on Domestic Abuse; 7 overtures calling for a change in our constitution that would allow for non-ordained persons to serve on Boards of the Church; 2 Overtures regarding the Church’s teaching on abortion; and numerous overtures that seek to clarify the constitution, or make subtle changes in the Rules of Assembly Operations.

Pray for the evening worship service, that the unity of the body may be expressed in devotion to the word and the fellowship.

FRIDAY

If necessary, the Assembly will reconvene in the morning for additional business with worship.

When the Assembly is adjourned, pray for a safe journey home for all, and for God’s favor in blessing that work which is according to His Word, and for His leading to see and correct that which is not.

Various Readings this Week
Pastoring and the Art of Balance– an interesting article on the work of Pastoral Ministry.
The Authority of the Deacon– the Deacon and Church Power. This is the third in a series from the Gospel Reformation Network on the role of the Deacon. The entire series is worth reading.

Why Dad Jokes Will Never Go Out of Style (because they were never in it) – This article justifies my sense of humor – or at least tries.

Why We Struggle to Pray

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I don’t think I speak out of turn when I say that each of us struggles to pray. 

You may be a saint in Christ who has journeyed long through the life of faith, or you may be new to following after Jesus, but each of us knows that we don’t pray as we should. Even the mightiest of prayer warriors today, when reading through the old prayers of the Puritans of old, knows we stand in the shadows of the giants of faith.

All who have been brought to life by the saving work of Christ are new creations, made for communion with the Triune God; the old life is gone, a new life has begun! And yet the vestiges of the old life cling to us so closely that the means of grace given to strengthen our faith become burdens that are found difficult and left untried.

Why do we struggle so with prayer? The simple answer is this: Sin. It is sin that keeps us from God, sin that keeps those who are made for glory wallowing in the mire, sin that drowns out the quiet voice of prayer with the clamor of the world.

In order to combat this sin which keeps us from prayer, let us examine, briefly, some of the ways sin affects our praying.

5 Reasons we don’t pray

  1. We think too little of God

    This may be our greatest sin.  We simply think too little of God. That can mean we either don’t think of God as often as we ought, or we think God too little, or both.  We don’t desire God, we don’t seek Him out, we aren’t captivated by His glory. 
    I’ve seen people scour their house and spend days in advance of a friend or family member coming to visit, and their schedules are reworked entirely so that they can spend time with the one they love. We’ll spend hundreds of dollars to go watch a game to see our favorite athlete, or go to hear someone in concert, coming back wearing their merchandise. But to spend 5 minutes in prayer with their Heavenly Father, with the creator of the universe, with their Lord and Savior is just too much to ask.
    Thomas Watson, one of those old Puritans, nails us perfectly, when he wrote, “Jesus went more willingly to the cross than we do to the throne of grace.”
    Let that sink in for a minute.
    How small our affections for are toward God, how little we esteem the one who came to save us from our sins, that we do not turn to Him in prayer.
    If you want to grow in prayer, think highly of God.  Look upon Him in glory, think of His steadfast love for you in Christ Jesus, and praise Him in prayer!

  2. We disobey his commands

    We are like our first father, like Adam, disobeying the very command of God. God told Adam that he was not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and Adam ate, falling into disobedience and rebellion.  Throughout scripture, we are commanded to pray:
    “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;” Isaiah 55:6
    “Pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
    “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6
    “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” Ephesians 6:18
    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
    “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;” 1 Timothy 2:8
    We don’t pray because in our sin, we disobey God.
    If you want to grow in prayer, see prayer as an act of joyful obedience to God’s command.

  3. We don’t trust God or His Word

    Not only do we struggle with obedience, we also struggle with doubts. Our doubts, our faithlessness, keeps us from turning to God in prayer.  God has has promised to hear us in prayer,
    2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
    Psalm 10:17 O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
    1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
    God also promises that when we ask in Christ name, he will give to us all that we ask:
    Matthew 18:19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
    John 16:23-24 “In that day you will not question Me about anything Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
    To not seek the provision of God in prayer is simply faithlessness.  We do not trust God, and so we do not turn to God in prayer.
    If you want to grow in prayer, then look to the ways that the Lord has proven Himself good, gracious, and faithful in the past.  Every promise of God is Yes and Amen in Jesus. He has shown you that as almighty God he is able, and He has proven that as your heavenly Father he is willing.  Faithfully turn to Him in prayer.

  4. We trust too much in ourselves

    In connection to the previous point, we don’t seek God’s provision in prayer because we think we can do without prayer, that we can provide for what we need on our own.  Again, this is an echo of the fall, Adam thought he could become like God, determining Good and Evil, right and wrong, and so he took the fruit.  We see the paycheck or the awards and accolades of man, and we boast in our accomplishments, and think we have the power to provide for ourselves.  What need do we have that we have not met? Why do we need to pray?
    Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread.  Everything we need, life, breath, food, shelter; all is from the hand of God. Our wisdom, our strength, our ability to accomplish the work set before us, it must come from God. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  Marin Luther is noted for saying, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
    If you want to grow in prayer, think less of yourself, and see God as the source of your every need.  There is no concern so great, no care so small, that we should not take it to the Lord in prayer.  McCheyne, another Puritan, once taught, “for every one look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.” That’s a good place to start.

  5. Our hearts are in the wrong place

    So often we get frustrated because our prayers are not answered the way we want them to be, so we give up praying.  We think we know better than God what we need, and when prayer doesn’t get us what we want, we leave it behind. James 4:3-4 teaches, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
    Prayer does have great power, but the power does not lie in changing God, or even necessarily in changing the world around us.  The greatest power in prayer is that it brings us to rest in and trust the sovereign God to whom we pray.  We put all things into His hands. He is able to heal, and He is also able to work His good purposes in the midst of sickness and loss. He is able to deliver, even though His deliverance leads us through the valley of the shadow of death.
    If you want to grow in prayer, set your affections upon the Lord, delight yourself in the Him, yearn for His glory. When your greatest delight is to see God glorified in your life, to see the name of Christ exalted, He will be sure to answer that prayer!

Beloved, may you grow in prayer, delighting in the sweet fellowship with God for which you were created!

SDG