{"id":1148,"date":"2010-06-13T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-06-13T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/06\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-a-prayer-for-church-leaders.html"},"modified":"2010-06-13T01:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-06-13T01:00:00","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-a-prayer-for-church-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/06\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-a-prayer-for-church-leaders.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling<\/em>: A Prayer for Church Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
READ Psalm 132:1-18<\/a><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

\nMay your priests be clothed in godliness;
     may your loyal servants sing for joy.
\n<\/p>\n

Psalm 132:9<\/a><\/div>\n

\nPsalm 132 focuses on David and his concern for God’s “house” in
\nJerusalem, the temple that David’s son Solomon would build. In this
\ncontext, the psalmist prays for the priests who served in the temple:
\n“May your priests be clothed in godliness; may your loyal servants sing
\nfor joy” (132:9). The word translated here as “godliness” is tzedeq<\/em>,
\nwhich is the basic Hebrew word for “righteousness.” Thus the verse
\ncould be translated more literally, “Let your priests be clothed with
\nrighteousness, and let your godly ones sing for joy.” <\/p>\n

How much
\ndo we need to pray like this today! The church continues to experience
\nthe devastation that follows when Christian leaders fail to put on
\nrighteousness. Sexual immorality, financial dishonesty, and hunger for
\npower have toppled many leaders, bringing dishonor upon the church and
\nweakening her ministry in the world. To be sure, our leaders need to
\ndiscipline their lives and build in avenues for accountability so that
\nthey do not fall prey to temptations that lure them. But church leaders
\nwill not be clothed in righteousness apart from the grace of God. And
\nfor this reason, we must continually pray for them, that God will guide
\nthem, bless them, and protect them.<\/p>\n

As I write this, I think of
\na dear friend at Irvine Presbyterian Church. Sam is now with the Lord,
\nbut he was a faithful church member for most of my sixteen years as
\nsenior pastor of the church. During that period of time, Sam told me
\nthat he prayed for me about 500 times. Almost every Sunday after one of
\nmy sermons, he’d come up and say something like, “Great word, Mark. I
\npray for you all the time.” I can’t emphasize how much that meant to
\nme. I knew I needed lots of prayer, and I knew that Sam was praying.
\nWhat a great encouragement!<\/p>\n

Though we don’t have priests serving
\nGod in a literal temple, may Psalm 132:9 remind us to pray for our
\nChristian leaders, for pastors and priests, for ministers and elders,
\nfor deacons and missionaries, for managers and CEOs, for teachers and
\nprincipals, for supervisors and vice presidents, and for all who serve
\nGod as leaders in his church or in any institution. And then, if I
\nmight add an extra word of advice, I’d urge you to follow Sam’s example
\nby letting your leaders know your are praying for them. <\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>:
\nDo you pray for the leaders of your church or your workplace? What
\nmight help you to pray for them more regularly? Is there someone in
\nparticular for whom you should be praying these days? Is there someone
\nwhom you should tell of your prayers? <\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>: Yes, Lord, may those who
\nserve as leaders be clothed in righteousness. May they honor you in
\neverything they do, both in their official roles and in their personal
\nlives. Where they are tempted to sin, give them strength to resist.
\nHelp them to build into their lives contexts for support and
\naccountability that will help them when they are weak. <\/p>\n

Today,
\nLord, I pray specifically for those in official positions of leadership
\nin the church. I think of leaders in my own church . . . . [Pray for
\nyour pastors, elders, staff, etc.]<\/p>\n

In praying for leaders, Lord,
\nI am also reminded that you have called all of us into your service.
\nEven if we do not have official responsibilities, we are all your
\nservants, we are all called into your ministry. So, as I pray for
\nleaders, I also pray for all of your people, including me. May we be
\nclothed in the righteousness of Christ, living out our faith in the
\nworld with integrity and humility. <\/p>\n

I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. 
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

READ Psalm 132:1-18   May your priests be clothed in godliness;     may your loyal servants sing for joy. Psalm 132:9 Psalm 132 focuses on David and his concern for God’s “house” in Jerusalem, the temple that David’s son Solomon would build. In this context, the psalmist prays for the priests who served in the temple: “May…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: A Prayer for Church Leaders - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}