Start with the people God has already given you
There is always more ministry to do than there is time to do it. Every pastor eventually discovers that. There is always another sermon to prepare, another person to visit, another meeting to attend, and another problem to solve. The question is not, “How can I do everything?” The better question is, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
For me, one of the most important answers to that question has been surprisingly simple: pray for the people God has given me.
Several times each week, I pray through our church directory one name and one family at a time. Over the years, that simple discipline has changed the way I pastor.
Try it for 30 days
For the next 30 days, set aside time twice each week to pray through the names of the people God has entrusted to you. You don’t need a complicated system. Use a church directory, membership list, attendance list, or simply a list of names.
Get the names. Get somewhere quiet. Start praying.
What Do I Pray?
Pray about the needs you know, but don’t let your prayers become simply a medical report. Pray for their souls. Pray for their relationship with God. Pray for God to work in the ordinary moments of their lives.
“Lord, consume them.”
“Give them a God moment.”
“Interrupt their day with Your presence.”
“Send someone who can speak their language.”
These are some of my prayers. You will develop your own. The important thing isn’t learning to pray like me. It’s learning to faithfully bring your people before God—and then watching for what He does.
Keep Something Beside You
As you pray, keep a piece of paper, a notebook, or your phone nearby. Sometimes a name will stay on your mind. You may sense that you should make a call, send a text, make a visit, or invite someone to lunch. Write it down.
I don’t have a formula for knowing when an impression is from the Holy Spirit. I simply pay attention. By the time I finish praying, I often have the beginnings of my pastoral agenda for the day.
It Isn’t As Easy As It Sounds
Years ago, I told a young pastor about praying through my church directory. A few weeks later I asked him how it was going. He simply said, “I couldn’t do it.” I wish I had asked him why. I didn’t.
Praying through a directory takes discipline—and sometimes a little tenacity. Some days the names seem to fly by and you sense God’s presence. Other days it may feel like you are simply saying another name and praying another prayer.
Keep praying. If you miss a day, don’t quit. Pick up the list and begin again.
Now Watch for What God Does
Try this for 30 days. Pray through your people at least twice each week. Pay attention to the names that keep coming to mind. Make the calls. Send the texts. Make the visits. Take the opportunities God puts in front of you.
At the end of 30 days, ask yourself: What happened in me? What happened in my ministry? And what did God teach me about the people He has entrusted to me?
The prayer closet isn’t where you escape from ministry. It’s where ministry begins.
