Each week, we turn our focus to praying for a specific person or group of people.
If you missed the original post on effective prayer, read it here.
Effective prayer is a learned habit requiring discipline and diligence. To that end, I am encouraging you to write down the people you are praying for. Part of building and maintaining habits is to have reminders and tracking tools. Making a list isn’t self-righteous or sacreligious. It is a tool. We devote time to counting calories, monitoring money, checking Facebook, making to-do lists–is prayer of lesser importance?
For other posts regarding prayer, click on “prayer” in the categories tab.
Focus for this week:
The Preacher’s Wife
A Preacher is in the spotlight every week… and his family lives in a metaphorical fishbowl.
Even though the bible doesn’t talk much about the wife of an evangelist, there are certain expectations that people have, including:
- Raising godly children
- hospitality
- Constant availability
- A sympathetic ear
- Complete trustworthiness
- Able to teach any of the children’s or ladies’ classes
- Able to be present for counseling or bible classes for others in the church
- Perfect. Flawless. Happy. Friendly….
People expect the preacher’s wife to be the paragon of a godly woman and more. It’s a tall order.
Here are some of the expectations that God has for these women, and all women who seek to live godly:
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
~Titus 2:3-5, ESV
Also,
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
~1 Peter 3:3-6 ESV
So, here is a list of specific things to pray for on behalf of these women:
Pray for them to be devoted to the Word of God and to prayer.
Nothing in this world can establish our minds and heart like constant contact with God.
Psalm 1 talks about the righteous person: “his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night,” and “he shall like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither.”
Criticism and scrutiny can wither the heart of a woman, but the Word of God can replenish her.
Pray that she will devote herself to the word and prayer so that her heart may be established against the winds of criticism and trouble.
Pray for them to be a good support to their husbands.
A preacher needs someone who will work alongside him. A woman who is strong, honest and trustworthy is worth more than gold.
An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.~Proverbs 31:10-11
A preacher needs a wife who can give constructive criticism as well as praise, and have the ability to encourage him to press on for the Lord.
Pray for them to be careful in what they say.
This last point is so critical. What we say has the potential to help or harm others.
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.~Proverbs 11:13
A preacher’s wife is privy to sensitive information. People often go to their preacher for counseling, advice or prayer. The preacher’s wife is often included in these matters. If she goes around telling what she knows to all and sundry, it will do great damage to herself, her husband and the church.
Write down the name of your preacher’s wife. Lift her up, by name, to God so that He will help her and bless her as she works with her husband.
Let us pray together to great effect this week for these women and their work for the Lord.
Remember: Keep asking. Keep watching. Keep trusting.
~Elihu
Elihu's Corner 