In Mark Dever’s The Deliberate Church (co-written with Paul Alexander), he lists the 4 P’s of pastoral ministry: Preaching, Praying, Personal Discipling Relationships, and Patience. This is what he says about praying:
Prayer shows our dependence on God. It honors Him as the source of all blessing, and it reminds us that converting individuals and growing churches are His works, not ours (1 Cor. 2:14-16; 3:6-7).
What sorts of things should pastors and church leaders pray for? He lists five:
- Pray the prayers of Paul for the churches he planted (Eph. 1:15-23; 3:16-21; Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:19-12; 2 Thess. 1:11-12).
- Pray that your preaching of the Gospel would be faithful, accurate, and clear.
- Pray for the increasing maturity of the congregation and that the members would grow in corporate love, holiness, and sound doctrine.
- Pray for sinners to be converted and the church to be built up through your preaching of the gospel.
- Pray for opportunities for yourself and other church members to do personal evangelism.
This emphasis on prayer is not to neglect the sound preaching of the word (see point # 2); in fact, this is what he says about preaching:
There’s only one thing that’s biblically necessary for building the church, and that’s the preached Word of God. … God’s word has always been His chosen instrument to create, convict, convert, and conform His people.
Young pastors (or young pastors-to-be), please take these 4 P’s very seriously. There will be all sorts of suggestions for a 5th P that will come your way (Programs), but these 4 P’s are vital and necessary for the life of the church. Spend your time there. Focus on them. And may your ministry bear fruit to God’s glory. He is glorified by what the world considers to be weak and foolishness.
