Mid-Week Prayer: Ephesians 4.11-13

I find myself led to pray today for our pastors and churches according to Ephesians 4.11-13:

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Heavenly Father, I pray today for all our pastors and their wives and families. I ask that you will continue to encourage them and guard their ministries, marriages and families. I pray this as well for all who serve as pastoral staff.

May You enrich their ministries so that they will be freed up to equip the saints for the work of ministry. May our churches be filled with members who desire to serve willingly and freely.

May the members of all our churches be edified and built up through the excellent teaching and preaching of the Word of God, so that unity is manifest in our churches which allows the work of the Gospel to go forth in spirit and truth.

May our churches be filled with men and women who are growing in their knowledge of the Son of God so that they become more like Christ in every way.

And finally, may spiritual maturity be the ultimate goal in our churches and may the measure of maturity be Christ Himself.

~ Jim