Pray for your Pastor's prayers

By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms:

Helping One Another Serve Christ in Worship

Howdy,

As this section of the Westminster Directory of Public Worship closes out it ends with a transitional paragraph which readies us for what comes next, and that is preaching. We’ve before made the argument that Reformed worship is highlighted by the “Three P’s”: Preaching, Praying, and Praising. While preaching is central to the conversion of sinners and the comforting of saints it is prayer and praise where we receive the opportunity to speak personally ourselves to the living God. Again, what I am about to say is not to discount what we are called to do in all of worship in the days leading up to the Lord’s Day. However, it is especially in prayer that we see the nature of the strength of our own faith. Being conversant with the language of the Bible informs our heart and soul when we open to expose our needs to our Heavenly Father. The Psalms especially witness to how David learned so much from the experience of those who came before in dealing with the trials and tribulations of living in a fallen world.

Not to belabor the point, but one of the things about worship is that each part of it is meant to support the other. Nothing is disconnected from the movement before or after. We respond in praise to the call to worship. As we read the word of God we stand in respect, and then pray before the preacher begin to explore the testimony of Christ in the sermon. It is central to why we should never, to use a sports analogy, take plays off. We are to put our hand in the dirt and fly to the ball as each portion of the service comes and goes. If we get bored in the worship of our God it is because we are not spiritually engaged in what is taking place. One way we can ensure that this does not happen is to pray for the Spirit’s help to shew away the doubts and temptations of the evil one as he attempts to hide our hearts from Jesus.

Here’s the last portion for today. Let’s read it together:

More particularly, that God would in a special manner furnish his servant (now called to dispense the bread of life unto his household) with wisdom, fidelity, zeal, and utterance, that he may divide the word of God aright, to every one his portion, in evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power; and that the Lord would circumcise the ears and hearts of the hearers, to hear, love, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save their souls; make them as good ground to receive in the good seed of the word, and strengthen them against the temptations of Satan, the cares of the world, the hardness of their own hearts, and whatsoever else may hinder their profitable and saving hearing; that so Christ may be so formed in them, and live in them, that all their thoughts may be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and their hearts established in every good word and work for ever.

We judge this to be a convenient order, in the ordinary public prayer; yet so, as the minister may defer (as in prudence he shall think meet) some part of these petitions till after his sermon, or offer up to God some of the thanksgivings hereafter appointed, in his prayer before his sermon.

Continue here.