How To Pray For Your Church’s Leaders
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Pray that they will. . .
- Be men after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22 and Psalms 42:1)
- Be men of the word. (Psalms 119:97, Colossians 3:16 & Psalms 119:11)
- Allow God to direct their every step. (Psalms 37:23)
- Have a growing, deepening relationship with God in prayer. (Psalms 37:4 & Psalms 63:1)
- Be spirit-filled men of faith and love. (Ephesians 3:14-19.)
- Have good health, strength, and endurance.
Pray that . . .
- Family members are loving, unselfish, respectful, and understanding. (Ephesians 5:25, 1 Peter 3:7, Ephesians 5:33; 6:1-2; 6:4.)
- Their families are a source of joy and blessing to one another. (Proverbs 23:24; 31:30; 20:7)
- They will have God’s constant protection and peace.
Pray that they will . . .
- Be devoted to prayer and the Word. (Acts 6:4)
- Intercede for and instruct the congregation. (1 Samuel 12:23 & Romans 1:9-10)
- Have a fruitful ministry. (John 15:16 & Colossians 1:28.)
- They will be able to handle with grace and patience, the many responsibilities they have.
- They will be sensitive to the leading of the Lord both as they prepare and as they speak, resulting in the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the message.
- They will have a strong, close, harmonious working relationship with those in leadership.
- The Lord will give them insights into the solution for problems.
- They will know how to counsel those who come to them for advice and help.
- The will equip the saints for service and discipleship. (Ephesians 4:11-12 & 2 Timothy 2:2)
- Be protected from the evil one. (2 Thesselonians 3:1-3)
Pray that . . .
- The congregation will pray regularly for each pastor and his family.
- The congregation will respect and guard as much as possible each pastor’s time with his family, especially in the early mornings, evenings, and weekends.
- The congregation will not impose standards on their children they do not expect from other children.
Sample Personal Monthly Budget
Below is a sample budget illustrating the principles described on the previous page:
Budget
Income Gross Monthly Income $2,600 Taxes $650 Tithe $260 Net Monthly Income $1,690 Expenses (Alphabetically) Auto Fuel $80 Maintenance $20 Insurance $60 Car Payment $0 Clothing $50 Entertainment $50 Gifts Anniversaries $10 Birthdays $10 Christmas $40 Miscellaneous $10 Groceries $260 Housing $623 Life Ins. $24 Missions Missions $40 Building $25 Personal Care $50 Savings $85 Supplies $65 Utilities Electric $75 Garbage $10 Natural Gas $55 Telephone $20 Water $25 Total $1,687
Guidelines for a Personal Budget
I. Principles dealing with finances.
A. Use a written plan.
B. Provide for the Lord's work first.
C. Excel at your tasks.
D. Limit credit.
E. Think about buying:
Is it necessary?
Does it reflect your Christian ethic?
Is it the best buy?
Is it an impulse item?
F. Practice saving money regularly.
G. Set your own goals.
H. Get out of debt.
I. Avoid indulgences.
J. Seek good Christian counsel.
K. Stick to your plans.
II. Purpose of a budget.
A. To define income vs. expense.
B. To detect problem areas.
C. To provide a written plan.
D. To aid in follow-up.
E. To schedule money in and out.
III. What a budget will do.
A. Help you visualize your goals.
B. Provide a written reminder.
C. Reflect your habits.
VI. What a budget will not do.
A. Solve your immediate problems.
B. Make you use it.
C. Take the place of action.
V. How to:
A. Calculate actual expenses.
Use a thirty-day expense diary (notebook).
Use a checking account ledger.
Use a creditor ledger showing each debt due.
B. Make out a budget.
Define actual expenditures (present budget).
Define proposed expenditures (future budget).
Calculate income.
Calculate fixed expenses.
Calculate variable expenses.
C. Use a budget.
Post it in the open.
Set an achievable goal.
Keep it up-to-date and establish a set time and day to review it.