团契与门徒训练

Pray for Strong Marriages and Families (1 Pe. 5:8)

2014.07.20Rev. Eddie Byun

Pray for the marriages and families of pastors, because the enemy seeks to devour them. Ask God for their protection, for strength found in trusting the Lord, for faithful friends who support them, and for discipleship that begins at home.

Pray for protection, because the enemy seeks to devour pastors' families (vv. 8)

Peter urges believers to be sober-minded and watchful, because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Peter knew this well, having fallen asleep during spiritual warfare before Jesus faced the cross, and his words echo Jesus' call to watch and pray. Awareness of spiritual warfare should lead to more prayer, just as news of conflicts should lead us to pray for those regions. The enemy especially targets the marriages and families of pastors. Surveys show that 90% of pastors feel worn out weekly or daily, and about 50% of pastors' marriages are said to end in divorce, so we must pray for their protection.

Pray for strength, trusting the Lord with all our hearts

Because pastors and their families face constant attacks, we must pray for strength in their inner being. Psalm 28:7 tells us that the Lord is our strength and shield, and that strength grows as we trust him with all our hearts through every season of hardship, betrayal, criticism, rebellion, and suffering. His help fills the heart with joy, and that joy bursts out in songs of thanksgiving. Ministry is a lifestyle lived 24/7, not a nine-to-five job, and urgent crises often arrive after hours. Only a foundation of faith that delights in the Lord can sustain these marriages for the long haul.

Pray for supports, and become a friend who encourages

Pray for strong support groups for pastors and their spouses, and let us be the answer to those prayers. Many pastors have no close friend to confide in, because much of their counseling and crisis work must stay confidential, which leaves them isolated. Proverbs 17:17 says a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. Constant evaluation of their sermons, music, and families makes pastors feel they are never loved for who they are. Paul was deserted at his first trial, yet the Lord stood by him and strengthened him, and Timothy proved to be a faithful partner in the gospel.

Pray for strong discipleship that begins at home

The greatest place of discipleship for a pastor begins at home, because a leader must manage his own household well, as 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 teach. Many pastors' children struggle with faith. A Barna Group study found that 33% of PKs are no longer active in the church as adults, and 7% no longer consider themselves Christians. Legalism at home, living in a glass house, resentment toward a church that took their parents' time, and hypocrisy between Sunday and Monday all drove children away. Children who keep their faith experienced parents who gave them time and honest testimony, so we pray that they will walk in the ways of the Lord, as Proverbs 22:6 says.

Apply to Life

  • Let us pray for the protection of pastors' marriages and families, since the enemy seeks to devour them.
  • Let us pray that pastors and their spouses would find strength and joy by trusting the Lord with all their hearts.
  • Let us become faithful friends who encourage our pastors and their families rather than only evaluating them.
  • Let us pray for strong discipleship in pastors' homes, that their children would grow in the ways of the Lord.
  • Let us grow as watchful intercessors who keep praying for our spiritual leaders.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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