D. a. Carson
I propose six thoughts on how to pray for paraeclesiastical ministries:
- 1.
- Should there be a difference between how I pray for the local church and how I pray for a paraecclesiastical organization?No.
- And yes.
No, because in both cases I pray for brothers and sisters in Christ, and in both cases the center of my prayer must be the kind of thing the Apostles prayed for.
? May the love of these brothers and sisters grow ever greater, in knowledge and depth of perception, and be able to discern what is best (Fil. 1,9-10).
? May God make you worthy of your vocation and, with his power, fulfill every desire for goodness and every work of faith (2 Thessaloniki 1:11).
? May they have the power, together with God’s people, to understand the limitless dimensions of Christ’s love for them, so that they may mature (Ephesians 3:17-19).
? Etc.
We have to pray for people. And when we pray that brothers and sisters in Christ will gather in the local church or work in the context of a paraeclesiastical organization, we pray for the people.
On the other hand, yes, there is one difference: the fact that the Church is the only human organization sanctioned and designated by the scriptures of the new covenant, the only organization called the body of Christ. On one level or another, the distinction will have implications for us, as we will see However, think about how I can pray for the ministry of Bob and Sally Smith (names have been changed), who are working to translate the Bible into several languages in Papua New Guinea, under the auspices of Wycliffe Bible Translators / SIL. Although I know that Bob and Sally have been sent and supported by specific local churches, I think of them in the context of the organization in which they exercise their specific ministry and pray for the details of their ministry, including the operation of their mission, in a way that rarely applies in general.
2. I suppose it is possible to pray – for all truly Christian organizations everywhere?Or something like that, but in reality, this kind of general prayer is usually immature or painless or both.
Perhaps I will pray more intelligently and cost-effectively for the paraeclesial organizations with which I have special links; it can be an organization that I am affiliated with (e. g. The Gospel Coalition) or that we have close friends in the ministry in which I am involved in one way or another (e. g. Together for the Gospel, Wycliffe Bible Translators /SIL). At least these are organizations that God has placed in my heart for some reason, perhaps because I have observed the nature strategy of his work and want to ask God to preserve and deepen this work.
3. La Bible sets out the details of the organization, responsibility, and different roles of different leaders in the local church (although different Christians understand important passages from the Bible in different ways).
This means that my prayers for specific blessings, results, or discipline in the context of the church will be shaped by my understanding of these passages. The Bible does not give details about the organization of The Gospel Coalition or Wycliffe Bible Translators /SIL. However, the Bible tells us a lot about morality, quality of life, the integrity of relationships, love and sincere commitment to the service of all Christians. -ecclesial organizations, although the details of the organization are less clear in the Bible.
4. Organizations whose goals are shaped by gospel priorities and established in sincere submission to the lordship of King Jesus, as revealed in the scriptures, must take precedence in our prayers, a priority that other organizations should not have.
This inevitably implies that we must make efforts on our part to assess the fidelity of the organization’s commitment to meaningful goals. A seminary that constantly strives to be faithful to the scriptures and rich in understanding the gospel, while empowering people to serve Christ, must require the prayer of intercession of Christians for God to make this ministry more and more prosper. Similarly, if the seminary begins to turn away from the scriptures, believers should feel compelled to pray for corrective action, for necessary changes in direction, for repentance. At worst, it may be prudent to pray against the institution precisely because it does great harm by corrupting faith in the living God.
5. Sometimes I feel a special duty to pray for paraeclesial organizations that are going through transitions that will purify them and make them more faithful.
I can think of four or five theological seminaries or universities I have prayed for over the past three decades, institutions that have been rejuvenated and brought back in harmony with the scriptures by leaders struggling to reform their organizations. Specific people; for example: may God thwart the efforts of the organization’s kidnappers; May God replace them with faithful servants of the Word, and things like that. Of course, there are analogies in the way we pray for local churches.
6. I have to pray for paramilitary organizations that consciously seek to strengthen local churches, organizations that see themselves as useful extensions of churches, and whose leaders are accountable to local churches.
I suspect much more of the organizations that constantly speak as if they were superior to the churches, did not express love for the church, and competed with the churches, and at the same time touch the doors of the churches to ask for more money to support their “ministries”. For the first type of organization, am I happy to pray?In fact, I can pray that the organization has a better relationship and is even more integrated with local churches. For the second type, I rarely pray, except, at worst, against them.
By D. A. Carson. © 9Marks. Website: www. 9Marks. org.