I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 4 NIV)
Sunday is Pastor Appreciation Day (October 9). Let me take this opportunity to encourage you to pray for your Officer, and then on Sunday, affirm them.
Being an Officer is one of the toughest jobs on the planet, but the Apostle John says it can also be the most joyful: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4 NIV).
Spiritual leaders must correctly teach God’s Word … confront false teaching before it spreads … proclaim the Gospel to non-believers …pray for all people, and train and appoint leaders. They must do this all while serving as examples of what it looks like when you’re maturing in Christ-likeness (see 1 and 2 Timothy; Titus).
Accordingly, the Apostle Paul says we should respect our spiritual leaders, overwhelming them with appreciation: “Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work” (1 Thessalonians 5:13 NIV).
You can see the enormous responsibility an Officer has to stay in sync with God and to encourage others to stay in sync also. Your Officer is human and every bit as capable as you or me of making mistakes or slipping into sin. Pray that your Officer will stay focused on Jesus and that your Officers ministry will flow from that intimacy. There is nothing the enemy wants more than to distract your Officer from their purpose by getting them distracted.
Pray for your Officers protection, because the attack they feel from the enemy comes in strong every time your Officer proclaims God’s truth. It gets even stronger the closer they get to Christ.
Pray that your Officer will know deep within their soul that “not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, ?hostile? powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:38-39 HCSB). And then let your Officer know that your love will never cease, that you are committed to loving your Officer with the love of Jesus Christ.
Now think of some practical bit of service you can do for your Officer, and do it this coming week.
Adapted from Jon Walker & Rick Warren’s Daily Devotionals. © 2011 Jon Walker. Used by permission.
Sunday is Pastor Appreciation Day (October 9). Let me take this opportunity to encourage you to pray for your Officer, and then on Sunday, affirm them.
Being an Officer is one of the toughest jobs on the planet, but the Apostle John says it can also be the most joyful: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4 NIV).
Spiritual leaders must correctly teach God’s Word … confront false teaching before it spreads … proclaim the Gospel to non-believers …pray for all people, and train and appoint leaders. They must do this all while serving as examples of what it looks like when you’re maturing in Christ-likeness (see 1 and 2 Timothy; Titus).
Accordingly, the Apostle Paul says we should respect our spiritual leaders, overwhelming them with appreciation: “Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work” (1 Thessalonians 5:13 NIV).
You can see the enormous responsibility an Officer has to stay in sync with God and to encourage others to stay in sync also. Your Officer is human and every bit as capable as you or me of making mistakes or slipping into sin. Pray that your Officer will stay focused on Jesus and that your Officers ministry will flow from that intimacy. There is nothing the enemy wants more than to distract your Officer from their purpose by getting them distracted.
Pray for your Officers protection, because the attack they feel from the enemy comes in strong every time your Officer proclaims God’s truth. It gets even stronger the closer they get to Christ.
Pray that your Officer will know deep within their soul that “not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, ?hostile? powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:38-39 HCSB). And then let your Officer know that your love will never cease, that you are committed to loving your Officer with the love of Jesus Christ.
Now think of some practical bit of service you can do for your Officer, and do it this coming week.
Adapted from Jon Walker & Rick Warren’s Daily Devotionals. © 2011 Jon Walker. Used by permission.
Major Glad Ljungholm
DHQ
Liverpool, UKT
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