What I Pray (part 3)

Today's thoughts as I continue this series of posts on what I pray are driven by the phrase: "Give us this day our daily bread."  First I will list some of the things I ask for, then I will explain my motivations in asking for them.

The asks:

• A faithful and fruitful ministry.
• A disciplined prayer life.
• That I would be an opportunistic and bold witness.
• That I would do what only I can do (Sabbath; Family; Broken before the Lord)
• For wisdom...much wisdom!
• Zeal to lead relentlessly.
• Motivation NOT to quit.
• That I would be consistent and disciplined...always progressing.
• That God would show me what He wants to accomplish in the future with my life and in the lives of those I'm privileged to lead.
• Help me to prepare and instruct others in the Word that they may have access to it and advance in it.  
• That I would be a careful communicator of the Word.

The motivations:

• I want a faithful ministry because I want to finish well.  I want a fruitful ministry because I want my time and effort to have mattered in the lives of those I have come in contact with...I want to have left them better than I found them!
• I realize that a connection with God must be renewed each day.  I do not want to rest in past experiences, nor do I want to take my relationship with God for granted.  Thus, I ask for help and desire for pursuing that connection with discipline.
• I am somewhat of an introvert, thus I can be OK not taking with people...including those far from God.  However, I have a mandate to share the story of who and how my life has been radically transformed.  Thus, I pray for help to notice and seize opportunities to share my faith.
• As there are a few things that only I can do, I don't want to miss those opportunities.  One, rest and take care of myself.  Two, be husband to my wife and father to my sons.  Three, remain broken before the Lord.  None of these can be delegated.  Nobody else can do them for me.  I must do them.  Thus, I ask for help.
• I realize I don't know it all, that I need help--so I ask for wisdom to do life well.  I seek wisdom to lead my family and Explore Church well.  I ask for wisdom to manage my time, money, and energy well.  I desire wisdom to make sound decisions.  I want my life to be maximized and well lived, thus I ask for wisdom!
• As a leader I don't want to drift or coast, thus I ask for zeal and a relentless desire to press the vision forward.
• My job is hard.  People are difficult.  I don't want to quit before God is through with me.
• Ruts and complacency come easy.  I always want to be growing and moving.
• I want a glimpse of what could be and should be from God's perspective.
• The last two can go together.  I want to know the Word so I can help others know it as well.

I will go more into what I pray about my preaching next time.

Until then...PRAY!