Dear Pastor,

Last month we looked at a biographical sketch of William Wilberforce, who had been called and commissioned by our Lord to accomplish two objectives: (1.) Suppress the slave trade and (2.) reform society, culture, morality, i.e., all social problems. He and his young friend William Pitt were both elected to Parliament around the age of twenty. They each had different gifts and talents that were complementary to each other.

Wilberforce had a unique ability to draw men to himself; both he and Pitt were Christians and both were anti-slavery. Realizing the task at hand would be extremely difficult without help, Wilberforce enlisted a core group of men to help. They roomed together in a large house, prayed and worshiped together, ate together, communicated, and planned together. Wilberforce had the uncanny ability to share credit with his friends and colleagues and was quite gifted to work with disagreeable people and maintain a relationship with them. So much can be accomplished if we don't care who gets the credit! This group of men was first known as the saints and afterward the Clapham Sect.

It took William Wilberforce twenty-eight years to accomplish his purpose and calling in life. Just three days prior to his death he received word that slavery had been abolished.

Paul in his letter to the Roman Christians, (Romans 15:30-32), is asking them to pray against some circumstances that were hindering his ministry. He wrote, "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea (substitute the name of your city or village for Judea); and that my service which I have for Jerusalem (substitute my church for Jerusalem) may be accepted of the saints; that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may you be refreshed."

Out of this passage let's look at six words:

1. Strive

2. Delivered

3. Service

4. Joy

5. Will

6. Refreshed

Paul was a man of prayer, but he seems to be enlisting the prayers of the saints for himself. He was meeting resistance and apparently was in a deep spiritual battle and feeling the need for the saints to join with him in the battle. I am not a student of Greek, however, with the help of others I do enjoy the amplification of Greek words translated into English.* Pulling these six words from the text gives us a deeper insight into what Paul was really asking of his prayer partners.

1. Strive together gives the connotation of doing something with someone else. The second part of the Greek word indicates an intense agonizing, a violent struggle and anguish, contending with an enemy or fighting in a battle with him until victory. Pastor, you need the prayer support of those you shepherd. Do not be fearful of making a request for prayer in these difficult times of life. Scripture tells us we are in perilous times. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) 

2. Delivered can be translated to mean rescued, to be delivered, to snatch out of, or to pull out of danger. So I pray you will be snatched from the harm that the enemy would do to you through believers or non-believers whose motives are not honorable.

3. My service is accepted by the saints seems to be saying that my service (my ministry) will be pleasing, acceptable, and well-received. Of course, this is after Paul has spent time in prayer seeking God's will for himself and his ministry. I pray that your people will hear your heart and know it is your desire to speak rightly with a loving spirit, to please God.

4. That I may come with joy. As a pastor have you ever lost your joy? Paul is saying "I want to have joy in my ministry." I pray for you in spite of all of the challenges and disappointments in ministry, and especially during these times of COVID-19. I pray you will be overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord.

5. By the will seems to say in Greek, by the design, purpose, plan, or will of God. I pray that you are in the very center of God's will for your life; in the very heart of God's plan for you and the ministry to which He has ordained you. I pray His wisdom will direct you and help you to make the right decisions.

6. That he might be refreshed - I understand that many words translated from the Greek are compounded from two Greek words. With this in mind, the two Greek words here are "sun" and "anapauomai." The first word, "sun", gives the meaning of doing something with someone else; the second word, "anapauomai", suggests to calm, soothe, to refresh, or be refreshed with or by someone else. I pray that you, Pastor will be refreshed by the Holy Spirit in body, soul, and spirit.

As Paul was instructing and requesting his disciples to pray for him, so I too will fight the battle with you in prayer that:

1. You will be snatched out of or rescued from danger.

2. God's ministry through you will be received as you seek God. That you will be an Oracle, Shepherd, Messenger, and Herald of the King, preaching His word in love as you call us out of sin to repentance, so that our lands may be healed.

3. You may have joy in your ministry and not have to "grind out" or try to "make happen".

4. God will give you reassurance and confirmation that you are walking the path He has chosen for you.

5. You will be refreshed, encouraged, renewed, and built up by and in the Holy Spirit.

Pastor, we can't go it alone and we don't have to. Of course, we always have the presence of the Lord. However, it is so encouraging and edifying to have prayer support from the men and women who you have trained and discipled.

As the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, so I pray He will speak to you. "Now the Lord spoke to Paul in a night vision, do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:9-10) In America, much of the Church has been intimidated into silence. The theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

Pastor, I can only imagine the challenges you have had as a shepherd these past few months. With this in mind, I pray for you as Paul requested prayer for himself in Romans 15:30-32.

As Aaron blessed the children of Israel may you be blessed in like manner! "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:23-26) As the Lord blessed the children of Israel so may He also bless you. Thank you pastor for your commitment and faithfulness to us, "the sheep".

We would love to hear from you, please send your prayer requests to the ServingHIM prayer team by responding to this email. It would be a great privilege for us to pray for you!

For His Glory,

Brother Gene Lamberth

ServingHIM Prayer Team Lead

*Some of the devotional thoughts and all of the Greek derivations were compiled from Sparkling Gems from the Greek, authored by Rick Renner, Ph.D.