AP

Praying for Your Pastor

While J. Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918) is a name little known among Christians today, just over 100 years ago he was widely regarded as a wise Presbyterian pastor and a gifted and persuasive evangelist. Chapman often worked alongside D. L.  Moody who was quick to recognise his God-given gifts.

But Chapman’s early ministry in Philadelphia showed no such promise. At a church meeting the chairman groaned: “This man can’t preach for sour grapes. We’re going to have to fire him”. How many times have Christians thought this as they listened to a dry sermon?

The chairman asked which of the board members would tell Chapman the bad news. Nobody spoke. After a while the chairman told the board: “I won’t tell him either, but I will go down in the basement next Sunday at 8am to pray for him. All those who wish to join me are welcome”.  He went up to Chapman later and told him: “You aren’t a strong preacher. In the usual order of things, you will fail here. But you preach the Gospel and I’m going to help you all I can. I’m going to pray that you may have the Holy Spirit’s power upon you and two others have covenanted to join with me”.

That Sunday eight men arrived early to pray for God to bless Chapman. Within a few months the prayer meeting grew to 100 and at the end of Chapman’s ministry there more than 1000 people who prayed every Sunday morning for God to bless his ministry and preaching.

The result of fervent intercessory prayer for their pastor was dramatic. More than 400 people were added to the church and by the late 1800s the church had grown to 12,000 people with more than 6,000 in Sunday School and more than 16,000 professions of faith. Every Sunday the praying church and especially the elders would pray so close to him that he could touch their hands.

One wonders what would happen to our churches if members complained less about their pastor and instead acted like a Barnabas and encouraged him by praying earnestly that God would bless his ministry and preaching? Surely, we would see our churches blessed and the unsaved turning to the living God.

Is it possible that many of our churches are dry and barren because little time is given to prayer for their pastor? Presbyterians are often reputed to be doctrinally orthodox but have we forgotten to pray and intercede? What would happen to our churches if instead rocking up to church a few minutes before (or after!) worship begins, we made an effort to actually arrive 30 minutes earlier to pray?

Many years ago, a Christian wrote: “Seven days without prayer makes one weak”. In a similar vein the sheer lack of prayer in many a Presbyterian church weakens the power of the pastor and therefore the ministry of the word. Our churches are largely barren because we simply do not pray. If revival is ever to come to Australia we will need to be found first on our knees.

Chapman never forgot the power of prayer. But he was always learning more of the importance of prayer as he ran evangelistic meetings across America, Britain and Australia. Chapman records some significant event later in his life. In 1911, he was preaching the Gospel in Shrewsbury. The peaching was dry and barren. This was obviously discouraging. But he heard that ‘Praying Hyde’ was in town and was praying for his preaching. Almost instantaneously, power from on high came down and 50 people professed salvation.

At the end of Chapman’s campaign in Shrewsbury he desired to meet Hyde and pray with him together. Chapman records their prayer meeting (Hyde was to die in the following year, 1912):

“Mr. Hyde, I want you to pray for me.’ He came to my room, turned the key in the door, and dropped on his knees, and waited five minutes without a single syllable coming from his lips. I could hear my own heart thumping and beating. I felt the hot tears running down my face. I knew I was with God. Then, with upturned face, down which the tears were streaming, he said ‘O God!’ Then for five minutes at least he was still again; and then, when he knew that he was talking with God…there came up from the depth of his heart such petitions for men as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was.”

May our churches be known as praying churches. May our churches be known for powerful intercessory prayer for their pastors.

– Troy Appleton