O God Who Faithfully Ministers to All,
you have called us not only
to know you and love you,
but also to become like you,
pouring out our lives
for the sake of others.
You call all persons to this
noble task, and some
you particularly set apart
as ministers in your Church
and alongside her.
We thank you, God, for your servant,
_______________, who has been
called to such a ministry.
We thank you, God, for the work
of your Holy Spirit who stirred
in them desires to minister,
and we thank you for the community
around them that affirmed this calling.
And now, in the midst of this season
in their ministry, we ask for a fresh
anointing of your Holy Spirit.
Remind them that you
poured out that same Spirit
on your Son at his baptism,
before his ministry began,
speaking Beloved
over his person and his work.
Let this servant so find themselves in Christ
that they hear that same word,
and minister from that sure place,
from their truest identity— Beloved.
Inspire them to long for and protect
time with you in prayer and in your word.
Fan into flame the gifts
you have given them, O Spirit of God,
and grant them the humility
to see and name the ways
in which they need to grow.
Grant them restful sleep at night,
and fresh faith in the morning.
Supply every need in their physical body,
granting them energy, stamina, and health.
Give them the wisdom you promise
so they can order and respond well
to continual demands on their time,
their emotions, their intellect, their very person.
Reveal your living, generative presence at work
in them with new ideas and a fresh approach
to old problems and broken relationships.
Give them fortitude to enter divisive,
volatile situations, trusting you to be present
with them as you were with the
prophet Daniel and his friends—
Lord, show yourself again to be
“the fourth one in the fire.”
Train them in your way of sacrificial self-giving,
but when they are depleted or worn down,
give them the grace they need
to ask for help, to delegate wisely,
to take a nap, to say no,
or not now.
When they reach the end of their
strength, may they recognize
their own finitude not as failure,
but as a life-long invitation
to practice dependence on you.
Remind them, Jesus, that you
are the only Savior.
When those in their care critique them,
let them humbly discern between
the Spirit’s voice and the enemy’s lies.
When their ministry feels like
the heaviest of burdens,
comfort their weary soul,
and give them supernatural surety
that they are yoked to you, Jesus,
and that your yoke is easy.
When their ministry feels like
a joyful endeavor,
give them the ability to feast
and to revel in the gift of it all.
Give them times of laughter
and light-heartedness as a reprieve
from the pain, trouble, doubt, and heartache
they witness and absorb.
Give them a few precious relationships,
whether with family or friends, where they know
themselves to be a fellow pilgrim, not an authority,
and where they are simply enjoyed as a person
before they’re utilized as a minister.
Give them passions and interests outside
of ministry, where they can delight in
other kinds of creativity, challenge, and satisfaction.
Let them look to you for deep refreshment,
in a regular practice of Sabbath rest.
Protect them from turning to secret vices
to deal with stress, anxiety, boredom, or regret.
Let them come to you in repentance and faith,
in a regular practice of confession.
Do the work only you can do, Lord—
forgiving them,
restoring them,
making the seeds they sow grow,
and shielding them
from the evil one’s flaming arrows
aimed especially at ministers.
Protect them from measuring the success
of their ministry by any other standard
than faithfulness to you,
so that passing trends would not distract them,
and comparisons to other leaders, churches,
or ministries would find no foothold in their heart.
If, in your wisdom, this servant remains
in obscurity, grant them contentment.
If they become popular or even famous,
deliver them from the empty pursuit
of making a name for themselves,
rather, let all their ways proclaim:
Hallowed be your Name!
Give them such an assurance
of their calling, such a conviction
of your yes over them,
that they need not prove anything,
fear any person, or grasp any accolade.
As they labor through fulfilling seasons
of fruitful ministry, and seasons of hardship
and disappointment, beckon from them
this continual, earnest prayer:
Lord, establish the work of my hands!
We ask all this for _________________,
in the strong name of Jesus, the Author
and Finisher of our faith,
Amen.
by Anna A. Friedrich
Article adapted from Every Moment Holy, Volume 3 by Douglas Kaine McKelvey, Rabbit Room Press © 2023
