“Everyone deserves to be prayed over as they begin their ministry.”

I remember well the context and the two people who gave me those words. It was a word from God Himself.

In the New Testament, we see example after example of people being prayed over as they begin a new area or work of ministry.

The best example for me is when the Church at Antioch set aside Barnabas and Paul. They did so because they were directed by the Holy Spirit. In obedience to the Spirit, they laid hands on the two missionaries and sent them out with a concert of prayer (Acts 13:1-3). As you read the next two chapters in Acts, you see how the Holy Spirit blessed their actions.

Our church–like many others–commissions (ordains) deacons to lead in the ministry of our church. In our church deacons visit the hospitals and the homebound, minister to hurting people, and deal with emergency situations in the church.

Those who do the work of ministry deserve to be prayed over as they begin their ministry.

Sunday night (tonight) we will pray over four men who have been elected to serve the congregation in this way. They, along with their wives, will be prayed over by the congregation.

I hope you will join with us. We will make this time different from other deacon ordination services. The orchestra and band will lead in our music and we will sing the favorite songs of our new deacons. I am preaching from the life of Stephen (Acts 6-7, especially Acts 7:54-8:1).

We will conclude by gathering around the new deacons and praying as they begin this new phase of ministry. I hope you will join us. We begin at 6:30 and will conclude by 7:30 PM. There will be a time of fellowship in the Steeple Foyer afterwards.

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