By Dr. Ronald Morrison
As pastors and preachers, we are often evaluated by the most visible and memorable tasks we perform. When we preach a powerful and moving sermon, we often are blessed by the immediate gratification and affirmation from grateful parishioners who prepare to go out into the marketplace, having been encouraged by the words we shared from Scripture.
However, I find myself constantly challenged and sometimes feel burdened that I am not doing my job well. My performance indicators may receive high marks from the membership, but I know from Scripture that their scorecards are not the ones that matter most (See 1 Corinthians 4:1-5).
I love preaching and take great delight in the labor that produces an expository sermon that is delivered with faithfulness to the text and its context. The time in the pulpit, standing behind an open Bible and proclaiming God’s Word, gives me a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing that I am finally doing what I was created to do. However, I often feel like I missed an important part of my task.
In Acts 6, the Apostles were dealing with the fallout of discriminatory practices in the early Church that could have easily caused a great rift in the fellowship of believers. They wisely challenged the congregation to find other Spirit-filled men to properly respond to those legitimate needs. The delegation of the responsibility was necessary so the Apostles would not be pulled away from the mission-critical task of being devoted to prayer AND the ministry of the word.
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I could easily spend hours each day responding to legitimate requests that come via phone calls, text messages, emails, or social media. Members of my congregation are pleased when I respond quickly. But something is wrong if I spend so much time answering those communications that I miss my time alone with the Lord.
Isaiah 50:4 is one of my favorite Bible verses: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned” (NKJV).
Where do we find the time in our crowded schedules to hear from the Lord before we go and speak His word to others? As Isaiah described what would be the habits the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, he made it obvious that knowing what to say to others comes from a lifestyle of listening to the Father. If I am to continually give myself to prayer AND the ministry of the word, I have to carve out time to be alone with God, no matter how many people are vying for my attention.
Unlike most other pastors I speak to, I find my best quiet times to be late at night, when it is highly unlikely that anyone else will call or drop by unannounced. I am often convicted by them when it sounds like they are like Jesus, up before sunrise to pray (Mark 1:35).
Before preparing for a lifetime of public ministry, I worked in a factory for 21 years and got used to being awake on various work shifts. Consequently, there are times when the Lord awakens my ears to hear, but more often than not, His voice is communicating with me before I go to bed! Morning devotions to me never felt as satisfying as when I sense that I am truly being devoted to the Lord during my late hours.
As pastors, we have much to pray about and hurting people to pray for. We are charged with doing it continually. Our people may see the obvious results of our time preparing to preach, but our Lord sees whether or not we are as devoted in private as we appear to be in public. Let’s work on our praying and our preaching, until both become as natural as breathing the breath of life.
About the Pastor
Dr. Ronald Morrison (Ron) is the founding and senior pastor of Hope Alliance Bible Church in Maple Heights (Cleveland), Ohio, which was planted in 1995. Ron has served four terms on his denomination’s (Christian and Missionary Alliance) Board of Directors, including four years as chairman. He and his wife Anita have ministered together around the world for 46 years.
