Far be it from me...

"Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and right way."

(1 Samuel 12:23)

The people of Israel, now that they've settled into the Promised Land, have decided they want an earthly king like everyone else. Samuel tried to talk them out of it (reminding them that GOD is their king!). But they weren't dissuaded. So God gave them Saul as their king. And Samuel reminded the people to serve the LORD with all their hearts.

"Far be it from me.. to cease praying for you," said Samuel. He's still the "pastor" of the nation. He's the spiritual leader. And even though the people have a new political leader (Saul), Samuel will not neglect his role of praying for the people. In fact, he says it would be a "sin against the LORD" if he stopped praying for them.

Sometimes it's easy to forget to be in constant prayer for my church, as a pastor. There are always specific prayer concerns (people who are sick, struggling, troubles at work, relationship issues, finances, etc.). We hear about those prayer concerns and we try to keep up on them. But what about the others? The ones who never raise a concern, yet are still a vital part of the community of faith? I need to be praying for them, too. Regularly.

And Samuel finishes by saying he'll continue to "instruct you in the good and right way." Which is also my job as a pastor. Preaching, teaching, and modeling life for my congregation. Especially in this election year, I'm reminded that no matter who the new president will be, I need to keep praying for my congregation and help them stay focused and committed to God.