The wife of one of the men whom I’d had the privilege of teaching 4 years ago confided to mine that her husband was discouraged, almost depressed. It seems that a while back he was conducting a baptism when all of a sudden the crude baptistery in which he was standing broke.
Pastor D’s courage and boldness drained out along with all of the water. He quit praying for the sick. He stopped visiting and doing ministry. He began to focus on temporal needs. And, his wife was justifiably concerned.
As I sat with the group of guys I’d come to know and love from my first experience in Global South, I gave them opportunity share with me what God is doing in their respective ministries. Several stories were forthcoming. Then, because I know what happens in group dynamics in such situations where reports are positive, I encouraged them to tell me about discouragements and disappointments.
No one spoke for a while. Then Pastor S told about his bride of 2 years who was writing the exam for nurses’ training graduation that very moment. She was “carrying,” and the 2 month-old child was not developing properly.
Then, silence.
Then Pastor P shared that he had a recurring pain in his chest and back. I’m no doctor, but as he explained the symptoms it seemed to me he may have had pleurisy, or something like this.
More silence.
I prayed about these concerns. And then our time was up.
Immediately Pastor D was at my side. And, almost immediately his wife, P, joined him. He began to explain certain things that were troubling him in his ministry, “problems” is the way he put it. But he did not mention the loss of courage.
His dear wife did. In earnest tones she told me about the incident, and with fist closed and pumping, gave me to understand that her man needed to regain his zeal and his boldness. She cut right to the chase in bold tones of her own.
We bowed together, the three of us, and I asked our powerful God to lift the spirits of his servant. I asked that his boldness be returned to him. I asked that he continue to courageously fish for men, casting the net into the darkness around him to draw people out of the kingdom of darkness and into the light. I asked for Satan to be defeated, and for God to be glorified in and through Pastor D.
Will you also pray for the man who lost his courage?
