May prayer be made for him continually and blessings invoked for him all day long. – Psalm 72:15b

Psalm 72 is a coronation song for a king and provides a vision of leadership that includes serving God by serving the people: seeking justice, defending the poor, and leading with righteousness. This is not so different from our call as faith leaders. As the Psalm calls on the leader to see the lives they serve as precious (v.14), we promise to see the lives we serve as precious. We promise to pray for the people and seek to serve them with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.

In whatever season you’re in, let us lift up the first part: the promise to pray for the folks we serve and serve alongside.

We also need to remember the other side of the coin. In our tradition, when we install/ordain new officers and pastors into service, our congregations take a vow to pray for their leaders. I wonder how often we remember to pray for our leaders. Pastors, are we lifting up our elders? Are we lifting up our leaders in the upper levels of the denomination? Elders, are you lifting up your pastors? How can we encourage our congregations to lift us up as leaders, trusting them to fulfill this vow they took to pray for us?

May this blessing lift you up today, knowing that you are in my prayers today. Whatever season of leadership you are in right now, know that you are prayed for and with. Lift up the leaders who serve with you and apart from you. And may each of us leaders continue to seek to pray for the people and serve with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.