Like Patrick, we are all sent to a certain place and people to do the work of seeking and advancing the Kingdom of God. And, like Patrick, we need to be able to use the tools God has given us for this work. Today’s excerpt from Patrick: A Devotional History is found on page 52:
“A minister has three primary tools for doing his work. He must master them all and use them consistently in every facet of his ministry. The first of these tools is prayer. Does it surprise us that God drew Patrick into a lifestyle of prayer, even before He called him as a minister of the Word? We recall how prayer became Patrick’s safe place, his refuge during his time of enslavement. He testified that prayer became so important to him that he would pray a hundred times a day and nearly as many at night.
“Prayer opened Patrick’s soul to visions, which God used in lieu of His Word—there being no Scripture available—to communicate His will to Patrick. Prayer continued to be the bedrock discipline of Patrick’s ministry throughout the course of it.
“Along with prayer is the Word of God. Once he arrived back in Ireland, Patrick devoted himself to knowing, believing, obeying, and teaching the Scriptures. The two brief documents attributed to his hand are carefully pinned to Scripture by more than 125 quotes, references, and allusions from both the Old and New Testaments. Patrick understood that only the Word of God, in the controlling hands of the Holy Spirit, has the power of life (Jn. 6.63), and he determined to make the Word the core and content of all His ministry.
“The third tool is the pastor’s personal example. As Paul demonstrated and taught, a pastor must be above reproach in all aspects of the Christian life. Paul could encourage his readers to imitate him because he knew he was imitating Jesus. And Patrick understood the importance of having an unassailable reputation.”
For reflection or discussion
1. To what extent are each of the tools important to your walk with and work for the Lord?
2. Can you see any ways you might improve your use of these tools?
We are all ministers in that we all have work to do in furthering the Kingdom of Christ. It’s important that, like Patrick, we have all our tools in hand as we launch out into the day. We are agents of grace, and God can use us mightily to make himself known to the people in our mission field. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to talk about how to improve your tools for ministry. You can download a free PDF copy of our 30-day devotional, Patrick: A Devotional History, by going to The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
