A Prayer for the preacher's heart

Father:

Guard the hearts of these Your special servants. Thank You for creating in them a heart for Truth and of Compassion. As they lay that heart out on the public forum, there are so many ways it can be damaged. There will be those who would step on it just out of a strange dislike of what they represent, there are those who will tamper with it to change its beat from Your Truths to their agendas, there are those who would abuse it by false allegiances, there are those who would stop it because of what it stands for or against, there are those who would limit its beat by suppressing the preacher financially or in influence, there are those who will take advantage of a tender heart and mistake kindness for weakness, there are those who will wound it with careless words and never even realize the damage they have done, there are those who will expect more from that heart than any human heart can possibly give, and there are those who, after years of receiving from it, may forget how much it has poured out for them.

Father, guard that heart.

Keep it tender without allowing it to become fragile. Keep it courageous without allowing it to become hard. Keep it compassionate without allowing it to become controlled by the approval of people. Keep it sensitive to hurt without allowing hurt to turn into bitterness. Keep it faithful to Your Word. Keep it beating for people, even when people disappoint them.

And above all, keep the preacher’s heart beating in rhythm with Yours.

In Jesus Name,

AMEN