A wise man once told me that the task of Christ’s church is not to build her own kingdom; nor is her task to build the kingdom of God. No, the task of the Church is to be that community of believers through whom our Lord Jesus Christ builds his Kingdom. And a key facet of being that kind of believing community is prayer.
The psalmist prays and muses, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). He who made heaven and earth is our redeemer as well, the One to whom we lift up our soul in prayer (Psalm 25:1).
As we anticipate the convening of the PCA’s 52nd General Assembly in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on June 23-27, 2025, we must prepare for this gathering with fervent prayer. I contacted each of the PCA agencies that will give a report to the Assembly and asked them how we can pray for them. Their responses reveal specific ways we can support their ministries in prayer in addition to praying for the Assembly itself.
Give thanks to the Lord for the PCA Administrative Committee and their hard work preparing for GA 2025. They have asked for prayer that the Lord will help them honor Christ by serving the Assembly and its committees with humility, efficiency, and grace.
Stephen Estock, coordinator of the PCA Discipleship Ministries requests that we ask the Lord to give CDM staff and ministry teams insight into how to better meet the discipleship needs of smaller to mid-sized churches. They also ask that the Lord would lead them to the right people and resources to genuinely, economically, and creatively meet those needs.
Mission to North America, under the servant leadership of Irwyn Ince, asks the Lord of the Harvest that MNA would facilitate the planting and growth of vital churches across the United States and Canada. They want God to equip them to assist church planters and revitalization pastors as well as the many important ministries operating under their umbrella to patiently advance the Kingdom of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lloyd Kim, coordinator of Mission to the World simply asks for more workers: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Matthew 9:36-38).
Reformed University Fellowship asks for prayer that God would continue to use RUF campus ministers, campus staff, and Interns to reach students with the gospel, equip them for a lifetime of faithfulness to Jesus, and strengthen his church through their lives and service. May the Lord provide wisdom, resources, and open doors on campuses worldwide, that many students and scholars would come to know Christ, and that the staff would be faithful and encouraged in their work. Also, please give thanks for the leadership of Ruling Elder Will Huss who has been RUF coordinator since 2019; and pray for the incoming coordinator, Ruling Elder Andrew Rein, who will begin July 1, 2025.
From Dr. Tom Gibbs, president of Covenant Theological Seminary: We are grateful for the stewardship granted to us by the PCA. Please pray for CTS as we seek to execute our newly-adopted strategic plan and as we reach, train, and sustain the next generation of pastors, ministry leaders, and counselors for a thriving church.
Covenant College President Brad Voyles gives thanks for the faculty, staff, and students of Covenant College. Please ask the Lord to bless the time of feasting and fellowship as the college hosts commissioners and their families for a picnic dinner during the Assembly on Wednesday, June 25.
Ridge Haven is asking the Lord to bless the staff and summer counselors as they have many camp weeks and retreats going on this summer. May they be strengthened by the Lord to serve him and the many campers with enduring joy.
Tim Townsend, president of the PCA Foundation has asked us to pray that God in His mercy would provide technically-competent, hard working, and spiritually mature believers to staff the growing opportunities for the PCAF.
Geneva Benefits Group gives thanks to God for a good season of growth which brings its own set of good challenges. Jon Medlock asks that we pray for the Lord to help the leadership and staff at Geneva to navigate this good season with grace, humility, and faithfulness. May the Lord grant them grace to help pastors and ministry workers with the variety of complexities of finances and employee benefits so they can live generously in every season of life.
These are some of the ways we can lift up our denomination before the throne of grace. As the week of General Assembly draws near, let us be bold to fervently plead before our great and triune God that there would be a fullness of the Holy Spirit for all in attendance. May our times of worship in Word and prayer, song and Table be eminently holy and sweet with the grace of the Savior. Let our fellowship, connections and re-connections be characterized by joy.
And may the work of each commissioner gathered in assembly to conduct the business for which they came, be used by the Lord to refine our faithfulness, purity, and peace before a watching world. Let it be that the Lord Jesus will be exalted in our hearts in such a way that the Great Love Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) find a greater fulfilment in and through us – here, near, and far. For these matters, let us pray.
Rev. Wes Alford is the teaching elder at Christ PCA in Sweetwater, Tennessee. He serves on the 2025 GA Host Committee as the chairman of the subcommittee on prayer