It’s not often that I use this blog to request personal prayer, but I’m doing that today. Today begins the new fall semester at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, where I serve as Dean of Doctoral Studies and VP for Spiritual Formation. Dr. Danny Akin, our president, will be leading us in convocation at 10:30am.
I’m writing to request your prayers because my role at Southeastern has changed. My VP role now includes a focus on helping us make sure we are a praying, discipling campus as we prepare men and women to do the Great Commission in local churches and around the world. I have carried this burden now for almost twenty years – ever since Dr. Robert Coleman, author of The Master Plan of Evangelism, personally challenged me to spend my life investing in young leaders who truly know how to walk with God.
Frankly, I fear that Christian universities, seminaries, and even local churches are guilty of doing our work in our own power, turning to God for help only when we can’t first figure out the solution. We call folks to discipleship without really walking with them, and we talk about prayer without really doing it. Too seldom do our students and our church members see men and women whose lives long for God and whose hearts break for the lost world. We’re guilty, I think, of unintentionally promoting self-dependence that gets in the way of God’s using us.
That’s why I’m so grateful for Dr. Akin’s commitment to prayer and our faculty’s openness to follow his lead. We want to produce the strongest scholars and best-prepared practitioners, but we also want to lead them to be the most dependent prayer warriors at the same time. We want to graduate laypersons, pastors, and missionaries who are fully equipped for their tasks, but who do their work from their knees.
That’s where you come in. I know that no institution defaults into prayerful dependence. I know that all believers, beginning with me, struggle at times with prayer. Would you please take time today to pray for Southeastern Seminary as we chart our way for the future? Would you also invite others to pray with us and for us as well — perhaps by directing them to this post?
I thank you for being a faithful reader of this blog – but I thank you even more for your prayer support.
Yes Chuck, I am praying for you today. Thank you for sharing this personal note. People always lead people.
Blessings, Robert. Thank you!
Dr. Lawless. The prayer time you lead at 6:30am at Southern Seminary 16 years ago was a life changer for me. Your example challenged me to do the same. I have done so on 2 continents and still realize how much more I need prayer, now that I am back in the US.
Your Spiritual Warfare class changed my life, too. Putting on the “whole armour of God” has had new meaning for me since then.
May God continue that great work in your life until the day of Jesus Christ. “Run and not grow weary… walk and not faint…”
Tom,
You have no idea how encouraging your words are to me. Thank you for writing!
Dr. Lawless, I will pray for those men and women at Southeastern. Thank you for your leadership.
Thanks, Michael.
Chuck, I will be praying for you and the seminary. I am wondering, is your teaching related to the emergent church definition of spiritual formation which includes contemplative prayer and mentors such as Thomas Merton, Brian Mclaren, Eugene Peterson?
Cathleen
I think we can learn from from others, but that’s not the direction I go. Thanks, Cathleen.
Thanks for your honesty and request for prayer; as always, you bless and challenge my heart! Love you brother and deeply appreciate you and Pam! Tracy
Thanks, Tracy.
I am starting to realize how much our pastors need support in their own walk with God. So glad you are where you can help.
Blessings, Katherine.
Agreeing with you in prayer, Dr. Lawless. Thank you for recognizing a significant need in our institutions and working “from your knees” to address it. I hope to prayerfully join you in the church that I serve.
God bless, Stacey.
Praying for you Brother. I also thank you for sharing your true heart.
Thank you, Ken.
Praying with you and for you Dr. Lawless. Here in our city we have been trying to lead a prayer movement related to mission and church planting over the past five or so years. I truly believe we will not see a real planting movement until there is first an authentic, Spirit empowered prayer movement. May the Lord bless your work at Southeastern
Blessings, Darren.
Praying Dr. Lawless.
Thank you, Greta.
Praying for you, Dr. Lawless. Congratulations on your new/addition role at SEBTS. I have a deep appreciation for Dr. Akin and the seminary. Praying for a great semester.
Thanks, Christopher.
I’m joining you in prayer, Dr. Lawless. Praying for wisdom as you lead and for a desire for prayer to be cultivated among the leadership, professors, staff, and students.
Thank you, Matt.
I thank God for you and am praying along with you, Dr. Lawless. What an incredibly foundational & Great Comission centered task. Thank you for your investment in my life.
Thanks, my friend.
BTW I have about 5 of my former college students and their wives (also former students) starting at Southeastern today. God is so good!
Great stuff! Thanks.
I will be praying as you’ve asked. Praying now, as your convocation is now about to start. I want thst same emphasis in my own life! Jusr read your post about whether your doing ministry in your own power or if your seeking God’s presence and power. Longing for a ministry and evangelism burden that both see much fruitfulness!
Ron
Blessings, brother!
You and I have never met, but I have learned much and received much encouragement from your ministry. Prayers for you.
Thanks, Gordon!
Praying for you Dear Brother and for the lives you will have the opportunity to impact!
Thanks, Steve!
Still remember the 3 hour prayer exercise you asked us to do and the moans that arose as you explained. Also remember the stories that came out of that exercise and the difference in the experience between those who took it seriously and those who didn’t. It has been my joy to come into contact with you these many years since. God’s hand is upon you. His Holy Spirit dwells nightly within you. Your teaching of the things God is showing you blesses my soul without fail.
I have been, am, and will continue to pray for you and SE’rn Seminary and the work you are doing to make that campus a place of prayer and discipleship.
Thank you, Doug.
Thanks for the challenge to be people of prayer, Dr. Lawless!
Blessings, Jack.
Will do. And I hope to be able to see you this Saturday in Peoria, Lord willing.
Thanks, Scott.
I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that He would grant the people at Southeastern Seminary, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith; that they, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that they might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Thank you.
Yes sir, I will. And thank you for investing in my life while at SBTS.
Thanks, Brian. Great to hear from you.
Dr. Lawless,
I have heard Dr. Jim Shaddix as well as 1 or 2 other Profs comment about how seminary teaches all the doctrines and theologies, but never teaches students to be prayer warriors. Your discipleship class and your Spiritual warfare class are classes that I continue to refer other students to for a ministry changing experience. They have been for me anyway. Quiet time, and prayer time have not been the same for me since your classes, not that I find these easy to do either. I pray regularly for Dr. Akin and the other seminary presidents and have begun praying more for the profs. As I enter what I hope is my final year at SEBTS, I am thrilled by your added responsibility because I have long said what the world is starved for is authentic witnesses for Christ and I believe that is directly related to a sever Scriptural and prayer drought among the cloud of witnesses today. May God use you in a mighty way in this new focus and may His kingdom reach the nations as a result.
Thank you so much, Russ.
Thank you for all your blogs and encouragement. I am praying for you.
Thank you, Dallas.
I love this, and I’m praying for you and SEBTS and all of the churches your students will lead. Praying this focus will impact every one of them and that awakening is the result. Thankful for your impact on my life and ministry.
Thank you, David.
My privilege to pray for you. The Lord has used you many times in my life to encourage me in the areas of prayer, spiritual disciplines, accountability, and in investing in other men. Thank you for your faithfulness. I’m sure God will use you on the SEBTS campus in a mighty way that will produce fruits into eternity. Blessings!
Good to hear from you, friend. Thanks!
Praying for you and SEBTS today; thanks you brother.
Thank you, Doug.
I’m praying for you my brother. May God continue to use you in a mighty way.
Thank you, Noah.
Praying for you and thankful to God for your ministry.
Thank you, John.
Chuck, it’s a holy privilege to pray for you, especially as you led in prayer at SEBTS.
Thanks, Bob.
Praying for you and others too there at SEBTS. As I’m sure you are well aware, one can never underestimate the power of prayer. I have personal testimonies confirming this fact! However, very sadly, prayer is no longer the focus of many churches or believers. I thank God for all that you are doing to inspire, encourage and lead others to pray, our most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. May He multiply all your efforts exponentially and create a huge army of prayer warriors!! To God be the glory for His enduring love and everlasting faithfulness!!
Blessings, Debe!
I am praying for you, Chuck. Your email messages/blogs are such a blessing. Thank-you for your work.
Thank you, Beth.
I’m a bit late to this post but never too late to pray, of course. Thanks be to God that He is infinitely mighty and able to lift you up for this work. May the Spirit grant you rest and kingdom success each day this academic year.
Thanks, Garvis.