Faithful
Bro. Tom Elliff has been such an encouragement to us in the SBC of Virginia fellowship. He has preached in our services, prayed for us, been a member of an SBCV church, served as a missionary, pastor, and IMB president. One of my most recent times with Bro. Tom was when he spent time with our SBCV Younger Pastors Roundtable. In this moment, I am thankful that through it all, Bro. Tom modeled for us family life and marriage. Throughout his many hours and long days, his wife Jeannie was supportive. Today, as he and his family celebrate her life and legacy I want to share how they prayed. They have taught us well and modeled in marriage the essence of keeping the faith and finishing well! I want to share with you 7 specific prayers of Tom and Jeannie Elliff. They are an example to me: I pray...Let us pray...
That we would live with a constant, looming awareness of the presence of the Lord, and that we are His ambassadors. Paul reminds us that, “we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20). Ambassadors should operate with a constant awareness of the one whom they represent. But that awareness also gives them a remarkable confidence as they follow his bidding.
That we would seek a pure heart. David, the Shepherd-King, reminds us that it is the pure-hearted who ascend to the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place (Psalm 24: 3-4). We don’t want any hooks on the walls of our heart upon which Satan can hang keys to dark closets.
That we would be filled with the Spirit of God. Spiritual “fullness” is more than a command (Ephesians 5:18), it is a necessity for accomplishing God’s work, God’s way. Spiritual fullness indicates more than the presence of the Lord. It indicates a constant internal pressure to release the Life of Christ.
That we would express both the gifts and the graces that come with the fulness of God’s Spirit. Paul writes of the gifts of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. And Isaiah writes of the graces attending the life of Christ in Isaiah 2. Both are needed if we are to enjoy all God has for us, and remain effective in His service.
That we would never knowingly give the Adversary some opportunity to mock our Lord. Satan constantly looks for opportunities to demean the Lord in the eyes of others. It is our desire never to be found in cooperation with his devious plans.
That God would protect our family, spiritually, morally, physically, and mentally. Anyone who serves the Lord is aware of the constant attacks launched by the Adversary. Sometimes the attacks are directly against us, but other times we can become distracted by the attacks launched against those we love. We seek to live under God’s authority, and under His wings of protection (Psalm 91).
That we would remain true to the vision God has painted on the walls of our hearts. Where there is no vision, no revelation from God, people operate without restraint (Proverbs 29:18). Without a vision as your compass, life can become an endless series of meaningless wanderings. God has painted a great vision on the walls of our hearts and we want to pursue it passionately and without deviation.
You can also find updates and resources from Bro. Tom at www.tomelliff.com. I look forward to seeing him again in Virginia. But, he would want us to remember, that we have the Lord, we can pray, we should love our families and one another, and that it is a privilege to serve Our Great God!
Your brother in Jesus,
Brian Autry