Adolph Monod on Prayer

It was several years ago now that the Lord graciously brought to me a season of refreshment in my own prayer life. In his kind providence he brought to me a particular prompting, or “wake-up call,” as I was reading excerpts from a spiritual classic: Adolph Monod’s Les Adieux (“Farewells”).[1]

Adolph Monod was a French Reformed pastor and was one of the greatest French preachers of the nineteenth century. Struck with cancer at age fifty-three, he went to be with the Lord about a year later. While in declining health, surrounded by family and friends, Monod presented from his sickbed a meditation on each of the last twenty-five Lord’s Days of his life. His family carefully kept record of these devotional talks. Monod’s dying testimony is most inspiring and instructive.

One of Monod’s regrets was that he had not prayed as he should. He put it this way: “My dear friends in Christ, among the subjects about which a Christian who believes himself to be near his end carries regrets, there is certainly none he would want so much to reform, if he returned to life, as prayer.”[2]

And this:

Ah, if I were restored to life, I would like, with God’s help, and in spite of myself, to give prayer much more time than I have done and to lean on prayer much more than on work. It is our duty never to neglect work, but work has no strength except when supported and animated by prayer.[3]

Monod’s comments strike at the heart of what we as pastors and elders—indeed, as Christians!—already know concerning prayer, but what, all too often, we sadly fail to act upon. We are just not sufficiently convinced that our work truly has no strength except when supported and animated by prayer.

Monod mentions the well-known example of Martin Luther. It is said that Luther, during the period that he was appearing before the Diet of Worms, spent three hours each day crying aloud to God. Luther’s friend Dietrich overheard Luther and took it upon himself to assemble those prayers for the good of the church. Dietrich observed that there was not a single day in which Luther did not reserve at least three hours for prayer, those hours taken from the time during the day that was most conducive to work. Luther clearly believed that his work had no strength except when supported and animated by prayer! How was it that Martin Luther accomplished what he did for the kingdom of God? By faith in the Word of God and by prayer!

All of us as pastors and elders must ask ourselves this question: “What is it that will most impact my life and the life of those around me?” Or to put it another way: “What is it that will secure the greatest blessing for the church and for those to whom I minister?” Listen again to Monod: “Prayer is the distinctive mark of the Lord’s powerful servants. All of them, in spite of considerable differences, offer to us this common trait: They are men who pray much and who pray fervently.”[4]

The Apostolic Lesson

The priority of prayer for the pastor was recognized and affirmed very early on by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. When pressed by other important and worthy needs of ministry, they embraced this priority along with the priority of the ministry of the Word of God. Every pastor who is at all serious about his work knows by memory the familiar words of Acts 6:4: “… we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Prayer and the ministry of the Word: these two priorities are to be seen in tandem. Neither can be neglected and there result a thriving or fruitful ministry. What was the wonderful outcome of the apostolic embracing of these priorities? “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (v. 7). Yes, all of us know this lesson well—at least theoretically. Or perhaps better said, we are commonly guilty of knowing and applying only half of the lesson. The “ministry of the Word” part, we know. But what about the other half of the lesson concerning prayer? And in this case, to know only half of the lesson is not to know the whole lesson! As pertains particularly to prayer, we commonly fail to live the lesson out practically, and our ministries suffer because of it. Yes, as Reformed pastors and elders we generally pride ourselves concerning our seriousness about the ministry of the Word, while our devotion to prayer may be quite lacking. A great contradiction!

The Neglect of Prayer

Of course, when we have been neglecting prayer, we become largely desensitized and oblivious to the blighting effects such neglect has upon our ministry. Perhaps we have neglected prayer for some long time, and so our ministry experience and its corresponding barrenness simply seems “normal” to us. What has happened? We have adjusted our thinking and have conditioned ourselves to find satisfaction in our labors in other ways. We spend many hours and work hard at sermon preparation. We busy ourselves with much activity—meetings and counseling and administrative chores. There is always so much to do! So we secretly salve our consciences and foolishly comfort ourselves with the thought of our many hours of labor or with the thought of the particular strains of our labor. Do we not labor more than anyone else in the congregation? Do we not feel the burden of such labor more than anyone really understands? But in reality we have become spiritually dull, spiritually desensitized. Let us be honest with ourselves, brothers. Where prayer is neglected, to that degree it is being neglected, we are not walking by faith but in the flesh. We are in fact leaning on our work rather than on our Lord through prayer. And as Monod said, “work has no strength except when supported and animated by prayer.”[5] Heaven alone knows the reality of how very barren our service is when we are in such a state!

Busyness—a Lame Excuse

There, I have already made my point, but let us fill it out just a bit. We commonly excuse ourselves for our neglect of prayer because as pastors we are so very busy. However, the example of our Lord instantly exposes how very juvenile and misguided is this excuse. Jesus was arguably (and legitimately!) the busiest man the world has ever seen. Busy to the max, going about doing good, preaching and teaching and healing. His schedule was always full to the brim. So what about prayer amid such busyness? What was his practice? We see it wonderfully summarized in Luke 5:15–16: “But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

Our Lord steadfastly guarded the priority of communion with the Father through prayer. We see this described at several points in Luke’s gospel (3:21–22; 4:42–44; 5:15–16; 6:12–13; 9:18–22, 27–30; 11:1ff.). For now we simply observe that for our Lord, busyness in ministry never supplanted the priority of seeking the Father in prayer. Indeed, we can say that the secret of his massively fruitful and powerful ministry centered in his communion with the Father through prayer.

The Insidious Pressure of the CEO Pastor Model

There is another problem closely related to busyness in pastoral ministry. The broader evangelical church is flush with its adulation for the CEO-pastor model. And we have all been tainted by it: the specter of (admittedly) very gifted and energetic men who are doing so much and seemingly accomplishing so much; burgeoning churches with multiple services, a vast array of growing programs and ministries, and “leadership teams” that are constantly brainstorming—“casting visions”—about yet more growth and ministry. This begs the question: when do these men pray? Answer: probably rarely, briefly, and “on the run.” And they excuse this because they are so very busy serving the Lord! We must honestly observe that such men are not particularly spiritual men; they are primarily functioning as CEOs who happen to possess significant spiritual gifts. They are men who lean on their work rather than on the Lord through prayer. And in such cases the fawning church gets what it craves, what it admires; it gets what it believes is really impressive and effective in ministry. We who pastor small congregations comfort ourselves: “We are not like that!” But to the degree that we neglect prayer, we are just like that: leaning on our work rather than on our Lord in prayer; praying rarely, briefly, and “on the run.”

The Practice of Prayer for the Pastor

As pastors, nothing is more essential to our own spiritual life and to our ministries than daily seeking our God in prayer. Prayer is at the very heart of our communion with God, and where prayer is lacking our communion with God is lacking. Further, we must say that where prayer is lacking faith is lacking, and—whether we are conscious of it or not—our old, native self-dependence instantly fills that vacuum. Said another way, we are failing to abide in Christ (John 15); we are in fact leaning upon our own wisdom and strength. In this state, fruit-bearing dries up. Jesus says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (v. 5). We may be “doing” plenty, but where prayer is neglected, we are bearing little fruit.

Our communion with Christ is always to be at the center of all of life and ministry. That is the great priority above all else. That communion is essential to all fruitfulness, and that communion is cultivated by prayer. Consider carefully from Mark 1:35–39 (Lk. 4:42–44) how our Savior guarded the priority of his communion with the Father:

The previous day had been a very busy one for our Lord as he ministered. He had taught in the synagogue, and the people were astonished at his teaching. There he had cast a demon out of one who was possessed. He then went to the house of Simon and Andrew and there healed Simon’s mother-in-law. At evening they had brought to him all who were sick and those who were demon possessed. He healed many who were sick. He cast out many demons. The whole city was gathered together there.

This must have been exhilarating for our Lord, but also exhausting! So much activity! Such constant pressure! So many demands! And this was no doubt a typical day for him. It would seem that he could hardly have had a private or quiet moment to himself. How could he continue on? How could he bear up under the pressure? How could he continue to preach, and teach, and counsel, and contend with his adversaries? What was the secret of his strength, his calm, his authority in teaching, his penetrating discernment in every situation? We see it here—wonderfully summarized, expressed (v. 35): “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

We note these things particularly: Jesus rises and seeks the Father “in the morning” to be prepared for the day. He rose “very early in the morning, while it was still dark.” Why? He must have private, uninterrupted time, and this is the only way he will get it! He went out and departed to “a desolate place.” He thus purposed that there should be no distractions or interruptions. No one knew where he was! Simon and those who were with him searched for him! So-called “emergencies” must wait! Other legitimate needs must wait! This is the will of the Father! Thus, we see our Lord’s dependence upon the Father amid an unceasing crush of demands. (Who do we think we are?!)

We see also from this brief passage that it was through prayer that our Lord maintained a clear sense of priority in ministry. When Peter and the others found Jesus, they said, “Everyone is looking for you!” (v. 37). In effect they were saying, “Lord, there are all kinds of needs requiring for your attention!” But Jesus knew precisely what was to be done. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (v. 38).

The Benefits of Prayer for the Pastor

The benefits of prayer for the pastor are manifold. We mention here just a few.

As we just noted by our Lord’s supreme example, nothing better helps us to hold to the biblical priorities of pastoring than daily prayer. Pressed with busyness and a multitude of people and needs—most all of them “legitimate,” and all of them arguably “great opportunities” for ministry—Jesus retained a crystal-clear sense of ministry priority. The same is vital to us as pastors. This sense of priorities and of the will of God cannot be maintained in any other way.

It should be our practice as pastors to seek the Lord early in the morning in prayer, and of course, beyond this, all through the day in the midst of our labors. A practice that I personally have found helpful is this: there is a chair in my study on the other side of the room from my desk, or work area. During sermon preparation I would periodically pause, go to that chair on the other side of the room, sit in quiet, and pray. This was helpful to me to maintain a greater sense of dependence upon God while immersed in the hard work of sermon preparation.

Nothing better enables us to see the hand of God in his providences than communing with him daily in prayer. It is in and through prayer that the invisible world is opened to us, and we are enabled more clearly to see things from the perspective of the throne of God. Furthermore, nothing is more calming and refreshing to our souls, when pressed with the many and constant demands of pastoral ministry, than to frequently draw aside in prayer, seeking communion with our Lord.

As pastors, nothing keeps us so in touch with and tender toward the life and needs of our people than daily praying for them. Jesus said concerning His sheep, “I know my own, and my own know me” (Jn. 10:14). If I am praying daily for the precious ones committed to my charge, I truly grow to know them better, and it becomes apparent to them that I know them and am in touch with their lives! Thereby they also know that I love them. This opens ministry to their hearts as nothing else can! Nothing better helps us or prepares us for our personal ministrations to those of our flock than daily praying for them.

And what about our preaching? Nothing better prepares us to preach Christ to our flock than daily praying for them. It was my own practice in pastoral ministry every Saturday evening to pray for all of the members of my congregation, that the power of the Spirit of Christ might rest upon them in the Lord’s Day worship in the day ahead. Among other things, I discovered that this very much shaped my preaching to them. I think it is accurate to say that because of this I enjoyed a unique connection with them amidst the preaching.

The Elders Encouraging their Pastor in Prayer

Our Form of Government makes clear that our ruling elders are to pray with and for the people of the congregation. Also, they are to “have particular concern for the doctrine and conduct of the minister of the Word and help him in his labors” FG 10.3. It goes without saying that this concern must surely include daily prayer for their pastor. But directly related to this concern and to the concern that daily prayer should elicit, is the need of encouraging the pastor in the priority of prayer as a central feature of his ministry. I suspect that it is too seldom the case that elders ask this question of their pastor: “Are you getting the time in prayer that you need?” Or this vital follow-up question: “What can we do to remove other burdens of labor that may be keeping you from your necessary focus on prayer?” As noted above from Acts 6, the pastor is to be devoted to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. Once again we say that as good Reformed church officers we tend to be much attuned to the necessity and priority of the ministry of the Word but not so attuned to the necessity and priority of prayer. All of our ministry suffers accordingly.

I heard one fellow pastor recently mention that his session was being sanctified in the area of prayer. He explained that they had begun, amidst their meetings, to pray after each item of business or discussion. This is a great way not only to encourage the pastor in prayer but also to encourage one another to prayer and to a greater dependence upon God—session meetings sprinkled with prayer! What a precious and edifying thing! This would surely imbue all with a clearer heavenly focus, not to mention making brothers more tender to one another amid sometimes difficult discussions or disagreements!

As we said above, nothing keeps a pastor so in touch with and tender toward the life and needs of his people than praying for them daily. The same holds true, of course, for elders, not only in their relationship with one another but also in their relationship to their pastor. Generally, an elder has assigned to him particular members to whom he gives a special care. If he is praying for these daily, it will render him more tender toward their lives and their needs. He will certainly be thinking about them and most likely will check in on them more often! And he will thus engage them more tenderly and pastorally. It is vital to observe here that the same holds true in his relationship with the pastor. If an elder is praying daily for his brother in Christ, it should render him all the more tender to him. He will thus support him in the best way, engaging him with greater affection.

Most of all, for pastor and elders alike, we can point out this singular benefit of devotion to prayer. We will know an increasing liberty to ask for much, and we will have a deep and happy assurance that we will bear much fruit. This is in full accord with our Savior’s great promise in John 15:7–8: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Our Lord could not be more explicit. He clearly promises that through prayer and through our communion with him we will bear much fruit. All that we have said thus far with respect to the benefits of prayer are features of such fruitfulness. But we can say more. It is in and through prayer that an exciting world is opened to us—a “window” into the kingdom and into what God is doing. Every conversation, every interaction, every activity is then illumined with the light of our Savior’s presence. Out of our communion with him it is his design that we should see a continual bearing of fruit though the whole of our life and our ministries—continual answers to prayer, countless answers to prayer—answers to prayer every day of our lives! That is surely what our Savior intends. Again, he could not have been more explicit. We are frequently guilty of shrinking our Savior’s great promise with various well-intended and biblical qualifications. Too often this simply serves to mask our prayerlessness.

Hear the dying Monod again:

Altogether, with one spirit and one heart, humbled by the slackness of our prayers, let us form the holy resolve finally to know through experience the true promises of prayer so that we might harvest from it the blessed heritage of the invisible world.”[6]

Endnotes

[1] Adolphe Monod, Living in the Hope of Glory: A New Translation of a Spiritual Classic, Constance K. Walker, trans. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2002); an older edition is Adolphe Monod, Adolphe Monod’s Farewell to His Friends and to His Church, trans. Owen Thomas (1874 repr., London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1962).

[2] Monod, Living in the Hope of Glory, 152–53.

[3] Monod, Living in the Hope of Glory, 159.

[4] Monod, Living in the Hope of Glory, 156, emphasis added.

[5] Monod, Living in the Hope of Glory, 159.

[6] Monod, Living in the Hope of Glory, 160.

Bruce H. Hollister is Regional Home Missionary for the OPC Presbytery of the Midwest and Presbytery of Wisconsin & Minnesota. Ordained Servant Online, February 2022.