Lord, you gave us apostles, evangelists, prophets, shepherds and teachers to equip us for ministry. Touch our hearts with their lessons. Open our eyes to your greatness. Show us how we build up your church for your glory. Your goal is that we study toward attaining the unity of faith and full knowledge of you. Grow us to maturity in Christ, so that we stand firm, not blown by the winds of societal change. Sweeten our quiet times with your presence. Let us feel your pleasure as we pour over the Scriptures. Reveal yourself more and more as each verse sinks into our memory. Let us never forget the Holy One of God, the one true Christ. I ask these things in your precious name, Jesus, according to the good and perfect will of the Father. Amen.
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4: 11-14 ESV)