READ: Proverbs 21:20-23
“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” – 1 Timothy 6:11 (NASB)
The word “pursue” is translated from the Greek word dioko. This word is translated “pursue” and speaks of giving yourself to something and following hard after it.
Most pastors have physical or natural goals. Our prayer topics reveal this reality. We rarely pray for spiritual things like humility, love and holiness. We often pray for tangible things like money or growth in numbers. You will notice that the apostle Paul rather prayed for spiritual things such as the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17).
He prayed that they would know the love of God (Ephesians 3:19). These apparently abstract topics are the most important things. They yield far greater dividends and are far more relevant than you realize. As I have grown up in the Lord, I have found myself praying more and more for these kinds of things.
Shepherds must have spiritual pursuits. I did not pray for such spiritual things at the beginning of my Christian life and ministry. Now, I sense my desperate need for these spiritual things. Indeed, you may think that pastors would naturally pursue spiritual things. On the contrary, our carnality is revealed in our pursuits and our pursuits are revealed in our prayer.