You may have heard the report that Pastor Rick Warren’s son, Matthew, committed suicide over the weekend.
Rick Warren is the Pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California, one of the largest churches in America. But you may know him best from his book, The Purpose-Driven Life, which has sold over 32 million copies since it was published ten years ago.
He shared the news with his staff via an email with the subject line “Needing your prayers,” and as I read that email, I immediately thought of New Testament “mega-pastor,” Paul.
While Paul wasn’t a pastor like our modern-day pastors with an office and a staff and a closet full of ties, he still led a body of believers. And as he wrote to those believers in his letters we refer to as Ephesians, Philippians, etc., he continually asked for one thing: Prayer.
- I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. (Romans 15:30).
- Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19).
- And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains (Colossians 4:3).
- As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. (2 Thessalonians 3:1).
I cannot imagine what Rick and his wife, Kay, are experiencing now after losing their son. The loss of a child is one thing. The loss of a child to suicide is another. But to lose a child to suicide and then have to grieve in the public eye is something altogether unimaginable.
Sadly, not everyone has been nice about it. Some have taken this opportunity to attack Rick, attack Christianity, and attack God. “Where’s the purpose in this?” they ask, mocking Rick’s message that God has a purpose for everyone.
From my little bubble in Houston, Texas, there is little I can do to directly help a man I don’t know in a trial I don’t understand. But I can do one thing. I can pray, and so can you.
Paul was very transparent in his need for prayers from fellow believers. He needed them. He longed for them. He drew strength from them.
Rick’s request for prayer reminded me that our Christian leaders need them today as well. Whether they be mega-pastors like Rick Warren, Christian musicians like Chris Tomlin or Steven Curtis Chapman, or Brother Bob, the small-town pastor of the First Baptist Church of Anywhere, USA. They need our prayers.
So let’s not wait for tragedy or trials to lift them up.
The loss of a child no matter how, is still a great loss.
Thank you for your call to pray for Rick Warren and his family.
As a Christian (former pastor) with a mental illness who has also attempted suicide, I have been affected very deeply by Matthew’s death.
I can’t even fathom the depth of sorrow the Warren family now faces.
My fervent prayer is that, as senseless as suicide is, God might graciously bring something good out of this tremendous tragedy. When I see Christians (of diverse stripes) praying for each other, I have hope that God will.