Wrestling With The Call To Ministry. Am I Called?

There are many men throughout the ages who have felt the call to ministry and occupied pulpits who truly were men of God and made a difference in this world heralding the gospel message. On the contrary, there have been many men who occupied pulpits who felt a great compelling to be a minister of the Word, but their effectiveness was dulled, as rather than being called by God they were called by men compelled by their own spirit rather than the Holy Spirit.

This thought lays out a heavy burden for a man who feels called to the ministry to truly consider what it means to discern a call serve the Lord Our God as a preacher of the Word. As one begins to consider wrestling with the call of ministry, the first step is to dedicate time for prayer. It is through prayer conversing with God about his plan for one’s life that a man begins to truly distinguish the internal and external signs that God is calling him for service. It is essential to set emotions aside, and listen to the Holy Spirit as he affects one’s heart and life to consider the question: “Am I doing this for me, or I am I following the guidance of a Holy God to serve him without consideration to my own needs or selfish ambitions?”

Martyn Lloyd Jones was considered as one of the greatest preachers in the twentieth century.

He dedicated his life to ministry and served as pastor of Westminster Chapel in London for three decades. In his book, Preaching and Preachers, Jones noted, “I would say that the only man called to preach is the man who cannot do anything else, in the sense that he is not satisfied with anything else. This call to preach is so put upon him that he says, “I can do nothing else, I must preach.”[1]

Upon considering Jones’ viewpoint, it removes a burden upon one’s soul who is seemingly betwixt on the fence of pursuing a call into ministry. Obviously, a man must be so compelled to want to serve the Lord he cannot fathom the pursuit of any other vocation. Isaiah wrote: “His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:3 English Standard Version). Although this passage describes the coming Messiah, the first sentence of this verse provides a guide for a man considering a call to ministry. “To fear God is to respond to him in awe, trust, obedience and worship.”[ii]

This point made by John Martin in The Bible Knowledge Commentary about this Scripture relates directly to the consideration of the call, as he noted: “The Messiah constantly seeks to do what God the Father wants him to do.”[iii] Essentially…is that not what a man seeking a call to ministry truly desires? …to discover and cleave to what God the Father wants him to do!

As one reads these words, you may be a man called by God to preach with such a great anointing it is undoubtable and unquestionable you are pursuing your true calling to fulfill your role in God’s kingdom. Perhaps, you may be in the initial stage of sensing the leaning of the Holy Spirit into you to consider a call to serve the Lord. We at Follow The Call want to encourage you to take the first step of being obedient in prayer and asking for the will of God in your life to determine if the desire you feel belongs to you or to the Father.

We encourage you to pray asking for the hand of the Lord upon you to quiet your inner spirit and listen as the Holy Spirit continues to shape and form you as he desires. Please realize the affirmation of others including your church family does not necessarily mean you are called to ministry. Many a Christian is excited to encourage and affirm a man who is processing God’s call without realizing the consequential effects upon the man’s future and those he encounters. It is for this reason, we suggest you thoughtfully and prayerfully consider the call while reading Scripture, recommended books on calling and meeting with multiple men of God to listen to your heart as you discern God’s call to ministry. Our God is a great God, and service to him in ministry is one of the greatest assignments a man can fulfill. Finally, fix your eyes on Jesus as you prepare your heart for a life of service to him no matter the vocation of which you are called.

1 Martyn Lloyd Jones, Preachers and Preaching, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1972), 105.

2 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, (Colorado Springs, Colorado: David C. Cook, 1984), 1056.

3 Ibid., 1056.