“Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.
and praise the Lord. May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,
bless you from Jerusalem.” (Psalm 134:1-3 NLT) This Psalm seems to be a prayer and an encouragement on behalf of those who ministered before the Lord in the Temple. It reminds me of two things: First, the importance for those of us in full-time ministry of not only leading others in worship, but worshiping God ourselves. And second, that we need people to praying for us and our ministries, praying God’s blessing on us, as the singers of this song did for their priests. I’m so thankful for the strong support base I have in North America, giving and praying so that I can serve in Japan. And I’m thankful, too, for my church family here in Nagoya, with whom I have the honour of serving God together, and who always pray for and encourage me.