"Pray-ers." It is who we are as pastors. Yes, praying is what we do as pastors: we are called to preach, to teach, to listen, to give counsel, to plan, to direct, to visit the sick, and to pray. We pray not because it is our duty; we pray because "pray-ers" is who we are. Humans pray . . . Disciples of Jesus pray . . . Christian pastors pray, not because we must, but because we cannot imagine any other way to be. Praying is not only at the heart of the pastoral vocation; it is at the heart of the pastoral identity.

Marva Dawn is Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College. She is also a prolific author, theologian and founder of Christians Equipped for Ministry. Her books include Keeping the Sabbath Wholly and Unfettered Hope: A Call to Faithful Living in an Affluent Society.

Bruce Hindmarsh is the James Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College. Dr. Hindmarsh was a Pew research fellow at Oxford University from 1995-1997. He is author of John Newton and the English Evangelical Tradition: Between the Conversion of Wesley and Wilberforce.

Darrell W. Johnson is Senior Minister at First Baptist Church in Vancouver and former Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Regent College. Before coming to Regent he served for 30 years as Preaching Pastor for churches in the United States and the Philippines. He continues to teach as a sessional lecturer at Regent College.