We are all out of our depth in pastoral work. Our confidence must never be in our expertise or training or experience, but in God’s ability to use frail instruments filled with His Spirit. For this reason all pastoral work must be linked with prayer. Without the enabling grace of God, no encouragement, exhortation, admonition, or spiritual counsel will do any good; they must be backed by prayer (cf. Romans 15:5-6) (Derek Prime and Alistair Begg).