Pray for your Pastor

Is ministry a joy? Absolutely! Is ministry easy? No, not always! 

During pastor appreciation month, let me share a different perspective on the man behind the pulpit. I share from the heart of a pk and pastor’s wife. Why? Because though he feels called to the ministry, and loves it, some days are just stinking’ hard. He is constantly fighting spiritual battles not only for himself, but for his church family. 

Here are a few things that I have observed: 

• The confident leader you hear on the stage is also the same man who second-guesses his decisions behind closed doors.
• He faces sleepless nights as he fights your spiritual battles on bended knee. He  understands that the ‘adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8) and fights on your behalf.  
• The power-filled message God gives him for Sunday morning is the hard lessons he is often learning in his personal walk.
• He desires to both be with family, and minister to his flock without enough hours in the day. 

What can we as believers and church members do to encourage our pastor? I believe the secret is unleashing the power of prayer in his behalf. 

Here are five specific prayer prompts. 

• Pray Promises of Scripture over His Life.

An example would be to pray for wisdom. God’s word tells us in James 1:5 that He will give wisdom when we ask. Therefore, a simple prayer would be, “God, your word says that you will give understanding and direction if we ask for wisdom.  I pray today that You will grant your wisdom on behalf of my pastor. I pray You grant a supernatural discernment as he leads the church.” 

• Pray for His Prayer Life 

Pray that God will hold him close. Sometimes, it is easy to get so busy serving there is little time to be still before Him. Pray God gives a new word in his spiritual life. Pray God draws him close and that his own prayer life will grow deeply and supernaturally. Hebrews 4:16

• Pray for his Protection. 

Pray the Lord gives a wall of protection in every area of his life. Psalm 32:7. Pray for protection over his marriage and family. Ask that God would be honored in his relationships. Pray against the strongholds of this world. Pray for the hearts and souls of his children. Pray for the protection of his church. Ask God to protect his church family financially, spiritually, and emotionally. 

• Pray for Peace.     

We live in a fallen world, and difficulty will come. Pray for peace. Ask God to give peace in challenging situations. Pray for peace in his personal and his public life. John 16:33 

• Pray the Prayer of Jabez:

Pray as Jabez voiced in I Chronicles 4:10 (ESV) , “Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me . . .” Ask God to bless and enlarge his territory, because souls are involved. A true pastor’s heart is about making more and better disciples. This is the ministry, this is the calling, but it will not unfold without prayer. 

Friends, you can enter into a holy space by praying for your pastor. Pray God’s promises over his life, pray for his prayer life, ask for peace and protection and end with the prayer of Jabez. Prayer is your privilege!