How to Pray for Your Pastor

 

Recently I came across the following from a website called Pastoral Care Inc. It reflected the completed research for 2022, and what I saw was troubling.  Here’s a sampling:

  • 90% of pastors report working between 55 and 75 hours a week.

  • 90% of pastors report that ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be like.

  • 81% of pastors have been tempted to have inappropriate sexual thoughts or behaviors with someone in the church but have resisted.

  • 80% of pastors believe that the ministry has negatively affected their families (many pastors’ children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents).

  • 70% of pastors do not have someone they consider to be a close friend.

  • 57% of pastors believe they do not receive a livable wage.

  • 54% of pastors find the role of a pastor overwhelming.

  • 42% of pastors are thinking about quitting the ministry (up from 38% in 2021).

  • 35% of pastors battle depression or fear of inadequacy.

  • 10% of current pastors will actually retire as a pastor.

I share all of this with you not to discourage you or to elicit your pity. But rather to show you how incredibly important your prayers are for your pastors and church staff.

The thing is all too often we offer up vague, half-hearted petitions:

  • “Lord, be with my pastor.” (Isn’t He already with him?)

  • “God, bless my pastor.” (How?  With what?)

Is it any wonder we grow weary offering such prayers? And is it any wonder we don’t see any answers to those prayers?

Pray the Scripture

Fortunately, the Bible offers some great prayers that we can use as guides as we intercede for our pastors. Consider the following subjects and Scriptures:

1.   A prayer to know God better.

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”

                                                                                 Ephesians 1:17

2.   A prayer for joy, peace, and hope.

“May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the Holy Spirit.”

                                                      Romans 15:13

3.   A prayer for holiness.

“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

                                                    I Thessalonians 5:23

4.   A prayer for power

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.”

 Ephesians 1:18-19 

5.   A prayer for clarity and courage in proclaiming the gospel.

“…that words might be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…”

Ephesians 6:19

6.   A prayer for spiritual protection.

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7

7.   A prayer for wisdom and insight.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.”

Philippians 1:9-10

8.   A prayer for persistence and perseverance.

“We pray…that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way:  bearing fruit in every good work…so that you may have great endurance and patience…

Colossians 1:10-11

9.   A prayer for deliverance from adversaries.

“… and that we may delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith…”

2 Thessalonians 3:2

10.  A prayer for health of body and soul.

“…I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

3 John 2

 

So, here’s an idea.  Use these scriptures to guide your prayers in this year.  Insert your pastor’s name (or the names of his family) into these verses.  You might well discover this will prompt some follow-up petitions which would “fill out” your prayer.

If individuals such as Paul, James, and John prayed this way for those they cared about, certainly we would do well to follow their lead.  And in so doing we might see an improvement in the statistics – at least for your pastor.

 
 
 

The Everyday Pastor Blog is brought to you by our partners.

To support Dave DeSelm Ministries by becoming a partner, CLICK HERE.

 
 
 
Heart, DiscipleshipDave DeSelmEveryday Pastor, pastors, leader, leadership, church leaders, leadership development, Leadership, pray, prayer, pray for pastors, prayer partners, praying the scripture, intercessionComment