Pray For Your Pastor
The Need Pray For Your Pastor
Never underestimate the value of praying for pastors. Pastors are people, too. It is not just a cliche.’ During the past recent years, I’ve learned the most I ever learned about praying. I know that prayer works in any situation if you allow it to.
My mom took me to church when I was younger and I can remember preachers and pastors got a bad reputation. People always thought negatively about them. They were criticized for asking for money or for having money . . . I would ask my mom questions based on things I saw contrary to the word of God and she would say, “Everyone has to give account for their own actions and that God would judge each of us individually.” I remember thinking about how I wanted out of the church as soon as I was grown enough to make my own decisions.
That came from what I saw and how people acted. I didn’t have anything against pastors in particular. However I did experience a few incidences that gave me a bitter taste for church. So I figured I was better off not going to church. I decided would still pray and believe in God and treat people the way I wanted to be treated. I just did not want to go to church. At that time, I was really young so never occurred to me to pray for my pastor. I always thought it was the pastor’s job to pray for me. Of course, I would learn different a few years later. Pastors need our prayers — a whole lot. Think about how much power that would be going out. We usually don’t think of a pastor as “human” and capable of making a mistake. Pastors have a standard to uphold, no doubt. Our trust, however should not be on them, but in God’s ability to use them and for us to pray for them so they can continue to be used.
We really need to think about why we join a particular church or ministry. Some pastors today are being criticized for “promoting themselves.”
A lack of understanding will always cause people to criticize. Do you know that if the church, the right church, is wealthy a lot can be changed in the community and we would see a difference?
The church should be a support system for the community meaning that people can go there for any reason that they go to the government. There should be a program in the church that covers every need: housing, medical, education, business, employment, etc. Unfortunately very few churches are have financial power to be the right type of support system. This causes society to have to rely on the government for help with things like education, housing and such.
Our jobs once we decide to “partner” with a particular church ministry are to “support” the ministry financially and “pray for our pastor.” Praying for your pastor gives him strength.
If you’ve got a good pastor, you know that he expends energy ministering to people all through the week.
Ministering to people literally drains a person’s physical energy. Pray for your pastor’s energy to be renewed. Pray for him to have clear understanding of the word and to be able to provide the message we need to hear. We want our pastors to have a “fresh” word when we come to church, but if he has to be concerned with raising finances for the church, or remains physically drained then he can’t spend the proper time studying, preparing and focusing on what God wants him to say to us.
Is there a such thing as being in the wrong church? Yes, there is but you won’t find out if you don’t pray. Ask God which church you should be a part of. Praying allows God to talk to you and give you specific instructions on where to go and how you can be of service. Make a decision to regularly pray for your pastor.
Pray this simple prayer for your pastor:
“Father, I thank you for my pastor. I ask that you renew his strength this week and give him clear thinking and understanding of your word so he has the right message for us. I ask that you provide his every need spiritually, physically and financially. Let there be harmony in his household in Jesus, name. Amen.”
Additional Resources:
20 Scripture Based Prayers | by Terry Teykl