The Bible is filled with admonitions to pray without ceasing (I Thes. 5:17, Col. 4:2) and to pray for one another (James 5:16, Eph. 6:18). Certainly within our church family it is especially appropriate to pray specifically for our Pastor. Sometimes it might be difficult for us to know exactly how to pray beyond simply saying “Lord, bless Pastor”. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, you might want to consider these more specific ways to pray for our Pastor throughout the week.
Monday – Pray for his protection from temptation.
Pastors are made of the same flesh as the rest of us. They’re just as vulnerable to Satan’s attacks and their own weaknesses as anyone. It might even be reasonable to assume that Satan works even harder against the Lord’s servants. So let’s start the week praying for protection against evil.
One particular area to pray for, especially on a Monday, is protection against discouragement. Pray that the Pastor will find his encouragement in the Lord!
Tuesday – Pray for his study.
While the rest of us probably aren’t thinking about next Sunday’s sermons yet, you can be sure that your Pastor is. In fact, he’s probably already thinking about the Sunday after that. His chief responsibility is to “preach the Word” and to do that effectively he will spend hours poring over Scripture. There are at least three things you can ask the Lord to give your pastor during his study time.
- Mental ability. Studying is hard work!
- Focus. Ask the Lord to keep the distractions – both mentally and physically – to a minimum.
- Fruit. May he find rich treasures in the Word, to be a blessing both to himself and to his flock!
Wednesday – Pray for his marriage and family.
The Bible has specific requirements for pastors about their homes. Sadly, Satan has used this avenue to pull far too many from their pulpits. Pray that the Lord will protect our Pastor’s marriage and give him wisdom in his role as a father and grandfather. And while we’re praying today, let’s not forget to pray for Joy, his wife. As you know, she carries some special responsibilities, too!
Thursday – Pray for wisdom.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. A pastor’s life is full of them. Pray for wisdom as he plans for the future and establishes the vision of the church. Pray for wisdom in the decisions that he makes in the daily life of the ministry. And pray for wisdom as he gives counsel to members of the church family.
Friday – Pray for his health.
Not all of the pastor’s needs are spiritual, of course. We need to pray for his physical strength and ability.
Saturday – Pray for his preaching.
Specifically, pray for his pulpit ministry tomorrow. Pray that he will be well-rested tonight. Ask the Lord to help him be focused in the pulpit tomorrow, with good recall of those things that he’s studied. Most of all, pray for the power of the Holy Spirit on his words and in the hearts of those who will be listening.
Obviously, you don’t need to keep to this schedule, and you may think of other ways to pray for Pastor that aren’t listed here. The important thing is that you are praying for him, his family, and his ministry regularly. And it wouldn’t hurt for you to drop him a note once in a while, just to let him know that you are!
