How To Pray For Your Pastor

Prayer is the most powerful force in the world. It is truly life changing.

Nothing shapes the outcomes of your church more than prayer, and the longer I lead, the more I understand and appreciate the prayers of faithful intercessors.

Your pastor, (and the staff), are prime targets for spiritual attack. Your prayers help win the battle.

Satan doesn’t have to chase your entire congregation, just the leaders. And especially your pastor.

If the Enemy can get to your pastor and church leaders, even take them out, he can hurt the whole church.

The Enemy uses a lot of schemes to ensure everything from temptation to discouragement. He’s on the prowl and would be delighted to see your pastor anything from a little off his or her game to down for the count.

Your prayers can and will make a difference.

You can pray for your pastor daily, once a week, or every time the Holy Spirit prompts you. All prayer rhythms are good.

A practical plan to pray for your pastor:

1) Pray for God’s favor on your pastor.

God has given your pastor gifts, ability, energy, and passion to accomplish the work of ministry. However, without God’s power, there are no eternal results. It’s possible to build a church by human effort, but it won’t last.

Ministry has always been a divine partnership, your pastor does his or her part, and God does His part. Pray for that partnership.

Ask God for an anointing on your pastor. Pray for favor, the power of the Holy Spirit, and specifically for the salvation of many people!

2) Pray for your pastor’s spiritual vitality.

Your pastor is not superhuman, in fact, he is just as human as you are. He needs to tend to his spiritual growth on a consistent basis.

If you think about a good campfire, no matter how big the fire was, in time it goes out.

Pray for your pastor’s love of God, for her genuine and daily relationship with Jesus, and that it would remain close, real and fresh.

Pray that your pastor’s heart for lost people is white hot. Ask God to give your pastor timely biblical insights.

Pray that the Holy Spirit would stir your pastor’s passion for prayer and that your pastor would regularly hear God’s voice.

3) Pray for your pastor’s leadership.

A great pastor loves his people and is a good shepherd of those people. He is also, however, a good leader. Both are needed for a growing and healthy church.

I truly believe that next to the favor of God, everything rises and falls on leadership.

Pray that your pastor is not only open to growing as a leader but passionate and committed to that growth.

Ask God to give your pastor strength of character, wisdom in decision-making, and passion in preaching.

Pray that God would grant your pastor great vision that is clear and inspiring, along with the needed direction and strategy to achieve that vision.

4) Pray for your pastor’s family.

I’ve learned that when things are not going well at home, it’s very difficult to lead at church.

If Patti and I have argued, I can barely think straight until we have it resolved, and we are good again! We’ve been married 37 years and we have learned much through experience and maturity, but the commitment required to maintain a good home life is still significant.

Pray for your pastor’s spouse and children. Ask God to help them experience a deep and abiding love for each other. Pray for peace in their home and protection from spiritual attack.

Pray that the fruit of the Spirit would permeate their home: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

And finally, pray that their home is filled with laughter.

5) Pray for your pastor’s physical health.

Your pastor’s life and leadership are limited without good health.

Far too many of my good pastor friends don’t exercise, eat well, or see a doctor unless their arm falls off! I’m not a fitness nut, in fact, I love a nice piece of chocolate cake every once in a while. But I do care about the physical well-being of spiritual leaders.

Your pastor may feel like he or she doesn’t have time to exercise or practice preventative medicine. I do understand. But you can pray!

God can intervene for good health and the Holy Spirit can speak to your pastor about taking care of their physical health.

Ask God specifically for stamina and energy, clear thinking and strength.

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You may want to forward this post to many in your congregation!

For your encouragement in prayer, reflect on Jesus’ words in John 14:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:12-1