Praying for Your Pastor

I am grateful for being part of a church family that continually expresses its love and concern for my family and me. One of the questions that I get asked repeatedly (in a good way) is how the congregation might pray for me. You would think that this would be an easy question to answer and yet, at times, it is hard to answer without coming across either too shallow, not wanting to divulge too much, or, conversely, sharing too much, making people sorry that they even asked.

With these thoughts in mind, I set out to consider how I should answer such a question. But again, it is hard to know exactly what to articulate. Then I came across an article by Nancy Leigh DeMoss entitled, “31 Days of Praying for Your Pastor.” What a blessing it was to consider these thoughts, things that I might have forgotten or even neglected as part of praying for me (or any pastor). So, if you are interested in how you might pray for your pastor, take this 31 day challenge, or at least use this list as a source of direction when considering praying for your pastor.

31 Days of Prayer for Your Pastor
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Day 1
Pray that your pastor will love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities. (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33)

Day 2
Pray that your pastor will cultivate strong character and uncompromising integrity. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, and that he will never do anything that he would need to hide from others. (1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Day 3
Pray for his personal walk with God—that his soul and spirit will be nourished and strengthened in his quiet time with God, beyond his sermon preparation. Pray that he will spend more time in the Word of God than reading Christian books and articles. (Mark 1:35; 2 Tim. 2:15-16)

Day 4
Pray that your pastor will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power to work. Pray that he will be protected from the effects of sinful or negative attitudes that he encounters as he counsels. (Mal. 2:7; James 1:5-6; John 17:15)

Day 5
Ask God to protect your pastor’s marriage and keep it strong as a model of Christ’s relationship with the Church. Pray that your pastor will tenderly cherish and lead his wife, and that she will respect and encourage her husband, submitting to his leadership. (Eph. 5:23-33) (If your pastor is not married, pray for his relationships with loved ones and those who are close to him.)

Day 6
Pray that God will protect your pastor’s wife from bitterness when her husband is criticized. Pray that her prayer and devotional life will be consistent, and that she will guard her mind and heart. (Heb. 12:15; Prov. 4:23)

Day 7
Pray for your pastor’s children, and especially that the pressures of the ministry will not discourage or embitter them. Pray that your pastor will provide godly leadership in the home, not based on fear of what others will think, but according to scriptural truth. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:20-21) (If your pastor does not have children, pray that God will give him many “spiritual children” as he shares the Gospel.)

Day 8
Ask God to protect your pastor from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that he will not be corrupted as he rubs shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Is. 54:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:12; Ps. 9:9-10, 91:9-11)

Day 9
Pray that God will build a hedge of protection around your pastor’s marriage, and that he and his wife will be aware of the potential for any improper relationships. Pray that their family time will be protected. (Ezek. 22:30a; 2 Cor. 10:4-5; Matt. 19:6)

Day 10
Pray that your pastor will use discernment in use of e-mails, the Internet, and the media. Ask God to guard his heart concerning the use of free time. Pray that he will be morally pure and that he will wear the armor of God so that he will not fall into sexual temptation. (Rom. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:16; Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 10:4)

Day 11
Pray that God will bring godly friends and encouragers to your pastor and his family, to strengthen them for the ministry and provide meaningful fellowship and times of rest. (Phil. 2:19-25)

Day 12
Pray that your pastor will be humble and authentic in his faith, not given to pride or hypocrisy. Pray that he will have pure motives and give God glory for every gain or victory. (Micah 6:8; Gal. 6:14; John 7:17-18; 1 Cor. 10:13)

Day 13
Pray that your pastor will make wise lifestyle choices in order to protect his health, especially in the areas of exercise, eating moderately, and getting sufficient rest. Pray for times of relaxation and renewal to balance the stress of ministry. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 9:27, 10:13, 6:19-20; James 3:1-2)

Day 14
Pray that your pastor will focus on the Word of God and walk in the fear of the Lord—rather than fear of man—as he prepares his messages. Pray that he will seek to please God rather than men, and pursue holiness rather than the praise of men. (Acts 6:4; Prov. 19:23; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 11:6; 2 Tim. 4:1-2)

Day 15
Praise God for your pastor’s leadership and pray that he will make godly decisions. Pray that he will lead with a shepherd’s heart, and that he will always speak the truth in love. (1 Kings 3:9; 1 Pet. 5:2; Rom. 12:6-8; Jer. 3:15)

Day 16
Pray that your pastor will be courageous in the pulpit in proclaiming Christ, and confident in his use of the Word of God. Ask God to help him preach with insight, transparency, and humility. (Col. 1:28, 4:3a; Eph. 6:19)

Day 17
Pray that your pastor will be a “Great Commission man”—committed to personal evangelism and the equipping of the saints to seek the lost. Pray that he will have a heart to develop a thriving missions program in his church. (Rom. 10:15; Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 19:10)

Day 18
Pray that your pastor will be a man of prayer and worship, and that he will lead by example—teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matt. 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46)

Day 19
Pray that your pastor will use wise time management, and that he will seek God’s perspective for his schedule, guarding his time against unnecessary interruptions. (Eph. 5:15-16; Col. 4:5; Ps. 90:12; John 9:4)

Day 20
Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in his personal life and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Cor.9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a)

Day 21
Pray that your pastor will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing himself into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23)

Day 22
Pray that your pastor will practice servant leadership, edifying the congregation with wisdom and serving with God’s “agape” love. (Gal. 5:13b; Eph. 6:7; Luke 10:43b-45, 9:23-24; John 13:5-9; Phil. 2:3-4)

Day 23
Pray for spiritual unity in the church staff and among the spiritual leadership of the church (elders, deacons, etc.). Pray that the enemy will not be allowed to create divisions, strife, or misunderstanding among the church leaders. (Rom. 14:19; 1 Cor. 12:25)

Day 24
Pray that God will give your pastor a clear, biblical vision of what your church can be and should be for His glory, and that he will communicate that vision clearly and confidently to the church. (Prov. 29:18; John 15:16, 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:5; Mal. 3:11)

Day 25
Pray that your pastor will seek God for personal revival, and revival in your church and community. (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 69:32)

Day 26
Pray that your pastor will think biblically, with the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16; Col. 2:6- 8; Eph. 4:17)

Day 27
Pray that he will earnestly seek God’s will and be committed to instant and complete obedience—ready for God to work powerfully in and through his ministry. (2 Cor. 10:3-5; Luke 9:23-24)

Day 28
Pray that he will strive for personal excellence and will believe God for all He wants to do in the congregation. (2 Pet. 1:3; Col. 3:23-24)

Day 29
Pray that your pastor will be a man of faith and passionate love for God, not giving in to worries, fears, or an uptight and anxious spirit. (1 John 4:18; Prov. 3:5-6)

Day 30
Ask God to provide for the financial needs of your pastor and his family. Pray that he will be a wise steward of both personal finances and church funds. (Phil. 4:19; Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim.6:11; Ps. 37:25)

Day 31
Ask God to heal any hurts that your pastor has suffered in the ministry. Pray that he will serve the Lord with gladness, and encourage the congregation to worship God with a joyful, surrendered spirit. (Is. 61:3)

By Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Published by Revive Our Hearts, © 2005.

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Consider this statement by Gardiner Spring (1785-1873):

“Let the thought sink deep into the heart of every church, that their minister will be such a minister as their prayers make him… How perilous is the condition of that minister...whose heart is not encouraged, whose hands are not strengthened, and who is not upheld by the prayers of his people!"

“It is at a fearful expense that ministers are ever allowed to enter the pulpit without being preceded, accompanied, and followed by the earnest prayers of the churches. It is no marvel that the pulpit is so powerless, and ministers so often disheartened when there are so few to hold up their hands… When the churches cease to pray for ministers, ministers will no longer be a blessing to the churches.”

I truly thank you for your prayers for me and for all who uphold the preachers of the Word of God in prayer.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed