5 Ways to Pray for Your Pastor
Scott talked about some amazing statistics in regards to pastors, their Staff, and other ministers.
According to “Pastors At Greater Risk” by H.B London Jr. and Neil Wiseman, Regal Books, 2003, Being a pastor is a difficult job, and like they say, it is TRULY a calling.
- 48% of them think their work is hazardous to their family well-being.
- 45.5% will experience a burnout or a depression that will make them leave their jobs.
- 70% say their self-esteem is lower now than when they started their position.
- Pastors have the second-highest divorce rate among professions.
But there are ways that you can help, you can pray for your pastor. And here 5 simple items you can pray for, daily, to help build YOUR pastor up.
1. Pray for your Pastor’s Connection with God.
All pastors stuggle with maintaining their connection with God. The everyday “To Do” list, personal needs, and the needs of the church can all take preseidence over time with the Father. Some pastors barely spend ANY time alone with God, because they are too overwhelmed with doing the “work” of the Father.
2. Pray for your Pastor’s Family
No one knows the joys and struggles of being in full-time occupational ministry like your pastor’s family. Family time is often interrupted with calls or visits from church members and congregational expectations often break family morale faster than any personal sin could. Family is important, and for pastors, it is essential!
3. Pray for your Pastor’s Staff
God called your pastor to lead the church, and God has given your pastor a Staff to help shoulder the burden of leading. Your Pastor’s Staff, and their families all struggle with the same issues of the Pastor, so they need prayer as well. And when your Staff is lifted up in prayer, your pastor is blessed in the process.
4. Pray for your Pastor’s Spiritual Warfare
Pastors fight sin every day of their lives. Pastors help people through their personal sins, pastors counsel couples through relational sins, and pastors fight the salvation of each person who walks through the doors of the church. And many times, they fight for the souls of people who have never walked through the doors of a church. Each day of the life of a pastor is filled with battles of all shapes and sizes, some are more personal, some are extremely difficult. Pray for your pastor’s spiritual warfare will not only help the pastor, it will benefit the entire community. Battles are only won when the fighters are properly supported, and prayer is some of the BEST support that you can give.
5. Pray for your Pastor’s Rest
Spiritual warfare, personal struggles, relational issues and concerns, lunch appointments, dinner appointments, prayer meeting, sermon preparation, blog posts to write, emails, Bible study, spouses, children’s needs….a pastor has to wear many hats and perform many tasks, and at the end of the day, the is STILL a laundry list of items that were not completed. In your pastor’s daily life, rest is hard tocome by, so when your pastor DOES get time to rest, it needs to be deep and restful. Pray for your pastor’s rest: his sleep, his time off, his sabaths, his vacation, and his down time. Pray that God gives your pastor the rest he needs.