Five Things to Pray Over Your Pastor
Five Things to Pray Over Your Pastor
If ever there was a time to pray for your pastor, now is the time.
Your pastor needs your prayers.
Today, churches often have multiple pastors with specific ministry assignments. The multi-campus church my husband and I attend has a designated lead pastor, along with campus and other pastoral leaders serving over specific ministries.
Regardless of a church’s size or leadership structure, every pastor needs people praying for them on a regular basis.
In the book of Romans 15.30-32, Apostle Paul outlines five specific things to pray over spiritual leaders. In writing to the believers in Rome during a most perilous time for the early church, Paul asked that they pray for him in this manner. His prayer request has not gone out of style, and is certainly applicable for praying, today.
“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.” Romans 15.30-32 (ESV)
Five Things to Pray Over Your Pastor(s)
1 - Pray for your pastor to be encouraged, knowing others are praying with him (or her).
"...strive together with me in your prayers." Romans 15.30
When Apostle Paul used the words strive together, he was telling the believers in Rome, “struggle with and join me in the fight, as you pray”.¹ Paul knew great opposition and struggle as leader of the first-century church. Today, pastors are desperate for us to come alongside and stand with them in prayer. Will you commit to praying with and for your pastor, knowing the encouragement this will bring?
2 - Pray that attacks on your pastor would meet a swift end.
"...that I may be delivered from the unbelievers." Romans 15.31
The enemy's primary strategy is to prevent the spread of the gospel. As such, he will often begin by attacking pastors and spiritual leaders {mostly using people to accomplish the attacks}. Paul had experience with such attacks from unbelievers, translated here as disobedient ones¹. If a pastor is under attack, it is safe to assume she is advancing God’s purpose here on earth. Pray that your pastor would have discernment, as well as protection and deliverance from enemy attacks.
3 - Pray your pastor would encounter receptive hearts to hear the message God desires to be shared.
"...that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints." Romans 15.31
Your pastor not only desires that his service {ministry, preaching, teaching} be found acceptable, but that God be glorified in it all. In this passage, Apostle Paul may have been referring, in part, to his reputation being acceptable, which no doubt preceded him wherever he went. Pray that every situation your pastor encounters, whether in preaching, teaching, counseling, or casual conversation, would result in receptive and welcoming hearts.
4 - Pray your pastor would experience joy in serving.
"...that by God's will, I may come to you with joy." Romans 15.32
Pastors need prayer that they would maintain joy {gladness; rejoicing¹} despite all they encounter in ministry. Keeping joy also allows pastors to impart it to others. Potential joy stealers include shattered expectations in ministry, disagreements in the church, fractured relationships, and much more. You can pray from a defensive position, declaring that your pastor will experience joy in every area of her life and ministry.
5 - Pray your pastor(s) would be refreshed by spending time among the people they are pastoring.
"...and be refreshed in your company." Romans 15.32
Your pastor(s) should find rest and calm¹ in the presence of the saints. Sadly, this is often not the case. Ministry can be physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausting. How unfortunate, for pastors, that time spent among the very people they are serving would make the situation even more tiresome or frustrating. Pray for your pastor(s) and their families, that they would have peaceful and refreshing encounters among those they serve.
Yes, your pastor needs your prayers. Why not use these New Testament prayer points from Apostle Paul to begin praying, today?
¹Blue Letter Bible. Reverse Interlinear references. 4/9/2021.