JUST THINKING: Church, Pray for Your Pastor
Next month, I will have been in gospel ministry for 59 years. Of that time, I was a pastor for 52 years. I was just thinking about how important — how needed — it is for churches to pray for their pastors. I might also add that churches should pray for those who serve with the pastor in the ministry of the church. Pray for each of them individually, too.
Why Pray for Them?
Pastor are servants of the Lord. That does not mean they are supermen. They are humans, personally called by God to lead and feed the flocks of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. I speak from decades of experience — pastoring a church is a daunting and often overwhelming task. Some congregations are harmonious, while others, from time to time, are a hornet’s nest.
The pastors are not under shepherds of the church as some propose. They are under shepherds of Jesus Christ. He has made them overseers of the flocks to which He, by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, calls them. However, leading and feeding the flocks are not the only tasks given them. They must often be peacemakers, comforters and counselors for the bereaved. Pastors need wisdom from the Holy Spirit, and they need prayer from the members of the churches.
Pastors Live in Glass Houses
Your pastor is called by God, and Satan doesn’t like him at all. The devil shows his disdain by outwardly influencing some members to become disgruntled and aggressive. Remember, your pastor is human; he is not perfect.
The pastor, especially the one serving a small congregation in a small community with his family, lives in a glass house and Satan loves to influence people to throw stones of criticism and insults — to the displeasure of the God of Heaven.
A pastor is God’s messenger, entrusted by Christ Himself with the responsibility of bringing the good news of salvation to sinners. The devil will do everything to destroy a pastor’s reputation in order to hinder his influence in the church and in the community. Sadly, the ones he influences are members of that pastor’s flock.
How to Pray for Your Pastor
For more than five decades, I’ve had an underlying theme in ministry — to look past faults in order to meet needs. Pray for your ability to do that when you pray for your spiritual shepherd. It will be a blessing to him and to you.
Pray that he will delve deeply into the Word of God through study (not through the plagiarism of another’s sermons) that will enable him to feed the flock of God the meat of the Word and not mere junk food.
Pray that your pastor will be strong in the Lord and be able to resist Satan’s attacks on him and his family. Notice I said “resist,” not rebuke. Too many are encouraging Christians to rebuke the devil. Nowhere in the Word are we told to do that. Not even Michael the archangel would rebuke Satan.
Pray that your pastor will love his flock and pray that his flock will love him and his family. Pray that he will lead his family well and that his children will obey him with respect. “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” (I Tim. 3:5 NIV).
Many Members Never Pray for Their Pastor
Is it true that many members never pray for their pastor? Indeed, it is. While many do pray for him, others are focused on dilemmas, disappointments and distractions. As a result, they fail to realize that their pastor faces issues in life as well. One final reason to pray for your pastor is that he is directly accountable to God for his service of ministering to you.
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). This is a strong reminder of the tremendous responsibility of the member and the pastor. “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you” (Heb. 13:17).
The Prayer of Intercession
So many church members pray as intercessors, and that is excellent. They pray for their families, their friends, their governors and the president. God tells us to make those intercessory prayers. However, don’t neglect to pray for your pastors. It is essential for him and for every member.
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Dr. Tom Mitchell
Dr. Tom Mitchell pens a column titled, Just Thinking, in which he addresses many topics relative to the Baptist Missionary Association. His Trailblazers series provides biographies of many BMA trailblazers from the past.
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