HOW TO PRAY FOR YOUR PASTOR

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How to Pray for Your Pastor By Jim Somerville In this article Jim Somerville offers practical suggestions for supporting and encouraging your pastor through prayer. As a young pastor, I was overwhelmed by all the challenges that ministry presents. In addition to sermons, teaching, counseling, visiting and seemingly countless meetings, I was being urged by the church board to develop a youth program. I was reaching the end of my resources when about a dozen older women came to my rescue. They did not take over any of my responsibilities. But they committed themselves individually to uphold the ministry daily in prayer and together to pray weekly for God's blessing on the work. Shortly after they began this prayer ministry, our church took 21 young people to camp for the weekend, and 19 of them committed their lives to Jesus Christ. In the months that followed, more and more people, both young people and adults, became spiritually alive. In addition to weekly youth programs we started a monthly youth service which came to be attended by 400 to 450 young people, and at each service some young people came to Jesus Christ. At least 18 young people in that congregation went into full-time Christian ministries, and many others have provided leadership in churches. The strength of this ministry can be attributed only to the grace of God in response to a praying people. Every pastor needs prayer support, regardless of the size of the congregation or the pastoral staff. -------- Ten Ways to Pray for Your Pastor 1. Pray that God will protect your pastor spiritually. Because your pastor has taken a stand for Christ and seeks to minister to God's people, Satan will do everything that he can to destroy your pastor's ministry. The Apostle Paul pleaded with believers to uphold him in their prayers: "Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should"[Ephesians 6:19-20] 2. Pray that your pastor will be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Your pastor may be a good preacher, an excellent organizer and a wonderful counselor, but without the power of the Holy Spirit, nothing of significant value will be accomplished through his ministry. God said, through the Prophet Zechariah, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit."[Zechariah 4:6] 3. Pray that your pastor will know God's will and do it. Pray that your pastor will have spiritual insight to know God's will and the courage to carry it out. Paul wrote, "We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. "[Colossians 1:9] 4. Pray that your pastor will make personal devotions and quiet time a priority. With all the demands that pastors face, it may be easy for them to sacrifice the time they have set aside for devotions. Yet the loss of personal devotions will rob the ministry of its effectiveness. Jesus said, "Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."[Matthew 6:33] 5. Pray that your pastor will resist temptation. We hear more and more often about pastors who have succumbed to temptation and have publicly disgraced themselves. The Apostle John wrote about three areas in which Satan tries to defeat us:?the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.?[1 John 2:16] Pray that your pastor will recognize in each temptation the hand of Satan and turn from the temptation, and flee to Jesus. 6. Pray that your pastor's ministry will be Christ-centered. We live in a day of "pop psychology" and "feel-good Christianity." Many preachers try to fill their pews by entertaining their listeners. They may have forgotten that Jesus said, "when I am lifted up from the each, will draw all men to myself." [John 12:32] Pray that your pastor will point people to the Savior. 7. Pray that your pastor will be concerned for the lost. Many churches claim to be Christian and yet deny that people outside Christ are lost-this in spite of the fact that the Bible teaches, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." [John 3:36] Pray that your pastor will believe the Gospel and will proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who are lost, who are "without hope and without God in the world."[Ephesians 2:12] 8. Pray that your pastor will have a compassionate heart. Jesus was concerned for hurting and lost individuals wherever He found them. He sent out His followers with specific instructions: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.? [Matthew 10:8] Pray that the love of God for hurting humanity will so flow through your pastor's heart that needy, hurting people will be blessed. 9. Pray that your pastor will handle opposition well. Pastors who are doing God's work in God's way will not be exempt from criticism. In fact, Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." [Matthew 5:11-12] Pray that your pastor will embody the love of Christ in handling criticism and personal attacks and those who try to undermine his ministry. 10. Pray that your pastor will give glory to God. Being successful can be dangerous. Sometimes pastors, in the midst of success, forget the Savior and take credit that belongs to God alone. Paul wrote, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." [Galatians 6:14] Pray for the success of your pastor's ministry, but pray also that your pastor will give all the glory and honor to God. --- Mobilizing for Prayer Set aside some time each day to uphold your pastor in prayer, Others in your congregation may join you in this ministry of prayer, but if they do not, resolve to pray alone and to pray diligently. Finally, tell your pastor that you are praying for him, and ask him for specific prayer requests. Knowing that you are praying for him will strengthen his stand for Christ and increase his effectiveness in ministry. DECISION magazine, October 1999 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

marylu

GOOD ARTICLE!(ONE FLOWERFOR YOU!) MAYBE YOU CAN SHARE WITH US MORE ! YES, WE SHOULD PRAY FOR OUR PASTOR,"Every pastor needs prayer support, regardless of the size of the congregation or the pastoral staff."