How To Pray For Your Pastor

I have heard people talk about their pastor and even criticize or question their pastor, but I want to suggest a novel idea...even a scriptural idea: Pray for your Pastor. Your criticism may have some credence, but pray for him. The talk may be justified, but pray for him. The questions may have some foundation, but pray for him.

As a matter of fact all the talk, questions even criticism are out of order especially when we fail to pray. Any so-called believer who would talk about, question or criticize their pastor without being in the habit of praying for him is walking on very shaky ground.

R. A. Torrey writes in his book The Power Of Prayer, "Any Church may have a mighty man of God for its pastor, if it is willing to pay the price and that price is not a big salary but great praying."

Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica and points out a very important work for the body. He says that we are to “recognize those who labor among you.” Now one could argue that could be any member of the body until Paul says, “and are over you” or “have charge over you in the Lord.” A few verses later he says, “pray without ceasing.”
I want to give you some biblical principles on praying for your pastor.

First of all, PRAY FOR THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER IN HIS LIFE. Pray that he will have a heart that longs for God. Not a growing church (God will take care of that). Not recognition and not even success in man’s eyes, but a heart that longs for God. David said, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" (Psalms 42:1, 2) In Psalm 63 he goes on, "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalms 63:1) Beloved, your pastor will have a word for you when he has time to spend with God.

Second, pray that he will have a heart that hears God. The prophet Isaiah wrote, ”Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21)

Third, pray for a heart that is helped by God. Pray that he will be a humble man. Now it is not your job to make him humble, that job belongs to God. It is your job to pray that he have a humble spirit. Peter writes, “...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” (1 Peter 5:5b-6)

Then pray that he will have a teachable spirit and a servants heart. Pray for specific needs in his life and ministry. Be specific not general. Pray: “Lord, let my pastor spend quality time with You, being with You on a daily basis. Teach him how to enjoy You, to see You in all Your beauty and glory, to have a real sense of how wonderful, how awesome You are. Teach Him daily new truths about Yourself so in turn he can share with us what You are showing him. Let his heart be quick to respond to whatever You say to him.”

A part of God’s call on his life is a call to prayer. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4)

Pray according to God’s will.
Pray: “Help my pastor to put prayer and the ministry of the Word at the forefront of all that he does. Help him not to let other things squeeze these vital parts of his life. Show him how to delegate some of these less important activities.
Note: Throughout my ministry I have always had people that thought they knew what I should be doing, but it always surprised me that they never knew what they should be doing.

Pray about his walk with the Lord
"Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people." (Ex. 33:13)ed

Pray for his family, and for the management of his time. Pray that he fear God and not man and that his ministry be fruitful

Finally, remember the seriousness of our praying for our pastors, "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; (1 Samuel 12:23).

S. D. Gordon once said, "We can do more than pray after we have prayed, but we cannot do more than pray until we have prayed.

I am convinced that many churches that are meandering in mediocrity, changing pastors every few years and thinking that unity is when everybody finally comes in line with their ideas need a revival of prayer regarding their pastors.