Isn’t it strange that people have said they don’t usually think about praying for pastors, not even their own? One person said they figured that pastors already had an ‘in’ with God, so it is not necessary to pray for them. I would argue that that’s the precise reason we need prayer. How should you pray for us pastors, you ask. [Please remember that I am also a pastor] Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Colossians 4:3-4 NIV
[3] And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
[4] Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Pray for Spiritual Leaders
Even as he exhorted the church in Colossae regarding prayer, Paul included himself and his team as beneficiaries of collective and individual prayer. Pastors, elders, deacons, ministers, prophets, teachers, apostles, bishops, and all ministers – of music and of the Word of God – we are equally in need of prayer. Who better to pray for us than our own people who look to us for leadership?
Here are some statistics based on summaries prepared by Soul Shepherding (https://www.soulshepherding.org/pastors-under-stress/ )
– 75% of pastors report being “extremely stressed” or “highly stressed”
– 90% work between 55 to 75 hours per week
– 90% feel fatigued and worn out every week
– 70% say they’re grossly underpaid
– 40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month
– 78% were forced to resign from their church (63% at least twice), most commonly because of church conflict [The sources are cited at the end of the article. Use the link above for more details]
All the information presented underscores the need to pray for us pastors.
Self-Check
How often do we pray for our pastors and those in spiritual authority over us?
Application
1 Samuel 2-3; 8; and the Gospels offer detailed chronicles of corrupt spiritual leaders who failed to live up to God’s standards. Ezekiel 34 also speaks to God’s disappointment and response to the same. Y’shua, in John 10, offers a beautiful standard for pastoral ministry. If and when we fail, the Gospels indicate that at the cross, all receive forgiveness (look at Y’shua’s open grace from the cross)
However, this does not preclude us from offering prayer coverage for pastors and spiritual leaders on the whole.
Paul’s guide is fairly easy for us to use when praying. He says:
– Pray for God to open doors for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ,
– Pray that we may proclaim it clearly.
Consider the quote often attributed to Martin Luther, ‘Preach the Gospel. Use words where necessary.’ It is obvious that praying for the pastor’s proclamation of the Word applies to pastors’ daily lives as well as our professional responsibilities.
Pray for our gentleness in preaching Jesus to the hurting and that we’re not the source of hurt. Pray for our integrity, so what we say matches what we do everywhere and at all times. Pray for divine revelation that edifies our preaching and teaching, and as you do, pray for our continued anointing to do God’s will as we are called.
Aside from Paul’s prayer points, pray for our families and for our personal lives, as these are interrelated. Pray for vision so we may see the needs of our families and our constituents, responding with God’s guidance and not of self. Pray for our growth in all facets of our lives, especially spiritual and emotional. Then, we will not impose our brokenness on you.
Thanks in advance.
Point to Ponder
Is there a specific spiritual leader for whom God requires us to pray today?
—
May all we seek be found in Christ
