The month of October is Pastor Appreciation Month where members celebrate the work of the men and women who serve as leaders of the flock. One act believers should do is pray for your pastor and all pastors and all those who are spiritual leaders over the fivefold ministry. Pastors and other spiritual leaders need our prayers. It is a biblical principle to pray for pastors and others in spiritual authority over us. ( 1 Timothy 2:1-2) Paul asked the church to pray for Him. (1 Thess 5:25, Col. 4:3) Our prayers for the spiritual leaders enable them to perform the ministry God has called them to serve.I challenge you to write a prayer for your Pastor and send it to him or just pray.
Without the prayer support pastors are more vulnerable to the wiles of the devil. It is for our own benefit to pray that God will make your pastor a great leader and teacher (See 1 Tim 2:1-4)
One of the most effective ways you can minister to your pastor is to pray for his personal and spiritual needs.
Jonathan Graf a prayer warrior , author ,speaker and teacher on prayer states why pastors are a special target of the enemy. In Pray Magazine July/August 2004 Graf stated:
1. A pastor is more accountable to God than the average parishioner. James said that not many should desire to be teachers because they will come under greater judgment (Jas. 3:1). The accuser would like nothing more than to defeat the pastor/teacher and rub his or her nose in it.
2. As the pastor’s spiritual life goes, so goes the congregation. If Satan can keep a pastor defeated and prayerless, most believers in his or her church will not grow spiritually. The prayer level of a church seldom rises above that of the pastor.
3. When a pastor falls, more damage usually is done to the church than when anyone else in the church falls. People look to the pastor as their spiritual leader. Less mature believers are often very confused when someone they look up to spiritually lets them down. They may even fall away from the Lord in the confusion and hurt.
4. The pastor is the most visible member of a church, so more damage is done to the ministry’s reputation in the community when he or she fails. It may affect the ministry of the church for a significant length of time. When scandal hits a church, nonbelievers tend to think there is no power in that religion.
Praying For Your Pastor is very important. They are serving God and the attacks of the enemy are non -ceasing. They must be covered in prayer on a daily basis. Here are a couple of suggestions to encourage your Pastor.
1. Put a picture of your pastor(s) in your church prayer room to remind people to pray.
2. Distribute copies of your pastor’s preaching text to adult Sunday school classes so they can pray for the Word to go forth with power and authority before he preaches.
3. Ask church members to write prayers based on Scriptures and mail them to the pastor as an encouragement.
4. Write a short prayer to your Pastor.
A Prayer for Your Pastor.
Linda Fegins ,
@October 2015 ldfaygo@aol.com