8 Prayers to Pray for Your Pastor Every Day
“Do you pray for your pastor?” This question, posed from the pulpit of my church, startled me a little. Especially since it was my pastor who asked it.
I tend to think of my pastor as being super-spiritual. But the truth is, he is a human just like me. He faces temptation, deals with issues like paying bills, and still has to do the mundane things like mowing grass.
I know that I can talk to him when I have a burden on my heart. And he prays for me and my family faithfully. But when he has a burden or a need, who can he talk to?
Who is praying for my pastor?
What Does the Bible Say About Praying for Your Pastor?
As a stay-at-home mom, there aren’t a lot of things I can do for the Lord. I’m not called into full-time ministry, I’m not a deacon or a Sunday school teacher. But the one thing that anyone and everyone can do is to pray for our pastor and church leaders.
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 KJV
Our pastors are God’s authority in our lives. Hebrews 13:17 says they watch for our souls. Because of this, they deserve our honor and respect and they need our prayers.
Related: How to Pray More with a Prayer List
Prayers for Your Pastor
What should you say when you pray for your pastor? What are his needs that he may not tell you about? Even if you don’t know his exact needs or the struggles he’s facing, here are 9 powerful warfare prayers for your pastor.
Pray for wisdom.
We need to hear sermons from our pastor in order to grow our faith. He needs us to pray that God will give him the wisdom to give us the words we need to hear.
Pray that God will direct him as he leads the church. He carries the burden of making all or most of the decisions for the congregation. It’s a huge responsibility, and he wants to do what’s right for everyone.
Pray for strength.
Your pastor needs prayers for his strength. The enemy attacks us every day, and our pastors are not exempt from those same temptations and attacks.
Pray that God will give him the strength to stand up to these attacks and be encouraged in his faith.
Pray for health.
Most of us experience health issues at some point in our lives, sometimes including fatigue. Pray for your pastor to remain in good health and that God will help him to overcome tiredness.
One thing that’s becoming more clear in recent years is that pastors and church leaders can struggle with mental health issues, too. When we pray for his health, we can’t forget to include God will strengthen him mentally as well.
Pray for courage.
Sometimes pastors have to deal with really tough issues. When he sees church members going astray or dealing with sin, it is his job to help them. This often makes people angry.
It would be easy for him to back down so that he wouldn’t need to face harsh criticism. Pray that God will give your pastor the courage and boldness to stand up for what’s right.
Pray for peace.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Not my circus, not my monkeys?” It’s a reminder to us that we should all just mind our own business.
But the pastor often ends up with everyone’s monkeys on his back, and he has nowhere else to dump them–your monkey becomes his monkey. He needs us to pray that God will give him peace.
Sometimes he is facing storms we don’t know about, whether it be in the church or in his personal life. He needs us to pray that God will give him peace in his heart, even when storms are raging.
Related: 11 Prayers to Pray for Your Family
Pray for joy.
The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. If you want your pastor to be strong in the Lord, pray that he has joy. Pray that the Lord will bless him physically and spiritually and that he can serve the Lord with happiness.
Pray for patience.
The life of a pastor can be lonely, and difficult, and he often has to face harsh criticism and rude people. Pray that God will give your pastor patience to endure hard and to be able to withstand all that life throws at him.
Pray for his family.
My pastor has a family just like me. His children are grown, and he has grandchildren. He carries their burdens the same as any father or grandfather.
Now, you may not be able to pray for each and every one by name. But you can pray that God will bless them and strengthen them, knowing that would be a blessing to your pastor.
Thank God for Your Pastor
So many men of God are leaving the ministry and even leaving the faith. If you are blessed to have a pastor who is faithful and gives his life to serve your church, you are blessed!
Take the time to thank God for your pastor. Do it privately in your prayer time, and also publicly when you have the chance. You never know what these encouraging words can do for your pastor’s heart.
A Sample Prayer for Our Pastor
Lord, we come to You today to pray for our pastor. Thank You for blessing us to have him in our lives, for his care, and for the example he is to our family.
Please, bless him today with wisdom to lead our church the right way. Help him to make wise decisions to honor you. Give him the strength to stand up to the attacks of Satan, and to fight temptation in his life.
Bless him to be healthy, both physically and mentally, and give him strength as he serves you. Give him the courage to stand up for what’s right, and the boldness to preach Your truth.
I pray that You would give him peace, even if he’s facing hard times. Help him to have a heart that’s full of joy, and give him happiness as he serves you. Please give my pastor patience to endure hard times, and to put up with difficult people.
Bless his wife, and his children, and help them to be a blessing to him.
Thank you, Lord, for my pastor. Please be with him and strengthen him today.
In the end, the words you say are not very important. What matters most is taking the time to pray for your pastor. Pray for him like he’s praying for you. Thank God for the pastor He’s given you, and pray that God will help him to be faithful in his service.
