Since I’m married to a pastor, I know first hand the life he leads. I feel certain that pastor’s have many things in common that they need prayer for, so if it’s okay with you, I’ll speak for all of them in today’s post.

1. Wisdom. Every man of God needs wisdom beyond his years – even if his years are many – to do the work God has set before him. Leading people in any area is difficult work, but leading people spiritually is exceedingly difficult. Pray that God will open His Word in a special way and lead your pastor, as your pastor leads others. Ask God to give your pastor wisdom as he preaches and counsels others.

2. Strength for the journey. What a ride the ministry is! One day, everyone loves the pastor, the next day, they are sending angry e-mails to the pastor or telling their friends that the church is going under, or both! Whether the problems are caused by the pastor or not, the pastor bares the blame. The buck stops there. I like to think of the ministry, or the Christian life, as a race – but it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon! It takes stamina and endurance to walk with the Lord while helping others walk with the Lord! The man of God needs strength to keep going during the emotional ups and downs of ministry, and that strength must be supernatural strength.

3. Protection from harm and sin. The man of God is still just a man. He can be hurt physically, of course, and he can also be hurt by sin. Pray that God will keep him safe and keep him clean. I don’t think there is anything that Satan loves more than to see a pastor wrecked and ruined by sin. Likewise, I don’t think there is anyone Satan works harder to destroy than God’s man. When the devil succeeds in his efforts, not only does it ruin that pastor’s testimony, but it throws mud on the cause of Christ as a whole.

4. Family. The pastor’s family is living in a glass house, or a goldfish bowl! When the pastor gets critiqued, so does his wife, children, home and pets. If he doesn’t take care of his yard, people talk. If his child gets caught throwing rocks, people talk. If his wife isn’t smiling one Sunday morning, people talk. This gets old, but it’s par for the course. Pray for your pastor’s family – they need it.

5.Blessings. If your pastor is witnessing, preaching and leading others, his desire is to see results. No one wants to work all day and not accomplish anything. Yet, that is often how the ministry seems to go. You work, pray, talk, love, and then ten people leave your church. It’s not exactly comforting, but the results are not up to the pastor. God alone blesses a church with souls. Pray that God will bless your church and, therefore your pastor, with souls saved and baptized, visitors, and growing Christians. (Giving him an encouraging word now and then helps, too! :] )

Your pastor isn’t doing his job to become wealthy or famous. He does it because he has a calling from the Lord. It’s a 24/7/365 job, and it’s a hard job. The Lord is good and sustains His man, and many times, He does it because His children are coming boldly to the throne and interceding for their pastor.

Things to remember:

Your pastor is human.
Your pastor will make mistakes.
Your pastor is unique, and so is his ministry.

With love,

The Bishop’s Wife