HOW TO PRAY FOR YOUR PASTOR

  Pastors often have great needs and pressures we don't easily recognize, and the pressure on them can be staggering.  So try a little experiment:  pray, focusing on these areas for two weeks.  You might just see a dramatic change in your entire church life. Your pastor needs your encouragement, your friendship your desire to understand that he is a real, live, human being, just like you, who's trying to follow Jesus.  It's one of the best gifts you can give.

1. Solitude and personal prayer life.   When "church stuff" starts replacing crucial one-on-one time with God, a pastor might begin relying on his own strength.  Pray he'll hunger for communion with God, even if it seems inconvenient or unnecessary.

2.  Confidence in his identity with Christ. A Pastor is always in the public eye, so it's easy to be driven by a desire for approval.  Pray he'll  1). continuously seek to derive security from Christ alone and  2) receive fresh revelation of the Lord's love and acceptance for him personally--not just for others.

3.  Thriving family relationships.  Pastoring can easily become a 24/7 job that cuts into family time.  A minister's spouse is also under pressure and may feel in competition with the church.  Pray the pastor will make family a priority.

4.  A humble and teachable attitude.  All pastors have to contend with criticism.  Some is ugly and unfounded and needs to be brushed off; some is important and can be extraordinarily helpful (even when the truth isn't spoken in love.").  Pray  that your pastor will grow in humility and embrace being a life-long learner.

5.  Deep, genuine friendships.  The adage is definitely true:  it's lonely at the top.  Everyone want a piece of you, but few want to stand beside you.  Pray that your pastor will be valued not just for what he can do or give, but for who he is as a individual.

6.  Discernment:  Though many have heard it all, pastors often struggle to know the best way to deal with those who come for help.  Pray your pastor will develop a deep sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

7.  Wisdom in financial matters.  Seminaries rarely teach how to be an accountant.  Pray for you pastor to have financial integrity and a healthy attitude about money--as well as trustworthy people to help him grow in this area.

Taken from an article in "IN TOUCH MAGAZINE"  September 2007.