Pastors Conference president: How to pray for your pastor
By Matt Henslee
2022 SBC Pastors Conference president and associational mission strategist for Collin Baptist Association in Texas
Many years ago, someone asked Charles Spurgeon why he was so successful. His response? “Because my people pray for me.”
While many today know Spurgeon as a powerful preacher of the gospel who we often call the “Prince of Preachers,” he knew where the power was — prayer.
Most pastors don’t have 100 in attendance on any given Sunday. According to the 2020 Faith Communities Today study and the 2019 Annual Church Profile, 65% of all U.S. congregations and 67% of Southern Baptist churches average less than triple digits. Pastors can still ask their people to pray for them.
During the height of COVID-19, I asked several people who couldn’t join us in person to pray specifically and passionately on Sundays from their homes. And they did.
By the end of my time serving our church, we averaged more in attendance and baptized more people than ever before. Why? I firmly believe I can say with Spurgeon, “Because my people prayed for me.”
Here are five ways to pray for your pastor:
- Pray for his family.
Pastors wear a lot of hats, but if he’s married with children, none are as crucial as husband and dad. Take some time to pray for his home, his first ministry.
Ask God to help him love and lead his family well, making the most of his time in the home. Ask the Lord to give him the courage to put off the trivial matters of ministry, so he’s fully engaged as the husband and father God calls him to be.
Helpful Scriptures to guide prayer here are Ephesians 5:25 and Psalm 127:3–5.
- Pray for his schedule.
It’s easy for your pastor to feel tugs from every direction, especially as a new year begins.
He’s trying to prepare engaging sermons, has people to visit in the hospital, worries home-bound members will fall through the cracks, and is attempting to follow up with all the holiday visitors.
Pray God will help him manage his schedule well enough to spend time with his family and lead his church family at the start of a new year.
Helpful Scriptures to guide prayer here are Ephesians 5:15–17 and Psalm 90:12.
- Pray for his sermon preparation.
Speaking of your pastor’s schedule, he’s likely working hard in the study to prepare fresh sermons, either by continuing an old series or launching a new one.
Pray God gives him focus and perseverance in sermon prep, as well as clarity and wisdom as he aims to rightly handle the word of God.
Helpful Scriptures to guide prayer here are 2 Timothy 2:15 and Psalm 119:18.
- Pray for his preaching.
Your pastor prepares sermons in the study, but he preaches them in the pulpit.
As the new year dawns, some folks may consider visiting a church for the first time or returning after a long absence.
Pray God will fill him with passion and conviction as he declares the good news to encourage the saints and lead the lost to love and follow Jesus.
Helpful Scriptures to guide prayer here are Hebrews 4:12 and Mark 16:15.
- Pray for his walk with God.
None of the above will matter if your pastor isn’t walking with God. If he’s not spending daily time with the Lord, his family, preaching and everything else will suffer.
As silly as it may sound, pray your pastor will wake up even before his alarm goes off with one thing in mind: time with God.
Pray he will devote himself to prayer and Bible reading first and foremost before he even begins his day of ministry and family time.
Helpful Scriptures to guide prayer here are Philippians 4:6 and Psalm 119:9.
E.M. Bounds once said, “What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”
That’s not new, of course; even the Apostle Paul asked for prayer not once, but eight times (Rom. 15:30–32; 2 Cor. 1:10–11; Eph. 6:18–20; Phil. 1:19; Col. 4:2–4; 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1–2; Philemon 22).
Prayer was so important to Jesus’ disciples that they asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1), and it should be important to you, too.
As we begin 2022, join the disciples, Paul’s churches and Spurgeon’s church by praying for your pastor.
Thoughts on church membership
I’ve battled some church members over the years who’ve insisted we remove people from membership who don’t attend.
“All they’re doing is hurting our records,” they said.
I’ve gingerly reminded critics that people are our “record.”
At one time we accepted a spiritual responsibility to care for these folk. If we cavalierly remove people, who will care for them? Who will pray for them? Who will seek to serve them in the name of Christ?
We must love people more than they sometimes love us.
We know trusting Christ for salvation is primary, but it’s biblical to seek out like-minded believers as a new spiritual family once we come to Christ.
Indeed, most who come to Christ do so through the witness of local churches, so it’s normal and natural for them to continue this relationship with church membership.
Churches have members whose names are on their rolls but who attend other churches, have joined other churches or don’t attend any church.
Thus, the matter of church membership has taken a hit, and we struggle to maintain meaningful church memberships. I think we’re the poorer for this.
Accountability is lessened. The church in the New Testament is called the “bride of Christ.” Christ surely loves His bride and serving Him through His church is a matter of obedience (Eph. 5:25).
Being a Christian and being an active member of a local church go hand-in-glove.
The church continues to point us to a world in need and says, “Brothers and sisters, let’s go.”
Pastor Michael J. Brooks
Siluria Baptist Church, Alabaster, Ala.
Engage culture with the gospel
Yes! Thank you for encouraging [the TV show “Squid Game”] as a jumping off point rather than avoiding it. Great approach (with your coverage)!
We’ve got to not run from culture if we are going to impact it. Plus, we can’t really isolate ourselves like we think.
Therefore, how we can use those things as a pivot to the gospel is key.
I’m not suggesting we watch everything, but that’s why each person is built by the Lord differently. You’ll be attracted to entertainment I’m not and vice versa.
Either way, by faith those entertainment pieces can be used by God with the people He puts in our path to share the gospel.
Mike Chitwood
Auburn, Ala.
Eloquent words without the endorsement of a godly life become rather lifeless.
Jerry Batson
Theology 101, “Jesus Came to Teach Truth”
We all have different strengths, purposes, passions, gifts, abilities and roles in the Kingdom. As you recognize those gifts and talents that God gave you and share your faith, your life will bless and encourage others.
David Jeremiah
Pastor, author, radio host
“As they spoke after the game, the first thing they said is, ‘The only reason we’re here is because of God,’” said Brandon Garrick, a deacon at Grove Hill Baptist Church who helped organize a weekly breakfast for local high school football players, quoting members of the Clarke County High School state 2A championship football team.
“The goal is making sure that even the smallest of our churches has an opportunity to be engaged in the Great Commission whatever way they are led to,” said Justin Olvey, director of missions for West Cullman Baptist Association.
The Apostle Paul [in 2 Corinthians 5:14–20] reminds us that if we are reconciled to God through Christ, we are dead to ourselves, to our old ways, to things like our prejudices.
Paul tells us as ambassadors of Christ we must see and love people as Christ does, with the mission to reconcile them to God through the salvation offered by Jesus. …
There is no room for prejudice in the Christian heart. Not a smidge. But Christians categorically disqualify themselves from service to Christ if their first response to anyone begins with, “Yeah, but …”
The gospel is for all people and is not ours to conditionalize or withhold.
Chris Turner, Director of communications
Tennessee Baptist Mission Board
From the Twitterverse
@brocraigc
“Do not carry yesterday or tomorrow with you; live for today and the twelve hours you are in.” —Martyn Lloyd-Jones
@TaylorBurgess87
Portable church. Holiday weekend. Lots of folks out sick. Pouring rain made for very challenging load-in and load-out. But by God’s grace, His people gathered. We prayed, sang, preached, observed the Lord’s Supper and celebrated 7 baptisms. Easy? Almost never. Worth it? Always.
@claysmith79
Yelling at secularism won’t change it.
@shane_pruitt78
As parents, when our actions tell our kids that chasing a ball is a greater priority than chasing Christ, that commitment to practice is a greater priority than commitment to church … then, we can’t be surprised when Christ & church is not their priority when they become adults.
@kswhitfield
“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11
@nathanafinn
There are no nobodies in the church. There are no Big Dogs in the church. In the church, everybody matters. 1 Corinthians 12:21–27
@evanlenow
Seminary students, plant yourself in a church. Soak up all you can. Expand the ministry of that church wherever you go. Invest in friendships that will last. Who knows, one day you might get to go back and invest in the next generation.
@JackieHillPerry
This is God’s will for you:
- Rejoice always.
- Pray without ceasing.
- Give thanks …
@andrewhebert86
Pastor: If you are worn out, burned out, fearful about the future, questioning your effectiveness and maybe even your calling, don’t lose hope. Most pastors I talk to are feeling the same way. What you do matters. You matter. God sees you. Keep going.
@DustinBenge
Pastor, if Jesus doesn’t shine brilliantly through tomorrow’s sermon, throw it away and start over.
@kferg16
The antidote for greed is generosity.
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