Praying For Your Pastor

Temple Baptist Church - 6-30-2019

Romans 15:30-32

Introduction:

A.  When I think of the Apostle Paul, I think of possible the greatest Christian, Apostle, and Missionary of the New Testament.  I do not want to spend a lot of time tonight talking about all the biblical accolades given to him as that is not my message.

B.  He is writing to a church that he did not start and to a people he had never met.  He has a prayer request.  “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”

C.  We hear missionaries say that the greatest thing we can do for them is to pray for them.  I believe that they are entirely sincere in their askance.

D.  Paul said for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit.  Our greatest obligation to God’s men is intercessory prayer.

E.  If we are to strive in prayer (that means to pray regularly and diligently) for men that we do not know, how much more important is it for prayer to be made for our pastor!  Does that sound selfish to you?  It is not!

F.  How to pray for God’s man?  1 Thessalonians 5:25  Brethren, pray for us!

1.  Pray for His Protection.  If Satan can take down a shepherd of God’s people, the odds are much higher that God’s people will scatter. That they’ll become bitter and disenfranchised. They will question everything they’ve ever been taught by that pastor. Satan targets pastors because the damage is exponential if they fall. Pray for your pastor that he would be kept safe from Satan.

2.  Pray for His Family.  When Satan and wicked men cannot get to the pastor, they will attack his family.  As goes his family, so goes the pastor.

3.  Pray for His Encouragement.  The attrition rate in the ministry is great.  So many more men of God are quitting than are answering the call to the ministry.  More missionaries are leaving the mission field than are going.  Discouragement is the most common cause of defeat.

4.  Pray for His Purity.  Pastors are just men with a divine call.  They are subject to like passions such as you have, and Satan will make sure that temptation is placed in front of them.

5.  Pray for His Physical Well-Being.  I know that a pastor only works a 3 hour week, but he needs to be able to work 4 when needed. 😊  When he fails physically, it affects every other part of his life.

6.  Pray for His Wisdom and Spiritual Discernment.  A pastor will have to make a lot of decisions and make spiritual judgments that are consistent with the Bible.

7.  Pray for His Study.  Study and Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth are foundational for Bible teaching and preaching.  There are so many easy ways to get sermon outlines in these high tech days but there is no substitute for personal Bible study.

8.  Pray for His Boldness.  Ephesians 6:19-20  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,  (20)  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.