Pray for Your Pastor
As one accountable to God for your soul, he needs your prayers.
Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. 1 Thes. 5:25.
In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he asked the disciples to pray for him. If the Apostle Paul needed believer’s prayers, we all need the prayers of others. One of the most important things we do as we imitate Jesus is to pray for others. C.H. Spurgeon, known as the prince of preachers, shared in his popular daily devotional how important the prayers of his congregation were to him and other ministers:
“As officers in Christ’s army, we are the special target of the hatred of men and devils; they watch for our halting, and labor to take us by the heels. Our sacred calling involves us in temptations from which you are exempt. Above all it too often draws us away from our personal enjoyment of truth into a ministerial and official consideration of it.
We observe very sad backsliding, and our hearts are wounded; we see millions perishing, and our spirits sink. We wish to benefit you by our preaching. We desire to be a blessing to your children. We long to be useful both to saints and sinners; therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our God. Miserable men are we if we miss the aid of your prayers, but happy are we if we live in your supplications. You do not look to us but to our Master for spiritual blessings, and yet how many times has He given those blessings through His ministers. Ask, then, again and again, that we may be earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the Gospel.” C.H. Spurgeon.
We need a community of believers around us to encourage us as we endure. We encourage each other and receive help and sometimes correction, if we are in a group who really care about us. Your pastor has a heavy responsibility to watch over your soul. The writer of the book of Hebrews instructs us to honor our pastors and make their task a happy one:
Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. Heb. 13.17.
I hope every one of you is included in a body of believers led by a godly pastor. If you are not, you are missing the opportunity to serve others and to grow as disciples “spurring one another on to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24-25). If you are, look for ways to encourage your pastor. I know for sure he would be thrilled to know you are praying for him!
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Check out Spurgeon’s daily devotional:
Morning by Morning (link), by C.H. Spurgeon. An elegant, unabridged edition of Charles Spurgeon's soul-enriching devotional . . . now in a keepsake journal edition, perfect for your own reflections! Learn for yourself why the 19th-century pastor's writings have endured, as you gain insight into weathering times of trial while relying on God's immeasurable strength. 736 pages, 5" x 7" hardcover from Barbour.
Morning by Morning, New Edition (link) with updated language for modern readers. Begin your day with an insight from the "Prince of Preachers," Charles Spurgeon! This new edition of the classic devotional features a carefully modernized text by editor Alistair Begg, and the ESV as the translation of choice. With silver gilded-edge pages and a ribbon bookmark, this edition will be treasured for years to come. Crossway, 2009.