A CALL TO PRAY FOR PASTORS
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A CALL TO PRAY FOR PASTORS
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October is Pastor Appreciation month. Pray for your pastor and his/her family as well as all the other pastors and church leaders in your community.
“In the broader culture today, Christian ministers are as likely to be ignored as they are to be admired. But despite the challenges they face, called and committed pastors are essential to lead and shepherd the Christian community through the wilderness ahead. But how are these leaders doing” (Barna)
Look at some of these chilling statistics from 2017 about pastors provided by The Fuller Institute, George Barna, and Pastoral Care Inc.
– 90% of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week.
– 80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor’s children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
– 95% of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouses.
– 33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
– 75% report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
– 90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.
– 80% of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in the role of pastors.
– 90% of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be like before they entered the ministry.
– 50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
– 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
– 70% say they have a lower self-image now than when they first started.
– 50% of pastors feel so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
– 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.
– 94% of clergy families feel the pressures of the pastor’s ministry.
– 80% of spouses feel left out and underappreciated by church members.
– The profession of “Pastor” is near the bottom of a survey of the most-respected professions, just above “car salesman.”
– 4,000 new churches begin each year and 7,000 churches close.
– Over 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month last year.
– Over 1,300 pastors were terminated by the local church each month, many without cause.
– Many denominations report an “empty pulpit crisis.” They cannot find ministers willing to fill positions.
#1 reason pastors leave the ministry — Church people are not willing to go the same direction and share the goals of the pastor. Pastors believe God wants them to go in one direction, but the people are not willing to follow or change.
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Heavenly Father, we lift up America’s pastors to you today and stand in the gap for them and their families. We pray that Your promises might be manifest in their lives, their homes, and their churches:
According to 2 Cor. 9:8, we pray that You would bless them abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that they need, they will abound in every good work.
According to Eph. 3:16-18, we pray that they would be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith and that they would be rooted and established in the power of Your love, filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
According to Eph. 1:17-19, we pray that You would give them spiritual wisdom and revelation in their growing knowledge of You so that they may know the hope of their calling, the wealth of their spiritual inheritance and the incomparable greatness of Your power in their lives.
According to Eph. 6:10-11, we pray that they would be strong in the Lord and in Your mighty power, putting on the full armor of God, so that they can take their stand against the devil’s schemes.
According to Heb. 20:24-25, we also pray that believers would consider how they can spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, but encourage one another, especially those called to lead them.
God, we bless Your shepherds today and declare that they will finish the race with enduring faith and persevering hope. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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I I pray that Father You send into the field Your Apostles, Prophets, Miracles,Teachers, Preachers, and quietly and gently as a loving Father direct those who having mistaken their love of You as a calling and have gone into church work when you created them for the marketplace. May we cease doing church as a business or social club and turn our hearts as You would have us go. Provide for fathers to provide for their families.
I thank you father for my pastor. He studies and preaches the truth of Your word every week. Please encourage him and his wife and bless them and their family. May you be glorified and many come to know you thru the preaching of Your word. I pray this for all the pastors across our nation and the world. I thank you for brave, courageous men who will not back down from preaching the full truth of your word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
We thank You Father for all the pastors and priests who are committed to You and Your will. We pray they do not preach what is right in their eyes, but instead boldly preach the Truth and what You put in their hearts, even if it costs them unpopularity. Please bless the church (us) with ears to not only be hearers of the Word, but also doers of the Word. In Your Son’s name we pray.
Amen
Father of Glory in the name of Jesus. I lift up Pastors around the world and ask that You Almighty would light the fire again in each one, and that each one would be reminded of the Great and Mighty things You have already done.
It is written that all would be saved. I ask for a fresh vision of Your perfect will for each one. That there would be people to lift up and encourage them,
intercessors to stand in the gap. that Pastors would run the race with a fresh
anointing to lift up and teach the truth that all will be saved. To the Glory of God.
God as I stand before you this day, I am asking that you bless my Pastor and his family.God I thank you for special favor on their behalf because they have given up things and time for others. Cover them with protect everywhere they go and when stress tries to enter, slam the door on it Lord. Let them feel your peace, love and hugs everyday Lord.
In Jesus name Amen
It,’s a shame that someone has to publish a statement saying ” pray for pastors ” when the Bible clearly commands the believer to do just that.
” pray for ALL who are in authority so you can live in peace. Pray for each other ,pray for the leaders of the church so that won’ t be led astray by the evil one. Pray that the Holy Spirit
Buddy – Thank you for your response. We simply highlighted pastors because October is Pastor Appreciation month and we especially want to remember those who faithfully lead local congregations. We totally agree that ALL leaders need our ongoing prayers! Many blessings.
I bring not only my church but pastors across this great land. Before the throne..room of God. Set them on fire by the power of the Holy Spirit. Cause them to turn to you for guidance. And direction. I plead the blood of Jesus over there lifes their families. You are their protection. There provider Every thing they need is in you . We think you for our pastors.
Prosper them in every area of there lifes.
In the mighty name of Jesus.
.
Father God, I pray for my Pastor Phil, and all the Pastor’s that are teaching and preaching Your Word in love and leading our Nation back to our value being in Christ and what He did for us. If all of Your followers will pray for the advancement of Your kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, I Thank You and Praise You in Jesus mighty name, amen!
I love my pastor. He is a blessing to all who sit under him. He teaches us good things. JESUS, HOLY SPIRIT & WORD…Eugene Kendrick @ Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church_Bradley, FL. 33835
WE ARE THANKING GOD FOR OUR PASTORS TODAY & ALWAYS. THEY HAVE A MUCH HARDER JOB THAN ANY OF US DO. THEY STAND IN THE SIGHT OF GOD JUST LIKE WE DO & ARE JUDGED FOR THEIR WORK. BLESS THEM LORD & WATCH OVER THEIR SAFETY.