Pray for Your Pastors

By Pastor Alan Newlove

            Pastors are a gift to the church.  The Apostle Paul wrote that Jesus Himself “gave…pastors and teachers…so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11, 12).  Jesus knew that for us to grow into spiritual maturity we would need help, so He created the church and provided it with men and women who are especially able to watch over our souls.

     So what can and should we expect from our pastors?  It’s not unusual to have very high expectations.  Our reasoning goes: If pastors are a gift to us from Jesus, and all that Jesus does is perfect, then shouldn’t our pastors be perfect?  Of course, this is not reasonable at all because no one is perfect but God alone.  But even with this in mind, we can and should have high expectations.

When we think about the role of our pastors in our lives, we generally think about the tasks they are called to fulfill.  They often are the ones who best teach us the Word of God; they counsel us; they lead the leaders of our church; they often oversee our corporate worship experiences; and they fulfill a myriad of other duties in the church.  Is this what Jesus had in mind when He gifted us with our pastors?

The term for pastor comes from the word for shepherd.  This leads us to view our pastors as the ones who feed us, care for us, and protect us.  We are not wrong when we look to our pastors for these things.  But take note of what these shepherding tasks have in common:  a focus on us and our welfare.  The priority for the shepherd is the sheep (us).  Any tasks a pastor undertakes are a means to an end, not the end in itself.

            Look at what these scriptures say concerning the heart of a pastor:

(Jesus said) “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep…I know my sheep and my sheep know me…and I lay my life down for the sheep…No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  John 10:11, 14, 18

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.  As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep.  I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness…I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel…I will tend them in a good pasture…there they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.  I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.  I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.”  Ezekiel 33:11-16

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?… Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep…feed my sheep.”  John 21:15, 16, 17

The heart of a pastor is an extension of the heart of Jesus.  Jesus has always desired to have a deep and abiding relationship with us.  Because His heart was for us, He clothed Himself in humanity and gave His life for us, for our salvation.  Now, He has given pastors to continue His work in us and through us, to make a people for Himself, who call themselves by His name, who abide in a loving relationship with the living God.

Given that pastors are human and just as fallible and sin-prone as we are, how can they possibly fulfill this highest of all callings?  This is where we can help.  Pray for your pastors.  Pray that they spend time with the Lord and in His holy Word.  Pray that they be renewed, refreshed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit each and every day.  Pray that they grow in love for Jesus and for us, the people of God.  Pray that they be protected from the attacks of the evil one.  And pray protection over their families – their marriages and their children.

When we do this, “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding” Jeremiah 3:15