This prayer is for a pastor, the person who preaches, counsels, visits the sick and carries the weight of a congregation’s needs. Pray it on a Sunday morning before service, during the week when a sermon is due, or whenever you learn that your pastor is tired, discouraged or facing something hard. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak in your own words.
Prayer for a Pastor
Father, I lift up our pastor to you today. You know the long hours he keeps, the sermons he prepares late into the night, and the phone calls that come at the wrong hours. You know the people who look to him for hope, and the ones who are quick to criticize. Give him wisdom when he does not know what to say, and give him words that carry your truth and not his own pride. Let him rest well, and let him remember that the church belongs to you and not to him.
Lord, guard his heart from discouragement and from the quiet loneliness that many pastors feel. Surround him with friends who will pray honestly with him and ask him how he is really doing. Protect his marriage and his children from the strain that ministry can bring, and show his family how much they are loved. When he is weary, renew his strength. When he is tempted to measure his worth by numbers or applause, remind him that he is yours. Keep him faithful, humble and close to you, so that his life points people to Jesus. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, bless our pastor today. Give him clear thoughts, a patient spirit and a rested body. Speak through him in ways that bring people closer to you. Guard his family, encourage his heart and remind him that he serves you, not the crowd. Thank you for the gift of his leadership. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Ephesians 4:11-13
11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…
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Pray that your pastor will grow in the work God has given him, equipping the church and building up believers toward maturity in Christ. Ask God to make his ministry fruitful in the lives of others.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.
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Pray that your pastor will keep watch with joy rather than with burden. Ask God to lighten his load and to give the congregation a willing and encouraging heart toward him.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
12 But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, 13 and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
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Pray for your pastor to be honored and loved in his labor. Ask God to help you show him respect and peace in tangible ways this week.
Psalm 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas; 3 though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.
(WEB)
Pray this passage when your pastor faces trouble he cannot control. Ask God to be his refuge and strength, steady even when the ground seems to shake beneath him.
Acts 20:28
Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
(WEB)
Pray that your pastor will keep watch over himself and over the flock God entrusted to him. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide his care for people and his own soul.
How to Pray This Prayer
Choose a quiet moment before your pastor’s Sunday service or early in the week when he is preparing his message. Sit at your kitchen table or in a pew with a cup of coffee, and read the prayer slowly, pausing after each sentence to let it sink in. You might hold a pen and write the names of his family members in the margin so you remember to pray for each one by name.
Invite others to join you. A small group, a prayer chain or a spouse can take turns reading lines of the prayer aloud. Consider sending your pastor a short note saying you have been praying for him, and mention one specific thing you asked God for. Many pastors find that knowing someone is interceding for them brings real encouragement.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord bless our pastor and keep him, make his face shine upon him and give him peace. May his family feel held, his heart feel refreshed and his work bear lasting fruit. May the people he serves be grateful and the God he serves be glorified through his life.
