Praying for the Pastor

I will never forget the first time I met him. He was a guest that Sunday morning at the church I served as pastor in Marietta, GA. As he was leaving that morning he introduced himself to me, told me his daughter and son-in-law were members of that church, told me he was from out of state but would be visiting from time to time with his family members, then he asked me how he could pray for me. I suppose I gave him some lame answer. He looked at me and said, "No, I want to know specifically how I can pray for you in role as pastor of this church".

Well, I don't often have this kind of clarity this quickly, but two words came to mind. I firmly believe they were prompted by the Holy Spirit on the spot. The first word was "wisdom". While at LifeWay, I found myself facing big decisions every day. But for the most part they were business decisions. Seldom did I find myself needing to make a decision of how to counsel or how to respond to an individual life situation of someone I had responsibility to shepherd. I seldom felt as though eternity hung in the balance for someone based on what I said or how I responded. It was not my role to be spiritual advisor or guide. However, as a Pastor, I find myself in that place almost daily. Wisdom is needed.

Because of the role of shepherd (particularly the protection of the flock for which I have responsibility) I also need "courage". This was the second word the Holy Spirit brought to mind that day. When leading a group of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and opinions, I know this may come as a surprise, but they don't always agree. There are also times when persons must be confronted due to any number of reasons (leaders practicing immorality, false doctrine being taught, gossip, slander, and the list goes on). Change leadership always requires courage ... and change is about the only constant we have these days.

So, when you wonder what you might pray for your pastor (here at ClearView) or in your church wherever you are, these two would be a great start.