Pray This Also for Your Pastor

This is Pastor (or Pastors or Ministers) Appreciation Month.  If you ask most Pastors how you can assist them, at least one of their answers would be to pray for them.  Most of the resulting prayer would be of the very general nature – “Lord, bless my pastor.”  May I suggest three very specific prayers that you could pray for your pastor this month (and beyond).  First, pray for him (or her) to get a good night’s sleep on Saturday.  I doubt if I am the only one who has trouble sleeping on Saturday night, before a strategic Sunday sermon, but I may just be the only one willing to admit it.  But Sunday activities are taxing enough on the body and mind, that a pastor ought not have to endure it on little sleep. Second, pray that his (or her) home environment would be pleasant on Sunday morning.  Again, not many pastors will admit this to their congregations, but one family member having an early Sunday morning upset, can send the pastor off to church in a negative mood.  Third, pray a “hedge” of protection (Job 1:10) around your pastor during Sunday church activities.  One church member’s “small problem,” shared with the pastor in the church hallway, can be enough to throw a pastor off his (or her), Sunday routine, and thus hinder needed concentration.  Now, if your pastor says he (or she) has none of these prayer needs, congratulate him (or her), and pray for honesty to prevail.