October is Pastor (or Clergy) Appreciation Month. It’s a time to encourage our pastors, to share a note or some other expression of our gratitude to them for their ministry. For the past 30 years we have considered Pastor Appreciation Month as a part of the life of the church.

Of course the list of things you can do to for you pastor is endless. Gift cards, books, letters, store-bought cards, free babysitting, and so many other possibilities can make it hard to choose. But let me suggest that you consider giving him or her a gift you may not have thought about. Why not commit to pray for a year for your pastor(s)? A note to tell them you are praying could bless them more than you know. And your prayers can impact them beyond your expectations.

Here are ten ways we can pray for our pastors.

It’s an inconclusive list, but a beginning. I encourage you to spend time each week lifting your pastors to the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight into how you can pray. If the Lord is directing your prayers, you can be sure he is planning to answer them!

Pray for their hearts — Pray that they will be open to God, that they will seek him and respond to him. Ask the Lord to reveal any sin in their lives, hidden or otherwise, and any blind spots they may have. Might they walk in humility and obedience before the Lord, leaving room for no root of bitterness, jealousy, or any other sin to take hold.

Pray for their minds — Ask the Lord to grant them wisdom and discernment. Pray that they will seek godly counsel and spend time daily in the Word. May they fill their minds with truth. Pray also that they guard their minds from things that can draw them into sin and even addictions.

Pray for their spirits — Pray that they will have confidence in God, will rest in him, and experience freedom to live in the joy and the strength of the Lord.

Pray for their bodies — Pray that they will rest, be refreshed, and practice good habits that honor the Lord and build them up.

Lord, may my pastor remain in you as you remain in my pastor (John 15:4).

Pray for their relationships — Whether married or single, we can pray that our pastors will honor the Lord in the affairs of the heart. Ask the Lord to give them strong marriages, noted for integrity, genuine love, and mutual respect. Pray that their children will pursue the Lord and the pastors will love their children and parent them well. Whether they are married or not, pray for the Lord’s grace for them to serve him whole-heartedly. Pray that the church will love its pastors and support them. And in their fellowship with other pastors may they love and honor one another, pursing the Lord together and developing strong, healthy friendships.

Pray for their zeal — May their hearts “be broken by the things that break the heart of God” (Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision.) Pray that they will have compassion on the poor, the stranger, the alien, the oppressed, and on those abused and ignored. Pray that they will seek the lost and spur on the church to do the same. Ask the Lord to give them a heart for missions and opportunities to experience first hand God’s work around the world. Ask the Lord to help them be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in the life of the church.

Jesus, remind my pastor that they can only bear fruit as they abide in you (John 15:5).

Pray for their calling — Pray that they will honor the Lord in all things and will fulfill the role the Lord has called them to, by his grace. And pray that they will be allowed to serve where and how the Lord calls and leads them.

Pray for their faithfulness — Pray that, like Paul, they will “press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of [them].” Might they “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [them] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Pray that they “will live up to what they have already attained.” (Phil 4:12,14,16).

Pray for their total dependence on God — Pray that the Lord would prepare those he would call, that he would, indeed call them and equip them, and that they would rely on him for grace and strength to do what God alone can do through our pastors.

Pray for God’s blessing on their lives and ministry — Pray that the Lord will show his favor on our pastors and will use them to bring great glory to God and a fruitful ministry.

Lord,  help my pastor love others as you have loved us (John 15:12).

This year, more than ever, our pastors need us to stand with them through our prayers. Let’s do our part in their lives by upholding then in prayer.

Ginger