”Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
– Psalm 37:4

Day 21 – Delight in Christ

John Piper would describe “delighting in christ” in this way, “delighting in God means savoring the diverse excellencies of God, especially as they are manifest in Christ.” He goes on to describe how Christians should delight in God as Savior, as friend, and through the gifts He bestows upon his children.

In this world, we are encouraged and enticed to delight in so many other things, money, fame and power, sex and its allure, sports and teams, family, personal success, and self, but Scripture says we should find our delight in something completely different. We should find our delight (our greatest pleasure) in God himself.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

• Genuine delight in the Lord and His ways
• Recognition of how the Lord provides ways to delight in Him through the little and big things in life
• Joy that overflows from delighting in Christ

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will be a pastor who finds his delight in you as your word says. Give him a genuine and deep affection for you and your promises. May delight in you provide the energy and stamina to serve you and your church…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.

”And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:18-20

Day 19 – Commitment to Life of Discipleship

The heart of God’s vision for His church is summarized in Matthew 28. The call for believers is to “make disciples.” This exhortation from the Lord should motivate all believers to a life of discipleship, to a life centered around growing in Christlikeness alongside likeminded believers.

The cost of discipleship is known to be costly, but the cost of non-discipleship is even greater. That’s why we need to pray that our pastors will model and lead in a way that prioritizes discipleship.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

• A heart for the Great Commission
• Relationships that mentor and disciple the pastor
• Recognition of the importance of discipleship in the life of the believer
• Ability to live out disciple-making and discipleship among the congregation

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will be a pastor who models “being a disciple who makes disciples.” In his daily life, I pray he will model and follow the Great Commission in all areas of his life. Give him a peer community that offers his own discipleship so that he may pour into his church in the same way…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.

”Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
– Romans 12:12

Day 17 – Patience in Times of Trials

As trials knock on our doorstep and enter our lives, Scripture gives us an idea of how to respond to trials: be patient. Be patient in trials. For all of us, patience in seasons of hardship and uncertainty does not come easy.

The same can be said for pastors, When families leave the church, death and disease are on the rise, criticism keeps coming, or personal matters are heavy, pastors are called to be patient and lead out in displaying patience.

Patience, especially in hard times, comes from being rooted in the precepts and promises of God, not in the preferences or perceptions of man. We can find patience in times of difficulty by trusting in the One who has overcome them all and who provides solace to the hurting.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

• Trust in the promises and precepts of God
• A heart that pursues patience and understanding
• Ability to see seasons of trials as moments for God to rebuke, restore, or renew, or remind

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will find patience and understanding in the hard seasons of life and ministry. Remind him of your promises and allow your promises to strengthen and protect his heart through these seasons…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.

“Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”
– Psalm 100:2

Day 16 – Joy in Ministry

”Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth…”
– Proverbs 5:18

Day 15 – Faithfulness to Wife

When ministries and pastors fall, one’s faithfulness to their wife and children is often one of the first things to go. Therefore for pastors, remaining faithful to their spouse is crucial to fulfilling the qualifications of being an elder, building and maintaining credibility and longevity in ministry, and honoring Christ and the covenant they made to Him and their bride.

Unfortunately, ministry and our sinful flesh can tempt pastors away from being faithful, whether that’s emotionally, physically, or spiritually. Additionally, pastors may be tempted to prioritize ministry over their wife. This too is an act of unfaithfulness and should not be left unaddressed.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

• Faithful in loving and pursuing wife
• Diligence in guarding their heart
• Ability to set an example for young men considering marriage
• Self-awareness for when their prioritizing ministry over their wife

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) remains faithful to his wife. I ask that you put a hedge of protection around their marriage and that you’ll remind them of the covenantal love you’ve given them. Let their love be an example of Christ’s love for the church and how Christian marriages should be. Guard their heart and keep them faithful to their family…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.

”Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
– Psalm 106:1

Day 12 – A Thankful Spirit

Oftentimes in life, reality doesn’t quite meet our expectations. An unexpected personal trial or a serious phone call at an inopportune time can tempt us to complain or grow in bitterness. This remains true for pastors and ministry leaders in the church. We must be quick to remember in these moments all of God’s promises.

Remember that God has promised to use all things for the good of those who love Him. In this way, we can go through life with faith in God as our Good Father, trusting that no matter how much I’m thrown off by this circumstance, He is not. He is purposing it for our good. And for that reason, we can be thankful. A thankful spirit views everything as a gift from God.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

• Trust in God’s sovereign grace; loosen his grip on his own plans
• Be quick to prayer when tempted to complain
• That he would be known for his gratitude and speaking of God’s kindness would be normal
• Ability to lead others to regularly give thanks in all circumstances

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) would always be growing in his gratitude to you. Give him a renewed awareness of your sovereign grace in his life, and show him how you ordain all things for his good and the good of the church. Help him to lead others to do this as well for your glory…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.

“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
– 1 Corinthians 9:27

Day 11 – Physical Health

Paul David Tripp has written on the importance of pastors giving serious consideration and action to pursuing physical health. In his book, Lead, he describes said a pastor or ministry leader should ”see his physical body as an instrument of his calling, and because he does, he gives it proper attention and care.”

This topic has become seemingly more popular to discuss with workouts like CrossFit becoming mainstream, but not everyone can or should CrossFit. However, as Paul David Tripp wrote, pastors should see their physical body as an instrument that can be used by God for the sake of the Gospel and respond accordingly. This may look different depending on a multitude of things, but let’s pray for our pastors as they consider how to care for themselves so that they can for their people:

• Commitment to stewarding their physical health for the sake of their family, church, and the Gospel
• Ability to carve out time in their week to routinely focus on physical health
• Stamina to endure the stresses and physical needs of pastoral ministry

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) may see how their physical health can be used as an instrument by you God. I ask that you give them the ability to grow in strength and stamina to serve your church and their family. May you prolong their days serving you through physical wellness…

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”
– Ephesians 5:25

Day 10 – Love for Family

As a pastor’s kid, I’ve seen firsthand the toll pastoral ministry can take on a marriage and family, especially when ministry trumps family. It can be deceptively easy for pastors to be so consumed by their responsibilities that their family suffers. But God gives us a different picture, one where being a loving husband and father should take priority over ministry. That’s what is written in Ephesians. Husbands are to love their wives like Christ loves the church.

Remember, Christ is the head of the church, not you, so there’s freedom to love your family and prioritize their needs first.

As you pray for your pastor, consider praying for him in these ways:

• Love for wife/family is rightly prioritized over role
• Love that is evident and can be seen.
• Ability to safeguard family from the dangers of ministry
• Patience, trust, and hope for those seeking marriage or starting a family

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will remember one of the first callings on his life, to be a loving and selfless husband/father. I ask that this love will be evident and clear and not disingenuous. Give him the ability to protect and care for his family well, even in ministry…