Text- Jeremiah 3:15 – “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
When many people think of Pastoring, they think it’s a job for wimps… You can sit at home, and read the Bible all day, pray, play a little golf, preach some nice sermons and be on stage regularly. That’s so not true!
The late leadership guru and management consultant, Peter Drucker, said that the four hardest jobs in America, listed not necessarily in order of difficulty, are:
The President of the United States
A university president
A CEO of a hospital and
A pastor
Beloved, Pastoring is indeed hard! The job of a pastor is actually 24/7; you can’t call your Pastor, and he’ll tell you it’s beyond office hours! Pastoring also carries some unique challenges that most people may be unaware of.
A lot of pastors have hurt and in some cases, lost their families because they are so involved in ministry. There are even many pastors who wear themselves out trying to help people.
Pastors are familiar with criticisms and rejections; they face a lot of betrayals and disappointments; they often experience weariness, frustrations and even loneliness. These notwithstanding, many Pastors have found a way to handle these issues well, without allowing them to get in the way of their responsibilities to the flock.
If there is anything we can do for our pastors, to make their job easier to do, shouldn’t we do it? In the past few days, we have examines what the believers obligations are to their pastors. We have talked about obedience, service, appreciation, respect, encouragement and giving. Today, we’ll consider the seventh:
7. Prayer
Many people rush to pastors asking for prayers over their businesses, sickness, families, and even for their enemies. But Paul reminds us that our Pastors also need us to pray for them. He said in 1 Thessalonians 5:25, "Brothers, pray for us."
You must realize that due to the nature of a Pastor’s job, he daily stands in the frontline of Spiritual battles, and the devil will stop at nothing to get him out of the way.
A pastor’s heart and home are in fact, uniquely positioned to suffer severe spiritual attack, emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue except they are well covered in prayers, and it is your duty to do so.
Don’t just say, "God bless the pastor.” Be specific as you pray. Talk to God about his health, his family, his weaknesses, his ministry etc. Please make it a habit to pray for your Pastor daily.
PRAYER
From the depth of your heart, pray for your Pastor.
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