Barnabas MV

WHAT YOUR PASTOR NEEDS MOST

PART 1

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A few weeks ago I was listening to a seasoned pastor describe his ministry. It was easy to see that he loved people. He had a pleasant personality. He was a good communicator. Most churches would love to have him as their pastor.

The more I listen the more I realized his success was the result of something much deeper than personality or methods. My friend was a man of prayer. But just as important my friend also has a prayer support team.

Most pastors I know begin their ministry with enthusiasm. They love God. They are excited to teach God’s Word, and point people to Christ. They want to make a difference in people’s lives. So they whole heartily give themselves to the ministry.

But within time a serious problem develops. Pastors are not taught to lookout for this problem in Bible College or Seminary. Nor do their best friends in ministry warn them. They simply do not realize that they will soon become a target of Satan. And since they do not have a prayer support team they get machine gun down by the enemy.            

I am amazed at the unfair criticism pastors receive today. The very people they love and serve can bite them. Sometimes the wounds are so deep that pastors and their family members feel that they cannot continue in ministry. So they drop out. In fact, around 2,000 pastors dropout of ministry each month.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that all pastors are perfect. Pastors make mistakes. There are times someone needs to come alone side of them, and speak into their lives. There are times pastors need to be corrected.

But I wonder what would happen, if instead of unfair criticism, we got behind each pastor with prayer. I wonder what would happen if each pastor had a prayer support team. Perhaps less pastors would drop out of ministry. But more importantly, we would see the church taking more territory away from Satan rather than Satan destroying a pastor’s ministry and family.

The Apostle Paul understood the need for a prayer support team. In Ephesians 6:19 Paul asked the Christians at Ephesus to pray for him so that he would make the Gospel clear. We actually have eight recorded events in the New Testament where Paul directly or indirectly ask for prayer. (Rom. 15:20; II Cor. 1:11; Phil. 1:19; Col. 1:4; I Thess. 5:25; II Thess. 3:1; Phm. 1:22)

Now this is the bottom line. If the Apostle Paul understood the need for a prayer support team how much more do pastors today need a prayer support team. Paul understood that God has ordained prayer as the means by which we together take more and more territory away from Satan.

Years ago I attended the memorial service. After the grave side service the family members met for dinner. The pastor who led the memorial service joined us for dinner. I was delighted that I was given the privilege of sitting beside him. We had a great conversation.

At the end of dinner a short man stopped by our table. He placed his hand on his pastor’s shoulder. Then he made this announce to me. The proclamation was made with love and respect for the pastor.  Now this is what he said to me. “Sunday is Easter, and our pastor is going to do a great job. He is going to do a great job because we pray for our pastor.”

My pastor friend was embarrassed by the over exuberance of emotions from one of his church members. But I was delighted that my friend had a prayer support team. Most pastors I know do not have this type of support.

Let me raise this important question to you. “Will you be your pastor’s prayer support team?” Please think about this for a moment. Today you might be the only person who takes time to pray for your pastor and his family. We know prayer makes a difference because God has ordained the means of pray to take more and more territory away from Satan.