Prayer Points for Pastors and Church Leaders

Prayer points for a pastor's life

Each verse is the King James Version (KJV). Say the prayer as a request. Where the opening prayer says [name], use your pastor's name.

Their walk with God and integrity

Lord, help them take heed to themselves and to the doctrine. Keep their private walk and their teaching together. Where they are tired of watching their own soul, call them back, and give them a clean heart before You. Amen.

1 Timothy 4:16 is Paul's charge to Timothy: pay attention to your own life and to the teaching, and continue in both. Pray that charge for your pastor.

1 Timothy 4:16 (KJV): "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

Preaching and teaching

Lord, give them utterance. Let them open their mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, and to speak as they ought to speak. Amen.

Ephesians 6:19-20 is Paul's request from prison. He asks for words and for boldness. Pray that for the person who preaches, and leave the hearing of the sermon with God.

Ephesians 6:19-20 (KJV): "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Rest and burnout

Lord, they labour and are heavy laden. You called the weary to come to You for rest. Give them that rest. Give them sleep, a real pause in the work, and people who will carry what they set down. Amen.

Matthew 11:28 is Jesus' invitation to people who labour and are heavy laden. Ask for that rest on a week when you can see the tiredness. Ask for a schedule that lets them stop, not for a life with no weakness in it.

Matthew 11:28 (KJV): "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Their marriage and children

Lord, build their house. Keep their marriage, and keep their children. Where they labour at home and are already tired from the church, do not let that labour be in vain. Watch over the household. Amen.

Psalm 127:1 says a house is built in vain unless the Lord builds it, and a city is watched in vain unless the Lord keeps it. Ask the Lord to build this household and to keep the children.

Psalm 127:1 (KJV): "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Hard seasons, criticism, and conflict

Lord, they are earthen vessels, and the power belongs to You, not to them. When they are troubled, perplexed, persecuted, or cast down, hold them. Do not let them be forsaken, and do not let them be destroyed. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 is Paul's account of his own ministry. He is hard pressed and he is not forsaken. Pray those words in a season of criticism or conflict. The passage describes weakness carried by God. It does not say that no hard word can reach a pastor.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (KJV): "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;"

Provision

Lord, teach this church its duty toward the elders who rule well and who labour in the word and doctrine. Help us count them worthy of double honour. Show us the pay and the care we owe them, and keep us from treating that support as a favor. Amen.

1 Timothy 5:17 tells the church to honor elders who labour in preaching and teaching. Pray it as the congregation's duty to support them. The verse is not a promise that a pastor's house will have plenty.

1 Timothy 5:17 (KJV): "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine."

Shepherding the flock

Lord, help them take heed to themselves and to all the flock. You purchased the church with Your own blood. Help them feed that church, and help them watch their own soul while they watch the people. Amen.

Acts 20:28 is Paul's charge to the elders at Ephesus. The Holy Ghost made them overseers so they would feed the church of God. Pray that charge for the pastor who watches this flock.

Acts 20:28 (KJV): "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."

The church's part

Lord, teach us to know the people who labour among us and who admonish us in the Lord. Help us esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and make us a people at peace among ourselves. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 is Paul's appeal to the brothers about the people who labour among them. The request is for recognition, love, and peace in the church.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (KJV): "And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves."

Lord, they watch for our souls and must give account. Help us so they may do that work with joy, and not with grief. We pray for them: give them a good conscience, and a will to live honestly in all things. Amen.

Hebrews 13:17-18 tells the church that its leaders watch for souls. It asks that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, and then it says to pray for them. The prayer at the top of this page asks for that joy. The line "a joy and not a grief" follows this verse.

Hebrews 13:17-18 (KJV): "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly."

Lord, open a door of utterance for them, to speak the mystery of Christ. Give them the words when they stand up to teach. Amen.

Colossians 4:3 is another of Paul's requests. He asks the church to pray that God would open a door of utterance. Pray that when your pastor teaches.

Colossians 4:3 (KJV): "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:"

Faithful shepherds

Lord, give this church pastors according to Your heart, who will feed Your people with knowledge and understanding. We ask You for faithful shepherds for the whole church. Amen.

Jeremiah 3:15 sits in Jeremiah 3:12-18. The Lord calls Israel to return, and he promises pastors according to his heart who will feed them with knowledge and understanding. Pray it as a request that God would give the church faithful shepherds. It is a word to a people he is calling back. It is not a guarantee about one pastor.

Jeremiah 3:15 (KJV): "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."

A closing blessing

Lord, bless them and keep them. Make Your face shine upon them, and be gracious to them. Lift up Your countenance upon them, and give them peace. Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26 is the blessing the Lord told Aaron and his sons to speak over Israel. Pray those words over the pastor and their household. You are asking God to bless, to keep, and to give peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV): "The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

Why the church prays for its leaders

Paul asked the churches to pray for him, and he told them what to ask. The points on this page follow that pattern. Each one is a request. The result stays with God.

Romans 15:30 (KJV): "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;"

He is writing to the church in Rome. He asks them to strive with him in prayer for him. A church member can do that same work for a pastor: join the prayer, and name the person.

He asks for help with the preaching in the same way. Ephesians 6:19-20, quoted above, asks for utterance and for boldness while he is an ambassador in bonds. Colossians 4:3, also quoted above, asks God to open a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 (KJV): "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:"

Hebrews 13:18, in the passage quoted above, says, "Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly." Hebrews 13:17 asks that those who watch for souls may do it with joy, and not with grief. The short prayer at the top asks for that.

Say that short prayer when you need words today. Use one day from the week above, or stay with the single point that matches the pressure your pastor is under. The same requests can be prayed for other church leaders who teach and care for people.