James 5:15-16, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
I see a lot of statistics on pastors these days; many are shocking, sobering, or discouraging. And I get it – as a rural church-planter’s wife I’ve seen the toll of ministry labor on my husband. I’ve also witnessed first-hand how God answers the earnest prayers of my shepherd-husband.
What might the prayer statistics for pastors around the world look like?
- Prayers of faith during crisis- x%
- Prayers of faith amidst fiery trials- x%
- Prayers of faith when there is awesome spiritual revival- x%
- Prayers of faith for someone who is ill- x%
- Prayers of faith when it feels like there is 0% hope- x%
The power isn’t in the position of a pastor; it’s in the prayers of a righteous person.
“The growing of our faith hurts, but it’s a good hurt.” I found myself saying these words recently on the phone to a fellow pastor’s wife from a different country . She remarked that she was encouraged by my two-fold admission. Simply put, harder to live out – my faith grows as I pray.
I was cleaning my husband’s office several months ago and found his personal prayer sheet tucked in his Bible. I couldn’t help myself as I read names and requests. The two of us pray together for many things, our family prays together during family devos, our church family prays like there’s no tomorrow… but I was moved to tears to see what my husband prays for alone with the Lord. Pray for your pastor to keep praying daily prayers of faith; it matters!
How about pastors around the world – what are their prayers of faith for?
- Courage to pastor their flocks regardless of prison/death threats
- Wisdom to preach the Word on all occasions
- Love and forgiveness for people, especially those who insult and revile them
- Support financially and prayerfully so they can support their families and continue pastoring
- Strength to focus on evangelism and discipleship
- Peace in their homes, churches, and communities
How about where two or three pastors are gathered for prayer?
I joined an online book launch group recently for Raise Them Up: Praying God’s Word Over Your Kids by Sally Burke and Cyndie Claypool De Neve. Moms in Prayer International President, Sally Burke, said corporate prayer is the most mentioned type of prayer in the Bible. Support your pastor’s attendance at gatherings (locally, online, traveling) where they will have a chance to pray prayers of faith with other pastors; it just might change the statistics.
