Pastor Lloyd

31 Days of Prayer for Pastors and Elders

Someone forwarded this to me this morning.  I know I speak for all of the pastors and elders at CCOB when I say we covet your prayers!

Day 1
Pray that your pastors and elders will love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in their hearts in power and that they will value and follow biblical priorities.   (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33)

Day 2
Pray that your pastors and elders will cultivate strong character and uncompromising integrity. Pray that their testimonies will be genuine, and that they will never do anything that they would need to hide from others. (1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Day 3
Pray for their personal walk with God that their souls and spirits will be nourished and strengthened in their quiet time with God. Pray that they will spend more time in the Word of God than reading Christian books and articles. (Mark 1:35; 2Tim. 2:15-16)

Day 4
Pray that your pastors and elders will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power to work. Pray that they will be protected from the effects of sinful or negative attitudes that they encounters as they counsel. (Mal. 2:7; James 1:5-6; John 17:15)

Day 5
Ask God to protect the marriages of your pastors and elders, keeping them strong as models of Christ’s relationship with the Church. Pray that your pastors and elders will tenderly cherish and lead their wives, and that their wives will respect and encourage their husbands, submitting to their leadership. (Eph. 5:23-33)  (If some of your pastors and elders are not married, pray for their relationships with loved ones and those who are close to them.)

Day 6
Pray that God will protect your pastors and elders wives from bitterness when their husbands are criticized. Pray that the wives prayer and devotional lives will be consistent, and that the wives guard their minds and hearts. (Heb. 12:15; Prov. 4:23)

Day 7
Pray for your pastors and elders children, and especially that the pressures of the ministry will not discourage or embitter them. Pray that your pastors and elders will provide godly leadership in the home, not based on fear of what others will think, but according to scriptural truth. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:20-21)  (If your pastors and elders do not have children, pray that God will give them many spiritual children as they share the Gospel.)

Day 8
Ask God to protect your pastors and elders from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that they will not be corrupted as they rub shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Is. 54:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:12; Ps. 9:9-10, 91:9-11)

Day 9
Pray that God will build a hedge of protection around your pastors and elders marriages, and that they will be aware of the potential for any improper relationships. Pray that their family time will be protected. (Ezek. 22:30a; 2 Cor. 10:4-5; Matt. 19:6)

Day 10
Pray that your pastors and elders will use discernment in use of e-mails, the Internet, and the media.  Ask God to guard their hearts concerning the use of free time. Pray that they will be morally pure and that they will wear the armor of God so that they will not fall into sexual temptation. (Rom. 13:14; 1Pet. 1:16; Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 10:4)

Day 11
Pray that God will bring godly friends and encouragers to your pastors and elders and their families, to strengthen them for the ministry and provide meaningful fellowship and times of rest. (Phil. 2:19-25)

Day 12
Pray that your pastors and elders will be humble and authentic in their faith, not given to pride or hypocrisy. Pray that they will have pure motives and give God glory for every gain or victory.  (Micah 6:8; Gal. 6:14; John 7:17-18; 1 Cor. 10:13)

Day 13
Pray that your pastors and elders will make wise lifestyle choices in order to protect their health, especially in the areas of exercise, eating moderately, and getting sufficient rest. Pray for times of relaxation and renewal to balance the stress of ministry. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 9:27, 10:13, 6:19-20; James 3:1-2)

Day 14
Pray that your pastors and elders will focus on the Word of God and walk in the fear of the Lord rather than fear of man. Pray that they will seek to please God rather than men, and pursue holiness rather than the praise of men. (Acts 6:4; Prov. 19:23; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 11:6; 2 Tim. 4:1-2)

Day 15
Praise God for your pastors and elders leadership and pray that they will make godly decisions.  Pray that they will lead with a shepherd\’92s heart, and that they will always speak the truth in love. (1 Kings 3:9; 1 Pet. 5:2; Rom. 12:6-8; Jer. 3:15)

Day 16
Pray that your pastors and elders will be courageous in the pulpit in proclaiming Christ, and confident in their use of the Word of God. Ask God to help them preach with insight, transparency and humility. (Col. 1:28, 4:3a; Eph. 6:19)

Day 17
Pray that your pastors and elders will be Great Commission men committed to personal evangelism and the equipping of the saints to seek the lost. Pray that they will have a heart to develop a thriving missions program in the church. (Rom. 10:15; Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 19:10)

Day 18
Pray that your pastors and elders will be men of prayer and worship, and that they will lead by example teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matt. 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46)

Day 19
Pray that your pastors and elders will use wise time management, and that they will seek God’s perspective for their schedules, guarding their time against unnecessary interruptions. (Eph. 5:15-16; Col. 4:5; Ps. 90:12; John 9:4)

Day 20
Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastors and elders ministries. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in their personal lives and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a)

Day 21
Pray that your pastors and elders will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing themselves into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23)

Day 22
Pray that your pastors and elders will practice servant leadership, edifying the congregation with wisdom and serving with God’s agape love. (Gal. 5:13b; Eph. 6:7; Luke 10:43b-45, 9:23-24; John 13:5-9; Phil. 2:3-4)

Day 23
Pray for spiritual unity in the church staff and among the spiritual leadership of the church.  Pray that the enemy will not be allowed to create divisions, strife, or misunderstanding among the church leaders. (Rom. 14:19; 1 Cor. 12:25)

Day 24
Pray that God will give your pastors and elders a clear, biblical vision of what your church can and should be for His glory, and that they will communicate that vision clearly and confidently to the church. (Prov. 29:18; John 15:16, 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:5; Mal. 3:11)

Day 25
Pray that your pastors and elders will seek God for personal revival, and revival in your church and community. (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 69:32)

Day 26
Pray that your pastors and elders will think biblically, with the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16; Col. 2:6-8; Eph. 4:17)

Day 27
Pray that pastors and elders will earnestly seek God’ss will and be committed to instant and complete obedience ready for God to work powerfully in and through their ministry. (2 Cor. 10:3-5; Luke 9:23-24)

Day 28
Pray that pastors and elders will strive for personal excellence and will believe God for all He wants to do in the congregation. (2 Pet. 1:3; Col. 3:23-24)

Day 29
Pray that your pastors and elders will be men of faith and have a passionate love for God, not giving in to worries, fears, or an uptight and anxious spirit. (1 John 4:18; Prov. 3:5-6)

Day 30
Ask God to provide for the financial needs of your pastors and elders and their families. Pray that they will be wise stewards of both personal finances and church funds. (Phil. 4:19; Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:11; Ps. 37:25)

Day 31
Ask God to heal any hurts that your pastors and elders have suffered in the ministry. Pray that they will serve the Lord with gladness, and encourage the congregation to worship God with a joyful, surrendered spirit. (Is. 61:3)