 Pastors are expected to do a lot, but there are some things you should be doing as well. Here are 5 things that your pastor needs from YOU! Prayer If you aren’t already, please make sure that you are praying for your pastor on a regular basis. The work of the Lord can never be done on man’s strength and ability alone. Each one of us must be seeking heaven (Matthew 6:33) and asking God to work in our churches, but also in the lives of our pastors. Billy Sunday, an influential American evangelist of the early 20th century, once said, “If you are strangers to prayer you are strangers to power.” If you want to see God’s power working in your church then pray for your pastor as he leads you. I believe this statement with all my heart, “When we pray specifically, God answers specifically.” Pray specifically. Pray often. Include your pastor and his family in your prayers.
Patience Not sure that your pastor has truly gotten direction from the Lord? Repeat step one: pray. As you continue to pray, have patience. God answers prayer in His timing not ours. Plus, what do you have to lose by asking God to show you if your pastor is indeed heading in the right direction? When in doubt, pray. When unsure, have patience. God can work in your waiting. Participation Your pastor regularly prays, studies and seeks God’s wisdom and clarity for the direction that He would have for your church to go. There is nothing like your pastor leading the charge in the direction God has given him and then for him to turn around and see little to no people following. Also, you do realize that each of us are all called to some form of ministry as well, right? God’s work is not just to be done by paid staff, but by each and every believer. Robby Gallaty in his book, Growing Up: Making Disciples Who Make Disciples, said, “The gospel came to you because it was heading to someone else. God never intended for your salvation to be an end, but a beginning. God saved you to be a conduit through whom His glorious, life-changing gospel would flow to others." You my friend are a conduit. It doesn’t say your pastor, but you. Don’t know what to share? Share your story. Share what God has done in your life. Share about the next steps you have been taking to follow Jesus. God desires for you to be His hands and feet. That requires your participation. Praise I was hesitant to use this particular word, but I think it fits. When I was working on this article, my wife’s suggestion was positivity. So, the gist is this: When was the last time that you encouraged your pastor? Told him how he was specifically making a difference your life. In the life of your church. That you appreciate the sacrifices that he makes each week. Most pastors only hear complaints and sometimes it is over the silliest of things. Don’t be one of “those” people. Find a way to genuinely thank your pastor for all that he does. Persistence This is sorely lacking in the world today, not just in the church. We live in a drive-thru, instant have it your way society. If the preacher doesn’t say or do what we want him to do, then we will just get a new one. Wrong. If he is preaching and teaching false doctrine, well then of course you would not want him leading your church, but most of the time that is not the case. Issue? Lack of persistence. Did you know that it generally takes a pastor 5-7 years before he can build the relationships and respect needed to truly make changes in a church. Also, the average tenure of a pastor is between 3-4 years, many less than 3, which is sad. However, there are exceptions, some pastors stay in a ministry for 20 plus years. If they do, why? It was because they were persistent, but also because their congregation was patient, they participated, they praised (encouraged) him for leading them and thus God’s power and presence was felt in the church and the lives of its people. It was also because the people of that particular church were persistent as well. They hung on and kept praying, asking for God's will to be done. Where do we go from here? In closing, ask yourself this:
What else can you offer your pastor? What are other things your pastor needs from you? What have you given your pastor that is not listed above? A man for whom Christ died … … who seeks to be a Barnabas (encourager) to those God places in his path. -Chris *This originally appeared on Pastor Chris Moore's blog on 3/17/17. To view the original, click here.
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