Prayer for Ministers and Clergy
This prayer for ministers, clergy, priests, pastors and religious workers helps us show our support and appreciation for those who serve us so well in bringing God’s wisdom and care into our world.
This prayer for clergy and ministers can be used on Clergy Appreciation Day (the second Sunday in October) or used as a personal prayer any time you want to pray for your minister.
Prayer for our Ministers and Clergy
Dear Heavenly Father,
We pray your blessings today on our ministers, priests, pastors, religious workers and members of the clergy who spread the good news of Your love.
We thank You particularly for those whom we know personally who are near and dear to our hearts for giving us their time and care to help us know You better.
We are grateful that our ministers, priests, pastor and religious workers obeyed the call to ministry by answering “yes” to service in our world.
Continue to grant them the quality time they need to study Your Word in the Bible as they seek to remind us of Your truths and teachings.
Grant them wisdom and love during the hours they spend counseling the hurting, visiting the sick, guiding the Church and praying for the needs of many.
Arm them with the gift of discernment to challenge the unhealthy values of our culture.
Empower them to speak your healing, life-giving words against despair and hopelessness.
Provide our clergy times of rest and spiritual refreshment. Help us to be sensitive to the impossible time demands we and our congregations place on them.
May we graciously grant our ministers and priests the freedom to say “no” to the things that might diminish their ability to minister well.
Set firm boundaries of respect in us about their need for time with family, for privacy and for and rest.
Make us slow to criticize, quick to love and encourage.
We ask that You protect our ministers, priests, pastors, religious workers and members of the clergy from the evil forces that oppose Your Kingdom.
Give them the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. Protect their health, their families, their reputations, their finances and their moral resolve.
When they are tempted, be their refuge and help. And when they give in to temptation, lead them into forgiveness and restoration that will better equip them to comprehend and share the depth of Christ’s redeeming love.
We join many in commending our clergy members to you as we echo Your words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:23 NIV) Amen.
About this prayer for ministers
Being a member of the clergy is a vocation that requires individuals to juggle many different responsibilities. Church pastors are called on to preach, pray, teach, oversee staff members, manage church finances, visit the sick and grieving, offer pastoral counseling, help the poor, settle conflicts, set the church vision, be an ambassador to the community, offer encouragement and make decisions.
In many denominations ministers also have wives and children who need their time and attention. They also need to take care of their own physical, mental and physical health.
Paying for the ministers at our church is something I do every morning on my prayer walk. I mention their names and something about the needs of their families or something that they are undertaking at our church. I will admit that there are times when I have not seen eye to eye with some of the things our ministers do.
When I feel that I’m not on the same page as one of our ministers, I pray that God will nurture in that particular minister the fruit of the spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. (Galatians 5:22-23) As a bonus, it reminds me to ask God to give me the same virtues when I start to complain and judge others!
I am also in a prayer group whose purpose is to pray for our church, staff members and church ministries. We get together once a month and pray together for our ministers by name and for any needs they might have such as health issues. As the leader of this group I also email our ministers before we meet to ask them what they want us to pray for them.
Prayer for Ministers on Clergy Appreciation Day
Another great way to pray for ministers and clergy is to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Day. It is the second Sunday in October each year.
This day to honor ministers was started in 1992 to honor, encourage and thank ministers, priests, pastors and missionaries. Sources cite Timothy 1 (5:17) in the Bible where Paul says that leaders of the church should be honored. Again Paul tells us, “Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” (I Thessalonians 5:12,13 NIV) The entire month of October is now designated Clergy Appreciation Month.
Other useful prayers
Thirty One Day Prayer to Support Ministers and Spiritual Leaders
Copyright Karen Barber 2014. All rights reserved.