Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mac . I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day , so grab your cup of coffee , sit back , relax and let me help you start your day right . How often do you pray for your pastor ? How often do you pray for your pastor ?
Now , I know that there are some of you out there who may not be able to go to church or don't go to church every Sunday or for whatever reason . That doesn't work out for you , but you've got someone that you follow . There's a pastor , in all likelihood , that you listen to , that you receive your teaching from , and so how often do you pray for him ?
Very often we will call on our pastors to pray for us , and we know that that's part of what his job description is to come and pray for us . But do you know also that it's part of our job description to pray for him ? Their job is not an easy one . In fact , the job of a pastor is one of the most difficult .
Here are some statistics to help you understand what they are facing . In the world right now , 97% of pastors have been betrayed , falsely accused or hurt by those they thought were their trusted friends . 70% of pastors battle depression . 1,500 pastors resign from their positions in the churches in North America each and every month .
80% of pastors are feeling discouraged . 94% of pastors' families feel the pressure and stress of ministry on them . 78% of pastors have no close friends . 78% of pastors have no close friends . 90% of pastors report working 55 to 75 hours a week .
Being a pastor is difficult because it's long hours , it's unpredictable hours and it's constantly giving out from deep within you . You're giving wisdom , you're giving prayer , you're giving counsel . You're trying to encourage and direct people and help them .
A lot of the time , your energy is put into helping people who are hurting and stressed out and are battling through a situation that they are in , whether it be a loss , a sickness or personal struggles . Pastors are pouring into people . In her book , how to Pray for your Pastor by Ashley Hales , she gives five ways in which we should pray for our pastors .
I want to share those with you this morning . Number one pray for the gospel to soak into your pastor's heart . It is very easy for even a pastor to get sidetracked from the gospel core , which is that Jesus Christ came to this world to die for the sins of man so that man could have a relationship and peace with God .
That core message must be inside all of our pastors and as with any of us as human beings , when we get in stressful situations . Sometimes we react to the stresses and we lose sight of the things that are most important . So pray for your pastor to have the gospel soaked deep in his heart . Number two pray for the unity of your church .
Colossians , chapter 3 , verse 14 , says Above all , clothe yourselves with love , which binds us all together in perfect harmony , and let the peace that comes from Christ rule in our hearts , for as members of one body , you are called to live in peace and always be thankful . Thirdly , pray for good friends for your pastor .
He needs to be surrounded by people who will love and uphold him and not turn on him . Pray for your pastor's family . Number four there are many children of pastors who grow up angry at the church because their father , who was the pastor , has spent all of his time on the church and not enough with them . Families need to be strong .
And fifthly , pray for your pastor's rest . He needs rest , he needs to be strengthened . If he's going to be giving out . He has to be able to take in to himself , to be refreshed within himself , so he has more to give out to those around him who need it . Pray for your pastor , pray for what God wants to do for him and in him .
After all , these leaders of the churches are given to us by God Jeremiah 3 , verse 15 , and I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding . These leaders of our churches are God's gift to us and we must care for them as a gift from God and love and support them as they pour into us when we are in need .
Father , bless our pastors today . Give them strength , wisdom and understanding . Keep them on track with your plan and your goals for their lives and for their ministry , look after their families , protect their hearts , protect their minds . And , lord , give our pastors friends and rest as they need it .
In Jesus' name , amen , thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday , right here on Starting Right with Danny Mac .