What Can We Pray for Pastors & Ministers?
Pray Today Episode 02
featuring Pastor Rickie Bradshaw
Please welcome Pastor Rickie Bradshaw, from First Southwest Baptist Church. Today he will share with us what we can pray for our pastors and ministers.
Video Transcript
Mary Ann: Welcome back today. It’s so great to be with you and have as our guest today one of the pastors in the greater Houston area, Pastor Rickie Bradshaw. Welcome Pastor, I’m so glad that you’re with us today.
Pastor Bradshaw: Thank you Mary Ann, it’s good to be here today.
Mary Ann: Today our pastor is going to be speaking to us on what do we pray for pastors? Join us today as we hear from one of the greatest pastors in our city. Pastor, what should we as the body of Christ be praying for our pastors?
Pastor Bradshaw: That’s a good question, first of all thank you for letting me come and share with you today.
Mary Ann: It’s an honor.
Pastor Bradshaw: I’m very honored to talk about this because being a pastor you’re hoping that your congregation is praying for you.
Mary Ann: Yes – so important.
Pastor Bradshaw: I have seen the difference when they’re not. Most ministers can tell when people are praying for them. Some of the things we can be praying about is not only the speaking, activating ministry, praying for that, but also his family. If there’s a big target on the preacher, its on the family. And the enemy comes like a flood to discourage them.
Pastor Bradshaw: I remember when Peter, for example was called to the ministry to follow Jesus and his mother-in-law got sick with a very, the Scripture says, a very high fever (Luke 4:38-39 NIV). The intercessor Himself, Jesus Christ, visited his home and brought healing to her and she got up, went into the kitchen, and fixed everybody some food. Now you’re talking about ministering not only to Peter but also to Jesus.
Mary Ann: It’s a miracle!
Pastor Bradshaw: That’s the importance of having that intercession, the prayer, because Jesus was in the midst. He said ask, seek, and knock and the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7). Prayer is so powerful – to change things, to advance things, as well as to attract the presence of God to a place and to a person. It’s essential that we pray for one another and especially for our pastors as they labor and for their families.
Mary Ann: I remember, Pastor, thinking that I don’t know how to specifically pray for my pastor. You’ve experienced a lot of things and so share with us today, with the body of Christ, what is it that we can pray?
Pastor Bradshaw: If I wanted to pray, I want to pray God’s will for my pastor. And every time I read the Scriptures, I’m reading God’s will for all of us, but especially for my pastor because he’s a model. He’s an example for what I should become. I’m following somebody, so I want to pray that he would become what I should become.
Pastor Bradshaw: I think the number one thing on my heart in praying for pastors is that pastors would love the Lord their God with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength (Luke 10:27 NIV). That Scripture, that’s the first commandment, and that should be something I should want for my own personal life as a pastor.
Pastor Bradshaw: Lord, I pray that you help me to love you with an allegiance where you are first and I want to add, the supreme one in my life. Not my ministry, not my church, not my family, not my job, not my car, not my home. Even though I may be preaching in Thessalonica instead of in Philippi, which is this poor congregation.
Pastor Bradshaw: No, my identity is in my love relationship with God. Pastors need to have people praying that our first relationship is with Christ, obedience to him, loving him with all of our heart, with all of our mind, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength.
Pastor Bradshaw: That’s number one for me. The second thing is to help pastor love others like You love Him (Luke 10:27 NIV). I think that’s the second commandment, it’s God’s love. Lord, love him. Help him to love his wife as Christ loved the Church. Help him to love his children as You love him. Help him to love the Church, as You, the Shepherd of the sheep, love the church.
Pastor Bradshaw: Father, help Pastor Bradshaw to love even his own enemies, as You loved him. Because You told us in Scripture love your enemies (Matthew 5:44 NKJV). Pray for them who despitefully use you. Believe me, in ministry, pray for pastors that they would love their enemies. We do have enemies, I hate to say that.
Mary Ann: We all do.
Pastor Bradshaw: We all do. Pastors need to model how do you love your enemy. Whole congregations, they want to pray for pastors to preach well, but help him to love well, to love God well, and to love others well, even his enemies. To demonstrate the loving relationship of God to all humanity, not only in word but in action.
Pastor Bradshaw: That is so important. Jesus said this, if he can do those two things, he has fulfilled the law (Matthew 22:40 NKJV, Galatians 5:14 NIV).
Mary Ann: Good news!
Pastor Bradshaw: Good news! Those are some things we can pray about.