Dear Lord, thank You for our pastor. I pray that Your Holy Spirit would lead and guide him in all the duties that he is called upon to do. Lord, keep him ever open to hear Your voice and give him a heart that seeks to draw ever closer to Your heart of love, day by day. May he rest in You and draw all His strength from You. Give him a passion to lift up the Lord Jesus, in every aspect of his ministry. Prevent him from the ‘busyness’ of his pastoral duties, and may he learn to rest in You and to wait on Your leading, and Lord, keep him close to You in thought, word and deed I pray, so that he may remain pure in motive and attitude as well. Guard and guide his home life, his wife and his children and keep each of them united in their love for You and for each other. Prevent any resentment from developing when duty calls, but rather may his home and family become a place of encouragement and refreshment for his soul. May it also be a place where You remain as the central figure. Keep our pastor and his family from the assaults of the enemy and from the criticism that follows a man that seeks to be Christ-focussed. Guard and guide them from being tempted toward the lust of the world and the lust of the flesh or from developing any prideful attitudes.
Lord, give our pastor integrity and grace in all his duties, and may he delight himself in the Lord so that his life and example is a wonderful witness to others, so that You may be glorified through his ministry. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.