Dr. Thom Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers. With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, he has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of the local church and its leaders. He has pastored four churches and served as interim pastor to 10 churches. Thom’s latest book is, “When the People Pray: An Invitation to Intercede for Your Pastor and Revive Your Church.”
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Key Questions for Thom Rainer
-Why did you share some of the painful challenges and joys of being a pastor?
-How would you encourage pastors to ask their congregations to pray for them?
-Should the pastor be the person to ask the congregation for prayer, or should a key leader in the church do so?
-What is the outcome of a church praying regularly for its pastor?
Key Quotes From Thom Rainer
“[My church praying for me] was life-changing, and it was a reminder of the power of prayer, and it was also a reminder that pastors don’t need to be ashamed to ask for prayer. That’s my heart for pastors.”
“I wrote the book so that pastors would have something to ask people to do…I would say to pastors, ‘Ask your people to pray.’”
“If you get people praying for you, they’re going to ask, ‘How can I pray?’ And when my group of 100-plus was praying for me, I sent them a message every week…and I said, ‘Here’s how you can pray for me.’ And when I mentioned some of the areas they [could pray] for me, they would come back and say, ‘I had no idea that this was an issue for you.’ So when the people pray, they not only unleash the power of prayer through the Holy Spirit but they also begin to empathize and understand what it means to be a leader in the church.”
“It does feel weird, but I want to tell you this: The pastors who have [directly asked for prayer] thus far have told me that it felt weird but, boy, was the response tremendous.”
“Pastors want to be a shepherd. They want to take care of people. They want to be the servant. They don’t want to be served…And now you’re asking the congregation to take care of them. It’s awkward, but it is not awkward to the church members.”
