“I’ve never, ever heard of a church member, when asked to pray by a pastor, who would say, ‘Oh no, that’s what we pay you for. We’re not going to be praying for you.’ They are actually honored that the pastor would ask them.”
“Most people know that leaders get criticized. Most people have at least an awareness. Most people do not know the frequency and the incessant criticism that always comes with being a pastor.”
“There are expectations of a pastor that are different than most any other position…Most pastors, before they go into their first church have heard about [criticism] and perhaps have prayed about it, but they have absolutely no concept of what it’s going to be. And these are in healthy churches.”
“One of the misconceptions is that pastors have it all together because they are called by God, because they can take care of people. Maybe they have advanced training, maybe they don’t. But there’s a perception that the pastor is not a normal person.”
“And leading a church, always my number one prayer in any organization or in my family, my number one prayer is just the prayer of wisdom.”
“The pastor needs…to indicate his family members are normal people that aren’t pastors.”
“Thirty days may not get you [to a habit of prayer], but if you go there, if you go through it a second time, you’ll probably get close to having developed the habit of praying for your pastor.”
“Pastor, you’ve got to hear me: This is something that your people want to do for you.”
“If you are a church member, one of the ways that I have encouraged church members to move forward is, do so in your small group.”
“I would challenge the pastor to demonstrate to your church members that you really need prayer and watch for the response.”
“When you are praying for your pastor, you are all on the same page for something that is godly and right. And so one of the first outcomes that you will likely see, particularly among those who are doing this, is unity.”
Mentioned in the Show
“When the People Pray: An Invitation to Intercede for Your Pastor and Revive Your Church” by Dr. Thom Rainer
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Charles Spurgeon
Eric Geiger
Jess Rainer
Kevin Harney
Sam Rainer
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