As a minister of the gospel, you are many things—a preacher, teacher, and counselor. But you are also a shepherd, one who should regularly be on his knees before the throne of grace on behalf of your sheep. Grab your church directory and pray for your sheep. And if you don’t know how to pray for your sheep, sit down at the feet of the apostle Paul and learn from him and his prayers for his sheep.

I think one of the most underrated things a pastor can do is pray for his congregation. I think pastors, of course, should do all of the regular tasks we might expect, preach, study, counsel, meet with the elders, and perform the regular pastoral administrative responsibilities, which may vary from church to church. But I think pastors should invest regular time in praying for their church. I know most pray for the congregations from the pulpit, and this is a vital and important task. But often times pulpit prayers are filled with those in dire needs. But what about the people in your church who never have serious problems or illnesses? What about the other people in your church who don’t make the pulpit prayer list? Chances are they have needs as well but don’t get the attention that they might need.

One of the practical things you can do to ensure that you pray for all of the people in your church is to pray through your church directory. Depending on the size of your church, you might be able to pray for several households per day and get through your church in a month.

Read More