One of the greatest sermons

ever preached on American soil was proclaimed by early American pastor

Jonathan Edwards. The title was "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry

God," and the message had tremendous impact as it helped to spark

the revival movement known as "The Great Awakening."

When Edwards preached, he read

from a manuscript that he held close to his face. He was plain-spoken

with hardly any animation. There was no eye contact with his listeners.

Yet, while he was describing

man's need for salvation, it was reported that a man jumped from his seat

and ran to the front of the church screaming, "Stop, please stop,

lest I slip into Hell." He was so convicted that he could not wait

until the end of the sermon to be converted. Other worshippers grabbed

hold of the pews in front of them and cringed in conviction. The movement

of God was obvious and powerful.

On Friday night, just before

Edwards preached this particular sermon, a group of adults were so burdened

about the spiritual condition of their neighbors that they came together

to pray for their unchurched community. They intended to pray for just

a little while, but before they realized it, the sun was coming up and

they had been praying all night long.

Looking back, people who study

great awakenings firmly believe that there was a direct connection between

Edward's preaching on Sunday and the people's praying on Friday. Praying

for your ministers is critical. Prayer is a great work, and a great contribution

to the work of ministry.

How do you pray for your pastor?

Let's use the acrostic P-A-S-T-O-R.

P ­ Pray for your

pastor's purity. Pastors are human just like everybody else and

they are subject to great temptation. One of the greatest downfalls affecting

pastors and other ministers these days is Internet pornography. Pray that

your pastor will not put himself into a position to be tempted, and that

when temptation comes, he'll have the strength to resist.

Pray also for your pastor's

perseverance. Discouragement comes easily when the work seems to

be moving too slowly or when a congregation is underachieving. Burnout

among ministers is common because they give and give, and don't always

receive. Fatigue is common. Contrary to belief in some circles, ministers

work more than just one day a week.

I heard about one minister

who could be found at the train station every day at 3 p.m. One church

member finally asked him why he was spending so much time at the train

station. He replied, "I come down here to watch the train come in.

It's so refreshing. It's the one thing I see moving that I don't have

to push."

A ­ Pray for your

pastor's anointing. Pastors need a fresh touch from God so they'll

have a fresh word for the people. They need God's power in their life.

They need God's power in the pulpit. Pray that your pastor will not serve

in his own strength, but will serve in the power of God.

S ­ Pray for your

pastor's study time . Pray that he will keep his own spiritual life

nourished and fresh. As he prepares Sunday's message, pray that he'll

have plenty of time that is uninterrupted in which he can discover "a

word from the Lord." Pray that he'll stay up-to-date and will continue

growing personally and spiritually. Be sure that he is taking time away

now and then to attend conferences and continuing education events that

will recharge his spiritual batteries.

T ­ Pray for your

pastor's time management. A lot pulls at a pastor's time. His work

is never completed. There is always someone else he should have seen,

another prospect to visit or another call he needed to make. And in between

a myriad of duties, Sunday is still coming whether his sermon is ready

or not.

O ­ Pray for your

pastor's obedience. Pray for God to help your pastor to know and

do God's will.

R ­ Pray for your

pastor's relationships. Pray for his family and pray that their

time together will be rich. Pray for his work with the other ministers

on staff. Pray for his relationships with church leaders and with other

people in the community. Pray for harmony and a sense of teamwork.

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