It takes many hands throughout the week to ensure that the ministry keeps rolling at a local church beyond Sunday’s services.  And as an active church staff member, I can honestly say that there is no better place to go to “work” every day than at your own church.  Depending on your church, that may mean a staff of one pastor, or it could mean a staff of 50.  But no matter the size of the church, every church member should be actively praying for the members of their church staff (whether pastoral, administrative, or custodial).  So how do you pray effectively?  Here are some ideas to help you petition the Lord on their behalf:

  1. Pray for Protection: We must remember that we are in the middle of a spiritual battle! No one works harder to get a ministry to fail than Satan himself.  And church staff members are actively serving on the front lines every day.  Satan will throw everything he has at a ministry that is striving to further the Gospel and effectively minister to those around it, and these attacks can come in so many different shapes and sizes (discord among staff, members with grievances, office equipment failure, and so much more).  Pray specifically for spiritual protection from Satan’s attacks so that ministry can keep moving forward.
  2. Pray for Productivity: Just like with any job, some days are better than others. And not every problem that church staff members face is strictly spiritual.  Printers break down, technology decides to go haywire, and deadlines always loom just over the horizon.  Pray that even in the midst of office chaos, staff members are able to be productive and accomplish their weekly goals.
  3. Pray for Persistence: Ministry can be one of the most rewarding places to serve. But to be bluntly honest, it can also be one of the most draining places to serve.  Because we live in a sinful, fallen world, there will always be struggles.  Members will pass away, marriages will dissolve, children will stray, and so many other trials persist in every church.  As pastors and leaders, your church staff will come alongside those members who are struggling and bear those burdens as well.  As rewarding as ministry can be, it can be just as discouraging.  Ministry can also be an extremely thankless job at times.  Faithful servants of the Lord have swept floors, decorated rooms, changed diapers, run audio equipment, and so much more all without any recognition.  Pray that the members of your church staff keep faithfully serving, even when it gets mundane and tiresome.
  4. Pray for Proper Perspectives: One of the areas that Satan loves to target is the mind. He will push and prod in areas that he knows we are most apt to falter in, and he loves to discourage those who are actively serving.  Pray that members of your church staff view every event that happens on a weekly basis through the lens of eternity.  When we remember that our daily tasks have an eternal impact, we see the Lord’s hand at work in so many timely areas.

Remember: Ministry happens outside of your Sunday morning worship services.  When you walk through the doors on Sunday morning and the lights are all on, the temperature has been adjusted, the song lyrics have all been programmed, and your preacher starts to preach, remember that so much work has been put in Monday through Friday in preparation for 2 hours on Sunday.  The spiritual battle rages on during the week, and we must be prepared to fight from our knees on behalf of our church staff members.