If you have a good pastor, pray for him

Like a good mechanic, a good pastor is hard to find these days.

It’s a weird statement to make but given all that’s been going on over the past few days, weeks and even years, the analogy seems fitting. All of us who are car owners know how critical and how difficult it is to find a good mechanic. Not just because he may be good at what he does, but because he’s honest and reliable…characteristics we also look for in a good contractor.

These days, good, Godly pastors are becoming as elusive as unicorns, even amid what seems to be an explosion of new churches opening up on a regular basis. The irony is that the more churches that open, the more bad pastors are being exposed.

Perhaps it’s a sign from God himself, letting us know that his name should be honored and that he would not allow his name to continue to be defamed by those who only wish to use it for financial gain.

Over the years we’ve seen the public exposure of so many pretend church leaders around the world and as the last days draw nearer, such exposure will become plentiful. To put it bluntly, pastors and church leaders are falling like flies! The Bible says that “judgement must first begin in the House of God” and if God is about to fulfill his promise to judge the world, he must first fulfill his promise to bring his own church out into the light. He will present a flawless bride to Christ.

Imagine, before the advent of computers, the internet and social media, these evil, pretend pastors got away with so much for so long, leading so many people astray and hurting the body of Christ. But now social media and cameras on cellphones is shining light on what has been in the dark for so long. And yes, some people are angry that the light has been turned on. They are angry at Believers who call out these wolves in sheep clothing, admonishing us to instead pray for them, while they carry on in their ungodly antics.

Besides, the innocent has nothing to fear.

I will admit that amid this explosion of exposure, some good pastors have been caught up in the fray. Yes, there are some church leaders who simply made a mistake and were dragged through the mud of public opinion and unjustly wrung through the wringer of social media. Unlike evil, pretend leaders who lived by their fleshly, carnal desires, caught up in greed and arrogance, and who had made a habit out of bad behavior, some good pastors were thrown into the same pool and condemned.

A deliberate move by the devil himself.

That’s why I’m admonishing church members, if you are blessed to have a Godly, good pastor, you ought to pray for him on a regular basis. Your pastor needs your prayers. I’m not saying to worship your pastor, but to pray for him. Honor him, yes, but do not worship your pastor. God hates idolatry.

Why am I saying this? Because it has become customary now for churches to move past honoring their church leaders to worshipping them, putting them up on pedestals, refusing to see any wrong they do, and we’ve seen how that turns out.

While the Bible admonishes us to honor pastors and church leaders (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, Romans 13:7, Jeremiah 3:15, 1 Corinthians 9:14) the most important thing you can do for your pastor is to pray for him.

No, I’m not talking about those shallow prayers of “God bless my pastor and his family and keep them safe”. That’s good, but merely a start. You should pray that your pastor walks in wisdom, has a spirit of humility, yet remain powerful in spirit; that he walks in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that he fears God more than man, that he holds confidence in God’s word, that he would grow in godliness and love his family well. Pray that your pastor is kept from the evil one, that he is kept from the path of evil and free from the evil words spewed towards him and his family from evil altars.

I know, some of this is a bit much for some people to handle. All this talk about evil words from evil altars have some church folks’ knickers in a bunch. But the truth is, if you have a Godly pastor, the Devil is throwing everything at him in hopes that he falls, messes up, falls ill or even drop dead. That’s the reality. And the enemy’s attack against your good pastor is consistent.

So, your prayers for your pastor must be consistent, sincere, Godly and intentional.

But why is the devil bent on attacking your pastor, especially if he does not get the publicity, media attention and the public eye like those pretend pastors? Simply because your pastor is a shepherd after God’s heart, who teaches the unadulterated Word of God, who sincerely prays for his church members, counsels them and help them grow up spiritually. These sorts of pastors cause the devil to pull his hair out.

To take it a step further, the enemy’s plan is not just to destroy good pastors, but to take out the entire congregation which that pastor leads. You see, the Devil is very aware of what the Lord Jesus said when he quoted the Prophet Zechariah.

“Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” - Matthew 26:31.

In other words, the Devil knows that if he can get a good pastor to fall, church members will become offended, discouraged and scatter. Some may even abandon the faith altogether. And this is what he’s after.

So, after all that has been said, the most obvious question that arises is “how do I know if my pastor is a good pastor?” In the Books of Titus and 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul clearly lays out the characteristics and qualifications for pastors and church leaders. This list has been around for over 2,000 for church members to view anytime they want. Yet, many church members put up with, encourage and entertain bad pastors, choosing to offer excuses for their bad behavior.

The Bible says that a pastor must be above reproach (Titus 1:6-7), he must be committed to his wife (Titus 1:6), able to manage his own household (1 Tim. 3:4-5); he must be a faithful steward (Titus 1:7), humble, not arrogant (Titus 1:7), gentle, not quick tempered (1 Tim. 3:3), sober, not a drunkard (Titus 1:7); a pastor must be peaceful, not violent (Titus 1:7), have financial integrity and not greedy for financial gain (1 Peter 5:3), hospitable (Titus 1:8) and a lover of good (Titus 1:8); He must be self-controlled (1 Tim. 3:2) and upright (Titus 1:8), holy (Titus 1:8) and one who is able to teach (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim. 3:2); a pastor must be spiritually mature (1 Tim. 3:6), respectable (1 Timothy 3:7) and an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:3).

There you have it, the qualifications for pastors and church leaders. If you go over this list and can’t identify at least seven of these qualifications or characteristics in your pastor, I think you may have a problem. Even worse is if you can’t find your pastor on this list but see more of him on the list in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, run away from that church as fast as you can!

However, if you have concluded that you indeed have a Godly, good pastor, then keep him and his family on your prayer list, because truth be told, he’s gonna need it. We’re in the time of a great shaking of the world and all that’s not bolted down or on a firm foundation will be shaken apart.