10 Ways to Pray for Your Church

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” Think of a church like a ship sailing in the ocean. Without a strong leader steering the ship with a clear sense of where it is going and weathering potential storms, the ship will easily veer off course. Pastors and leaders must agree on a vision for the church and have the necessary resources to achieve that vision. Pray that the church’s vision is Christ centered and will help the church achieve and maintain success in five or ten years from now.

Joel 2:28 says, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Without dreams and vision, churches lack direction. Without a sense of direction, church members also become bored and feel as though they have no purpose within the body. Pray for clear direction.

In addition to vision, churches must have a mission, or the steps the church will take to achieve its mission. Pray that the church will clarify and clearly communicate this mission to all its members and that it will remain the church’s focus.

(1 Timothy 5:17) “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” Next to the pastor, a church must have a good board of leaders who stand behind and support the pastor. Pray that they share the pastor’s vision, handle conflicts so the pastor doesn’t have to and communicate the mission and vision to church members often so members are constantly reminded of a church’s values and mission. 

A pastor’s job never ends. They never stop giving. Between long hours, insufficient pay and additional spiritual warfare, pastors need all the prayers they can get. Pray for protection over he and his family, and that God will use him mightily to preach the good news to all those who hear him. 

Matthew 9:17 says, “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Dead churches are ones in which long standing church members try to recreate the success of past ministries without considering the church’s values and goals for the future. Pray that all servants will not pour old wine into new wineskins, but rather identify the church’s biggest needs and do their best to meet them, putting their own needs and desires aside.  

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15). Mature to new believers alike fill pews week after week. But only the attendees who are good soil will apply what they have heard and make the world a better place because of it. Pray that churches have enough people who are good soil so that the seeds of truth will take root and grow into people who take the gospel to the ends of the earth world. 

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke15: 17-20). The fact that younger generations are leaving the church at an alarming rate is nothing new. But because they are leaving now doesn’t mean they can’t return later. It took the prodigal son to come to his senses before he returned with a repentant heart. Pray that children who were raised in the faith will come to their senses and return to the faith later in their lives. 

Acts 2:2-4 says, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tonguesas the Spirit enabled them.” The disciples, particularly Peter, were never the same after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. A dead church can be revitalized if they are working in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 2:2-4 says, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tonguesas the Spirit enabled them.” The disciples, particularly Peter, were never the same after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. A dead church can be revitalized if they are working in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. 

Michelle S. Lazurek is an award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife and mother. Winner of the Golden Scroll Children's Book of the Year and the Enduring Light Silver Medal, she is a member of the Christian Author's Network and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Her first book with Leafwood Publishers, An Invitation to the Table, came out September 2016. She also teaches at various writers' workshops, such as the Montrose Christian Writers conference. She and her husband live in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, with their two children, Caleb and Leah. For more information, please visit her website at michellelazurek.com.