40 Days of Prayer and Fasting – Day 28 – Pray for Our Pastors and Teachers

Today in our fasting and prayer time, we will pray for our pastors and teachers.

Dana Coverstone’s dream about praying for September really struck a chord with me, as the Lord had called our ministry to increase prayer and fasting efforts going into the fall. Today he is calling for prayers to expose corruption in the church and the government. I will expand today’s prayer for pastors to include building up and strengthening.

Your fasting matters. Don’t let the devil tell you it won’t do anything! It will tear down his kingdom and build up the Lord’s kingdom. God uses humble men and women of God to do his will. When we fast and pray we include God in the relationship, instead of trying to do everything ourselves without him. We cannot win this battle apart from prayer and fasting, and when we do, it may look way different than we anticipate. This is why we must press into the throne of grace. God will give us strength in our inner beings to walk with Christ in our hearts through faith. (Eph 3)

Hebrews 12:1-13

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” ^a

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” ^b so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Let’s Pray! If you take 3 minutes on each prayer point- you will pray for 60 minutes. Ask the Lord to help you! You can do it, by his power and might!

1. Pray for the Lord to strengthen those pastors and leaders who are weak and faltering.
2. Pray for those under demonic attack and attacks from witchcraft. (This is truly happening in our time.) “Father, in Jesus’ name, plead the blood of Jesus over myself, my family, my church and my community as I pray. I pray and plead the blood of Jesus over my spiritual leaders. I stand in Jesus against Satan’s attacks on my pastor and (name other teachers/leaders in your life. Include pastors you may listen to online.) I pray in the authority of Jesus, as I am seated with him in heavenly realms far above all rule, power and dominion to break off every curse through divination or a spirit of witchcraft that is being targeted against pastors, leaders and spiritual teachers. No weapon formed against us shall prosper in the name of Jesus Christ. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raises up a standard against him. The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run in and are safe! I come against the attacks of the enemy on my pastor (name any others) in the name of the Lord God of Israel, the Lord of heaven and earth.) I break every curse that has been spoke against this spiritual leader in Jesus’ name. I pray blessings upon this person in Jesus’ name.
3. Pray for those being tempted and attacked with hopelessness and suicidal thoughts.
4. Pray against false accusations and condemnations from the enemy that are being whispered into the ears of congregations, friends and ministry partners. Pray that the accuser will be silenced and that Jesus will advocate for the leaders to the hearts of the congregations.
5. Pray for their families to be protected and nurtured by the Lord. Pray for the health of their families.
6. Pray for the financial provisions for those who are in spiritual leadership. (I know there is an idea that all pastors are running away with the church treasury, but the majority of pastors and those in ministry in America and around the world truly trust God for their daily bread and money to get the tires changed on their vehicle with 200,000 miles on it. The mega church pastors are in the extreme minority or .1%. The median size of a church in America is 75 people.)
7. Pray for the spiritual renewal of pastors by the Holy Spirit through personal repentance and an outpouring of God.
8. Pray for the Lord to invigorate ministries and to give fresh anointing and vision, for many to be saved.
9. Pray for repentance and deliverance, where there is sin and where there is temptation.
10. Pray for pastor’s wives when their husbands confess sin. Pray for their strengthening, for them to be filled with the grace of God, for them to be protected from the attacks of the enemy. Pray for them to have supernatural strength to support and love their husbands as they find healing from the Lord. Pray for healing of pastors’ families.
11. Pray that pastors and leaders will reach out and find help when they are being tempted.
12. Pray for those who hold up the arms of the pastors that they will be like Aaron and Hur- not faltering, but holding up the arms so that battles can be won.
13. Pray for the Lord to surround his leaders with encouragement and companionship in the spirit.
14. Pray for God to bring unity in the Spirit, by bringing together like-minded leaders from different races, denominations and areas. Take away defensiveness and a territorial mind-frame. Let us all work together for the building of the kingdom of heaven. Unite the body, Oh Lord!
15. Pray for the Lord to open the eyes of leaders to deception. Pray for your pastor and teachers that God will uncover areas in their lives where the devil has pulled the wool over their eyes. Open thier eyes, Oh Lord.
16. Lord to uncover corruption in the pulpit. When God reveals the sin of someone who loves him- it is because God loves the person and they need to go into the spiritual ER. These are not prayers of condemnation- but prayers of grace and mercy.
17. Lord, cleanse the pulpits of false doctrines and false teachers that are leading people astray.
18. Lord, let the spiritual scales fall from the eyes of those pastors and leaders who are religious but have never been born again through faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
19. Lord, raise up a new generation of emboldened spiritual leaders to teach, preach and fight the good fight for the gospel.
20. Lord, baptize the pulpits across the nation with the fire of the Holy Spirit. I pray that the days of dry sermons with polite poetry and funny stories give way to the birth of true Spirit-filled preaching that brings people into repentance and redemption.
21. Lord, give the pastors, teachers and leaders of the church a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Let them pant after your Word and desire your Spirit.
22. Lord, bring about a transformation of the church in America. May we stop following people and all follow Jesus together. Bring down the idolatry in the church- where people go after other people to hear a word from the Lord. Create a burning desire in the people of God to get on their knees and pray for themselves. Teach them to pray. Raise up the prayer warriors, Lord. Raise up those who will seek your face in the prayer closet. Bring about a mighty cleansing and a mighty transformation by your Spirit.

When someone repents, they can turn and be healed. This is the goal of our prayer.

When someone repents, it is Christ-like to give the grace of God and allow healing.

Give to others the grace you would want given to you.

As God begins to uncover corruption in the church, remember that he loves those he is correcting, or he would never correct them. So, finally, pray to be given God’s heart towards those who are in leadership and towards those who are in leadership and need restoration.

Also, God loves his flock. He is looking for faithful shepherds who lead his flock to the Great Shepherd.

Your fasting matters. Don’t let the devil tell you it won’t do anything! It will tear down his kingdom and build up the Lord’s kingdom. God uses humble men and women of God to do his will. When we fast and pray we include God in the relationship, instead of trying to do everything ourselves without him. We cannot win this battle apart from prayer and fasting, and when we do, it may look way different than we anticipate. This is why we must press into the throne of grace. God will give us strength in our inner beings to walk with Christ in our hearts through faith. (Eph 3)

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash