“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:8a (NLT)
The national average for pastors to spend time with God is less than eight minutes a day. This is absolutely tragic! I am not saying that your pastor fits into that category but it is a sad indicator for the church when those who are the shepherds are not spending time with the Great Shepherd! And the pastor’s relationship with God impacts their entire congregation. As a pastor goes, so will their congregation! It is no wonder the overall church is so lukewarm, powerless, complacent and fleshly.
Jeremiah tells us that when we call on the Lord He will answer us, revealing “great and unsearchable things” (33:3), but this requires more than eight minutes a day! Each Sunday pastors should be getting up behind their pulpits with fresh life-giving revelation from the Lord, overflowing from their relationship with Him! Jeremiah also tells us that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him (29:13-14). Jesus said a similar thing when He said we are to ask, seek and knock until God moves (Matthew 7:7-8). Jesus also revealed that we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5), but eight minutes a day is not what is called “abiding in Him!” Obviously, there is much that is not getting released from heaven when our leaders are not wholeheartedly seeking God. Please pray for your pastor! Again, I am not saying your pastor is “average!” But nevertheless, however much time they are actually sitting in His presence every day really does matter!
Please pray that your pastor would have a fresh grace in pursuing Jesus. May God put a seeking heart within them, and an expectation to find Him and be blessed by Him (Hebrews 11:6) when they do chase after Him with all their heart. Ask for a fresh hunger in their spirit for the Word and for simply spending time alone with Jesus. Ask God to awaken a fresh passion for prayer within them. And ask that this fresh hunger for God’s word and passion for prayer would spill over into your congregation. Ask the Lord how you can pray more focused and fervently for your pastor! Thank Him for the invitation into this great prayer movement!!!
