Heavenly Father I praise You today for the honor to pray for pastors, ministry teams and churches. I praise You that no matter our status here on the earth we all have a purpose in the body of Christ. I praise You that we are not divided when it comes to Christ. We are just one body, one church, living the best we can and serving with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
As I come to You today, I realize that You are the living stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him—I am also, like a living stone, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Help me to be this living sacrifice that will serve You and understand Your will with the help of the Holy Spirit. Teach me to serve with humility, meekness, grace and compassion. Let me be filled with Your Holy Spirit so that I can be poured out onto others to inspire them to seek salvation and to be a part of Your Kingdom here on the earth.
Holy Spirit I ask that You ignite a Holy Fire in the hearts of the pastors and ministry teams of the churches in the United States. I ask that You blow Your breath of life into them so that they can breathe out Your Spirit onto all that they minister too. Help them to go into their communities and represent You as a servant leader. Give them boldness in their speech, wisdom in their words and approach, compassion in their love for the sinner, and discernment of when to speak and when to work.
Holy Spirit I petition You to help the congregations get off the milk and start seeking the spiritual meat. Help them to become missionaries in their neighborhoods and schools. Emboldened them with a double portion of Caleb’s spirit to be bold and see how You fight our battles and that You have offered us the promises if we are obedient to You. Let each member and parishioner become one of these living stones and become the priesthood You seek. Help them to understand they are to speak with the Holy Spirit as their guide and to learn to meditate on Your word so that they can put on their spiritual armor daily for spiritual battle that is going to come their way. Let them stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around their waist. The belt of truth is their foundation, it holds the tools of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment close to their side to help them make wise decisions. Let them put on the breastplate of righteousness so that their heart and lungs are protected. This way they will treasure Your wisdom, Your word, and Your principles. They will also be able to breathe in Your word and meditate on it so it circulates through their spirit and then exhale exhortation of wisdom, gentleness, compassion, truth, grace and mercy onto the world around them. Keep their feet always fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. So they can always be ready to give an account of the hope that lies within them, and assist the least of these. Help them to take up and hold onto their shield of faith. Let it defend them from the lies of Satan and this world. Help them to use it to defend their trust in You and to let it be the barrier between them and hopelessness, depression and sin. Let them take up their helmet of salvation so all will know who’s side they have chosen to be on. Also let it protect their thought life, goals, meditations, and their understanding of Your word and principles. Finally let them use the sword of the Spirit so that they will pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Help them to be alert and always praying for the saints. Help them to have a faith of a mustard seed to move mountains and giants out of the way. Help them to trust in listening to the Holy Spirit and His promptings so they can show themselves approved of dividing the word properly.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever, Amen. (Romans16:25-27)