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At Living Well Professional Counseling, we are grateful for our local church pastors. We are honored by their trust in our ministry.
This year, I have been thinking more and more about what Saturday evening must be like for a pastor, knowing that Sunday is coming. According to an article by Christianity Today in 2022, “Twenty-six percent of US Protestant pastors say they have personally struggled with some type of mental illness.” That is 1 out of every 4 pastors that struggle with mental illness. The article continues with further exploration of the pastor’s role in helping the church body with the topic of mental health. 60% of pastors are exploring mental health from the pulpit, so some pastor’s hearts are not only heavy personally but also heavy for the people in their congregations.
Realizing that I do not fully understand what it must be like, I have begun praying this prayer on Saturday evenings for my pastor as well as other Arkansas Baptist pastors around our state. I invite all our lay people to join me on Saturday evenings to lift up these watchmen who stand on the walls and preach the Word.
A prayer for our pastors from 2 Timothy:
Father in Heaven,
We are so thankful for our pastors,
Remembering them always in our prayers,
Believing that you have not given them a spirit of timidity or fear,
But a spirit of power, love, and sound-mind.
May they be like
Good soldiers without entanglement,
Athletes who are disciplined,
And farmers diligent in their labors.
Pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace,
With those who call on you from a pure heart,
Accurately handling the word of truth.
Grant our pastors the grace and strength to show self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill their ministry.
Knowing that all Scripture is inspired by you, our Lord, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
So that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work…
We solemnly pray, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom,
That our pastors would continue to preach the word, ready in season and out of season, correcting, rebuking, and exhorting, with great patience and instruction.
All for your glory and kingdom,
In Christ Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Please join me in praying for our pastors. Also, pastors of Arkansas – we are here for you. Our counselors want to meet with you to encourage you as you shepherd the people in your local churches.
By James Barham, LMFT, LPC, Director of Counseling, Living Well Counseling
Article referenced: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/august/mental-health-pastors-church-members-lifeway-survey.html