Those who are called to shepherd God's flock are commissioned to be servants of Christ's Church. Through the surges and strains of church life, pastors need to know they are supported by the prayers of God's people. Continued intercessory prayer releases God's empowerment in the life of the pastor, strengthening and enabling them to persevere in the ministry to which God has called them.

Here are 12 scripture-based prayers to offer up on behalf of your pastor.

1. Lord, I pray that ________ would be strong in you and in your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

2. May _______'s wisdom begin with an awesome fear and reverence for your holiness and power (Proverbs 9:10).

3. I pray that ________ would stand firm against the enemy's schemes to sabotage the work that you are doing through him (Ephesians 6:11).

4. Father, please continue to renew _________ daily in your holiness. Keep him from growing weary, reminding him that his labour is not in vain (Isaiah 40:31, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:58).

5. Lord, set your angels around ________ and his family, guarding them in all their ways, that no harm will befall them (Psalm 91:10, 11).

6. Lord, I pray for ________ to have men of faith who would come alongside him, giving him wise counsel and providing accountability (1 Peter 5:5, James 5:16).

7. Bless ________ with a rich study time, opening the eyes of his heart to your wisdom and knowledge, that he would never compromise your truth (Ephesians 1:18).

8. Father, keep _________ pure by obeying the truth, so that he would have a deep love for his flock, a love from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).

9. Bless __________ with fruit from the words you speak through him, Lord. May his words be anointed by the power of your Holy Spirit, reaping a bountiful harvest of people coming to know your salvation (John 15:16).

10. Give _________ a bold vision as he leads his flock to reach out to spiritually needy people in this community (Isaiah 40:11).

11. Lord, allow _________ and this church to be a beacon of hope in the midst of the darkness, that the lost will be drawn to the Light of the world (Acts 13:47, John 8:12).

12. Thank You, Lord, for the gifts of wisdom and spiritual insight that _______ brings to the church. Raise up a bastion of prayer warriors from within this church who will surround him with prayer (James 5:16b).