In case you haven’t already noticed, December is a busy month. Whether or not you are a pastor, your schedule is surely more filled this month than is comfortable.

As a pastor, December is literally the most challenging month of the year for me. There are three specifics I pray for (and ask others to pray for on my behalf) this month:

1. Strength

Sometimes I get chills up my spine just looking at my schedule. But more often, I get exhausted. I have a ministry-related event on my calendar for nearly every evening in December. Frankly, I need God’s strength to serve Him this month.

2. Souls

Busy as December is, there is a reason for the activity! I encourage pastors to fill the Christmas season with seasonal outreach as people are often more tender and receptive now than at any other time of the year. And yet, a long list of activity itself doesn’t see souls saved; we need the Holy Spirit’s power to make this season fruitful.

3. Family

Some of my family’s most cherished memories are Christmas memories. I thank the Lord for my wife, Terrie, who has often reminded me over the years to slow down and enjoy creating family memories. For pastors who have a “type A” personality, it’s easy to get so caught in the schedule rush of December that we miss savoring “the most wonderful time of the year” with our family.

So there they are—three simple, but incredibly vital, ways you can pray for your pastor in December. (And if you are a pastor, three areas to pray for God’s help in your life.) Ask the Lord to give him strength, fruitfulness, and the wisdom to enjoy all of it with his family.