5 Ways to Bless Your Spiritual Leader with Words

“Spiritual leaders” is intentionally broad; it likely brings a whole host of people to your mind! Pastors, ministers, elders, deacons, missionaries, chaplains, volunteer coordinators… one thing they all have in common is the centrality of words, especially for the ones who teach on a regular basis. They give words of encouragement, hope, perspective, challenge, truth, love and grace… week in and week out they pour these kinds of words out, but far too often what they receive sounds very different. They hear criticism, problems, and silence in proportions too high to refill what they’ve poured out. Whether the weight of words or the weight of silence, few if any spiritual leaders can carry that weight indefinitely. 

So how can we intentionally pour life, love, grace, and hope back into the lives of these leaders? While there are countless ways, here are five simple, actionable words that can refresh and bless the spiritual leaders in your life!

Context-Anchored Check-In

“How are you doing?” by itself has become more akin to “hello” than a question where an answer is taken seriously. While this phrase can get stuck in the greeting of category, adding “because ____” can become one of the biggest word-blessings you can offer. When you check in on your spiritual leaders, be specific; How are you doing? Because I noticed ____… you said ____… you looked ____… I know you have a lot on your plate around ____… 

By simply including context you’ve taken a relatively shallow greeting, and turned it into a connecting blessing for some of the most lonely leaders on the planet. Ask how they’re doing, be specific, and have them know you actually care about the answer. 

“I gave X a shot, here’s what happened…” 

Many people I know in these vocations could talk to a wall… for a long time. Unfortunately, whether it’s their disposition or not, many spiritual leaders feel that’s exactly what they’re doing week in and week out. They share words, build arguments, and offer specific applications to often find more energy was given to decide lunch plans than to apply the teaching. 

No hyperbole: it is life giving to hear follow-up on how applying the lesson went… even if it didn’t go well! Most spiritual leaders have stepped into these roles in response to a calling and/or a desire to bless people by showing them how to live following Christ; it means the world to hear the changes, stretches, and even experiments you trusted them enough to try. So if you want to bless your teacher, first off give what they said a shot… then tell them about it!

Time-Delayed Blessing

Feedback is helpful… a thank you is helpful (more on that in a moment)… but there’s something about hearing those things later that sends a deeper message. I asked a pastor friend what words bless him, and he mentioned people sharing impact and takeaways they received. What was different is he talked about how much more it means to hear those things a week or even a month later. “If it’s right after the sermon it feels like a social contract we have that they have to be nice to me after I preach… [Bringing up that it meant something later] communicates that it really mattered… that I really matter.” 

So if words stick with you… if an event was memorable… if something happened last week, last month, last year that makes you grateful for someone… let them know it mattered to you, and more importantly, that they matter to you. 

“I have an idea!”

Healthy spiritual leaders are equippers, blessers, and senders. Few things do their heart as much good as hearing those they lead looking to go do the same. Have you transitioned from being a consumer to a blesser yourself? Do you have ideas of people to help? Areas to build? Ministries to start, improve, or grow? Let it be known! In 3rd John, a spiritual leader says he has no greater joy than to know those he leads are walking in truth. So, if you have an idea for how to walk in your own context, let it be known. Whether the idea is utilized or not, it will be a blessing to the leader who sees their own impact carrying forward!

“Thank you”

Without hyperbole, relationships are made and broken on this phrase. Everyone wants to feel appreciated, everyone wants to know that what they do means something, everyone wants to hear a genuine, specific “thank you.” As we’ve established in the beginning, spiritual leaders such as pastors get a disproportionate amount of negative feedback or silence. Give positive feedback to balance the fires; fill the silence with blessing rather than “no news is good news.” In many contexts, these leaders have responsibility for you and others on a soul level, and their souls long to hear that their efforts are seen and appreciated by those they love. The next time there’s a pull or opportunity to say thank you, take it! Make it genuine and specific, and I promise you it’ll stick with that leader far beyond the time it took to hear it. 

Conclusion

Words are central and powerful, especially for spiritual leaders who pour out so much, and so often receive back silence or worse. A thoughtful check-in, sharing application, or a heartfelt “thank you” can refresh and encourage more than you realize. Don’t wait! Speak, write, or act today; watch the encouragement from simple words ripple out into impact in life, love, grace, and hope. 

If you want to go further—blessing others, growing as a leader, or deepening your Christian walk— coaching can provide clarity, tools, and guidance. Click here to see how coaching can hep you bless, equip, and lead with lasting impact.