A Pastor's Heart That Is Close to God - Christian Publishing House Blog

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A pastor’s effectiveness is not measured merely by sermon eloquence, leadership ability, or numerical growth. At the core of faithful ministry is a heart that is close to God—a heart that treasures divine communion above public impact, personal holiness above platform, and scriptural obedience above strategic brilliance. Scripture consistently teaches that the inward posture of the shepherd matters more to God than outward success. Jehovah does not look on the outward appearance but on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). This article explores what it means for a pastor to have a heart that is truly close to God and how that intimacy shapes every aspect of pastoral life and service.

The Heart as the Wellspring of Ministry

In Proverbs 4:23, Solomon exhorts, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” The Hebrew term for heart (לֵב, lēb) refers to the inner self—the center of thought, will, and emotion. For a pastor, the heart is not incidental; it is foundational. Everything in ministry flows from the condition of the heart—preaching, prayer, leadership, counseling, and vision.

Jesus taught that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). A pastor may say all the right words and perform all the right duties, yet if his heart is distant from God, his ministry becomes hollow and dangerous. Jehovah condemned the religious leaders of Isaiah’s day, saying, “This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). The closeness of a pastor’s heart to God is not evaluated by theological knowledge or ecclesial accolades, but by humble, ongoing submission to the Word and delight in Jehovah himself.

David: A Man After God’s Own Heart

David is described in Acts 13:22 as “a man after [God’s] own heart.” This phrase does not indicate sinlessness, as David’s life was marked by grievous failure, including adultery and murder. Rather, David’s heart was close to God because he consistently responded to sin with genuine repentance, sought to glorify Jehovah above himself, and pursued divine presence over personal comfort.

In Psalm 63:1, David cries, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you.” His closeness to God was not a result of position as Israel’s king but the product of personal longing and worship. A pastor whose heart mirrors David’s will not merely lead services but live in the presence of God, fueled by devotion rather than obligation.

Jesus’ Compassionate Heart for His People

The ultimate model of pastoral heart is Jesus himself, the “chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is moved with compassion (splagchnizomai, a term describing gut-level mercy) for the crowds because “they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). His ministry sprang from a heart deeply aligned with the Father and tender toward the lost.

A pastor close to God reflects this same compassion. He does not see congregants as ministry projects or threats to his schedule but as beloved souls under his care. Jesus’ heart was gentle and lowly (Matthew 11:29), and he wept over Jerusalem’s hardness of heart (Luke 19:41). Such emotion was not weakness but divine empathy. A close-hearted pastor will lead not with detachment or performance but with tears, prayers, and sacrificial love.

Humility: The Hallmark of a Close Heart

In Isaiah 66:2, Jehovah declares, “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” A heart close to God is not inflated with self-confidence but bowed in reverence. The pastoral office is not a platform for recognition but a position of servanthood (δοῦλος, doulos) to Christ and his church.

Paul considered himself “the least of the apostles” and “the foremost” of sinners (1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:15). Yet he also said, “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). His humility was not self-loathing but gospel clarity. A pastor’s heart grows close to God when he remembers that he is a recipient of grace, not a dispenser of merit. This humility fosters a ministry marked by patience, forgiveness, and dependence rather than pride or performance.

The Ministry of Prayer and the Word

In Acts 6:4, the apostles prioritized their calling: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” These are not tasks but heart-anchoring disciplines. Prayer is not a duty but a lifeline—a relational activity where the pastor communes with the God he proclaims. The ministry of the word is not simply information transfer but transformation, first in the pastor’s own life, then in others’.

Jeremiah 15:16 illustrates the proper heart posture: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” A pastor close to God delights in the Scriptures not for sermon crafting but soul feeding. He finds God’s Word sweet, life-giving, and sufficient. Such devotion cannot be faked—it is cultivated through daily, private communion with God.

Guarding the Heart in a Distracted Age

Modern ministry presents unique threats to a pastor’s closeness with God. Social media metrics, leadership conferences, and administrative pressures can subtly distort the calling. The temptation to compare, perform, or impress is real and destructive. Yet Proverbs 3:5–6 calls the shepherd to “trust in Jehovah with all your heart…in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

A pastor close to God must fiercely guard his heart from idolatry, busyness, and self-reliance. This means saying no to good things that threaten the best things. It means cultivating hiddenness, where the applause of heaven matters more than the approval of men (Matthew 6:6). A faithful shepherd is first a faithful worshiper.

Eternal Impact of a Heart Close to God

A pastor whose heart is close to God will leave a spiritual legacy that far exceeds his own name. Paul charged Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 to entrust the gospel to faithful men who will teach others also. Faithfulness flows from intimacy. The pastor who walks closely with God will naturally produce disciples who know, love, and obey the Word.

In the end, ministry success is not defined by numbers or notoriety, but by whether the shepherd finishes his course having kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). When Jesus appears, he will not say, “Well done, successful pastor,” but “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). A heart close to God prepares for that commendation not through busyness but through abiding.

A pastor’s greatest asset is not his gifts, charisma, or influence—it is his heart, tuned to the voice of the Shepherd, filled with the Word, broken over sin, and alive with joy in God. Such a heart will endure storms, refresh others, and bear fruit that remains (John 15:16). This is the heart that God uses. This is the heart he blesses.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).