Leaders Pray

Henry and Richard Blackaby share in their updated book Spiritual Leadership why spiritual leaders must pray:

1) Spiritual leaders place their faith in God. Little of eternal consequence occurs in a prayerless leader. Biblical praying can be the most challenging, exhausting, laborious, and yet rewarding thing leaders do.

2) Prayer is fundamental because to be a spiritual leader, one must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit's activity, people are not spiritual leaders.

3) God's wisdom is a third reward. God sees the future. He knows the needs. (Jer. 33:3)

4) God is all-powerful. He can do far more than the most resourceful leaders.

5) Prayer is the leader's foolproof remedy for stress. There is one who stands ready to carry their burden.

6) Finally, God reveals His agenda through prayer. (Mark 1:30-39) Jesus was in regular communion with his Father, so he was not sidetracked from his assignment.

More than any other single thing leaders do, their prayer life determines their effectiveness. If leaders spend enough time communing with God, the people they encounter will notice the difference. When pastors preach sermons, their people can soon tell whether or not they are speaking out of the overflow of their relationship with God. When leaders or organizations conduct planning meetings with their staff, their people will recognize if the opening prayer is perfunctory or if it is a genuine plea for God to guide the planning process. The holiness of leaders' lives is a direct reflection of the time they spend with God. When spiritual leaders take their task of leading people seriously, they will be driven to their knees in prayer.