Prayers and Effective Leadership (II)

LAST time we began looking at prayers and effective leadership. We saw that as Christians we have been positioned and equipped for advantage in life because of our connection/relationship with God. We must translate this advantage to every department of our lives.

We must be careful not to be religious and limit spiritual realities/resources to church alone but make them work for us outside the church, especially in our leadership in the marketplace.

One of our advantages is prayer.

A leader must know where he needs prayer and faithfully engage in it.

Let us look at seven critical prayer focus of a leader:

1) Wisdom, answers, solutions, insight.

Leadership comes with problems and challenges. Leaders don’t create but solve problems and this can be daunting.

“It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we deliberately set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we learn.” M. Scott Peck

A leader solves problems and problem-solving demands wisdom

“Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.” Brian Tracy

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.” James 1.5-6

2) Growth, increase, advancement, promotion.

Every leader wants growth. He wants his leadership to thrive and have great impact and prayer is relevant here.

“May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 115.14-15.

3) Favour, open doors, opportunities. A competent leader needs opportunity to exhibit his competence and when he lacks such opportunity his potential is buried and his effectiveness frustrated. This is why every leader needs to pray for favour – opportunities to exhibit his potential and let people be blessed with the stuff he is made of.

“For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” Psalm 5.12.

4) Protection, longevity, security. Leadership is not always a smooth sail. Sometimes the ship of leadership hits turbulent weather and at such times prayer is a very good help.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”So we can be sure when we say, “I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper. People can’t do anything to me.” Hebrews 13.5-6.

5) Resources and means.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4.19.

6) Confessions, declarations and decrees. The words of a leader must carry weight and in prayer this is a vital key. A leader must learn to shape things by making declarations and decrees.

• CONCLUDED.

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