The Importance of Prayer as a Leader

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The Importance of Prayer as a Leader

by: Pastor Bob Bruce

I remember Christmastime when my daughters were young. I had the privilege of constructing the “some assembly required” toys that consisted of thousands of small parts. I also remember the tendency to ignore the enclosed instructions thinking that my own ability could shortcut the assembly time. What a disaster that turned out to be. I would end up with the project taking twice the time when the inevitable extra parts would turn up, requiring significant rework. If only I had followed the instructions!

I discovered that prayer is like the detailed instructions that came with my daughters’ “some assembly required” toys. And because of that, it is one of the most important tools a leader has. Leaders who begin their preparation time with prayer, who pray at all times during the process, pray for their team during every week and who encourage the team to pray for one another can expect to experience amazing things.

One of the finest leadership examples in the Bible is Nehemiah. He exemplified a leader who, in the face of a seemingly insurmountable task, sought God first in prayer before beginning any effort on his own. The result was the completion of a project that unified the people of Israel and helped them overcome multiple obstacles to secure the city for the people.

As a leader, Nehemiah shows us his intent on serving God and his people by first turning to God in prayer. He did so using what I’ll refer to as the

3 Ps:

1. Praise

Nehemiah honored God and recognized that He keeps His Word and respects His promises. Nehemiah’s praise was especially appropriate because he was about to ask God to do the thing he just praised God for: to keep His covenant and show mercy on His people.

2. Petition

Nehemiah reminded God that he promised to bring Israel back to the land He promised them – no matter where they were scattered. Likewise, God has made plain His promises to us under the gospel, and we have every right to claim those promises in prayer. As leaders, we must trust that God’s promises are true for those we are leading, and that is what should drive us to pray for them.

3. Practicality

Nehemiah asked God to bless and prosper him when he made his request to the king. Nehemiah’s request was not only on his behalf but also for those he would lead in the project.

When we see problems in our families or in our community, we should be willing to work to meet the need, but we must also be willing to go to God in prayer.