Praying Leaders

Prayer

The International House of Prayer (IHOP) recently had posted on the IHOP facebook feed, “Jesus is worthy and it’s our delight to be with Him in the place of prayer.”  Talking with God (not just at God) about the people in our lives helps us to build and maintain healthy relationships with them. How is prayer impacting your relationships with those you lead?

Leaders who follow Jesus need to make time each day for prayer.  Through prayer we can discover God’s plan for us as leaders.  In Acts 10:9 (NIV) we are told about God calling Peter to reach out beyond his comfort level. “9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.”  During this prayer time Peter sees a vision from God of a large sheet being lowered with animals on it and God’s voice saying, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”  Then the verses continue with 14“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”  15The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  For it was Jewish law of the time not to associate with Gentiles.  The vision from God through prayer changed Peter’s perspective and prepared him for a new direction.

One of the ways God cleanses us or changing our direction is by inviting us to spend more of our time praying to him and singing to him.  Prayer changes everything because it releases God's wisdom into your circumstances.  Saint Augustine said, “If you pray well, you will live well.”  We need to pray more.  When need to be more intentional about our prayer life.  We need to make time to pray.  Jesus regularly prayed.  Scene after scene in the Bible we see Jesus modeling a life in prayer.  Jesus reminds the disciples and His followers that only through Him can we pray to God.

“We have a beautiful God who beckons His people, ‘Come to Me in the Word and prayer and let Me fascinate you.’ Go to Him today!”  (IHOP, Facebook Feed). Pray for wisdom. Then believe God will answer your prayer.  Thank you God for hearing your people.

The Lord's Prayer - Michael W. Smith

Leaders are Teachers

Leaders are Teachers

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding. Proverbs 3:13 (NIV).

The early disciples stepped out boldly, serving and teaching in Jesus' Name.  Listen carefully to sincere teachers of the Word of God.

“Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” ~Scott Hayden

When we find wisdom we gain understanding.  There are times when we need another person to help us in this search.  This is when leaders become teachers.  In a previous post I discussed the importance of leaders serving as mentors.  A mentor is someone who walks side-by-side and partners.  There are also times when leaders need to be teachers.  As teachers, leaders can help others find wisdom and understanding.  Ephesians 4: 11 – 16 talks about the necessity for the five leadership roles in the Church, teachers being one of them.  The teacher is the one who trains God’s people in the truth and teaches others to do so.

Martin Luther said that when schools flourish, all flourishes.  Now school does not need to be formal places of learning.  Leadership schooling can happen within informal settings.  But what is constant is creating an environment where learning can take place.  When we have leaders who are teachers, ordinary people become equipped for ministry.

Jesus is described as a master teacher.  Through His work He demonstrated the highest qualities of a great teacher.  When we examine the Scripture closely Christ used teaching more than any other technique.  Throughout Scripture Jesus is referred to as teacher, Rabbi.

Jesus knew His subject and He knew how to teach it.  Finally Christ lived what He taught.  And as leaders this is a critical piece.  We cannot tell those we lead, “Do as I say and not as I do.”  Followers today demand leaders of integrity.  As leaders we need to role model the behavior that we seek in others.  Just as Jesus role modeled this behavior, so must we.

Take time to teach others while you lead.  A crucial outcome of leadership is the ability to produce leadership in someone else.

Prayer

God of wisdom, in your goodness you provide faithful teachers for Your glory.  Your Son came among us as the Master Teacher and Leader.  By Your Holy Spirit give all teachers and leaders inspiration and insight into Your Holy word, lives that are examples to all, and the courage to know and do the truth.  Enable teachers and leaders to train the hearts and minds of new leaders so that they may grow in Your will and be prepared to face challenges firm in Your wisdom.  Through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.  Amen.

Song of Hope

Transformative Leaders Know What to Say

Transformative Leaders Know What to Say

Speak Life - Toby Mac

Lead Like Jesus recently posted on their Facebook feed that Jesus has a way of taking us on life-transforming journeys, and nothing is left untouched: personality, business, or relationships.  

Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D (2009) offers a few traits of a transformational leader, (I have added examples from Scripture that illustrates how Jesus fulfills each of these.)

·        I would never require a follower to do something that I wouldn't do myself. (Jesus explains clearly the definition of a servant leader.  In Scripture there are many examples from foot washing to the Cross.  One example is  Luke 22:27 (NIV) For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.)

·        I have clear goals for my team.   (Jesus offers the Great Commission: Matthew 28: 19-20 (NIV): 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.)

·        I am attentive when it comes to the personal needs of my followers. (Jesus knew His followers, His Disciples.  He knew just what each needed in order to be successful.)

·        I challenge my followers to get out of their comfort zones. (Many of the parables and approaches of Jesus challenged His disciples and others to get out of their comfort zones.)

·        I encourage my followers to question their most basic way of thinking. (Jesus taught the disciples many lessons, The Beatitudes are one example, Matthew 5: 1-12 (NIV)).

Encountering and experiencing the glory of God transforms everything in our lives.  As Jesus was transfigured on the mountain top we can be transformed in the renewing of our minds and our faith in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 12: 2a tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

When we lead through transformation we change our perspective and the perspective of others around us.  We can empower and encourage others to complete the seemingly impossible.  Jesus regularly challenged His disciples to move beyond the ordinary and move into the extraordinary.

A transformative leader is the kind of leader who motivates and inspires others to perform at the highest levels.

Psalm 37:30 (NIV) says, “The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.”

Transformative leaders understand that they must speak life into those they lead.  Lift your followers up.  Invite the discussion from those you lead about the projects you are working on.  When people feel supported by their leader they are motivated to perform at higher levels.  When everyone performs at greater levels more is achieved and God is glorified.

Transformative leaders empower others by keeping everyone fully in the know.  People want and need to know that they are insiders within the organization. 

People do not want to be an outsider to something that they belong to.  Keeping team members in the dark does nothing to promote or move the organization forward.

Use your words to bring joy and life to those around you today. The health of your relationships depends on what you say about others.

Praise and Worship

Praise and Worship

Enjoy some praise and worship time.

Revolutionary Love - David Crowder Band

Love Take Me Over – Stephen Curtis Chapman

Our God is Greater - Chris Tomlin

Awesome Is The Lord Most High - Chris Tomlin

Every Good Thing – The Afters

Hallelujah - Nichol Sponberg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hafBqusc3gc 

Burn for You – Toby Mac

Holy Spirit by Jesus Culture Kim Walker 

God's Great Dance Floor - 

Equip and Let Go

Equip and Let Go

Mark Brouwer said, “A man is only a leader when a follower stands beside him.”  The conventional mindset is that followers serve their leaders.  But this is really not the case.  John Maxwell has an entire book devoted to developing other leaders. 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV).

Our desire is to become what God has called us to be.  By doing so, our life comes into alignment with his will.  As a leader we can be used by God to help others discern their life’s calling.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV).

Mentoring relationships are a partnership.  When working with young leaders (who may not even know yet that they are called to leadership) we need to walk side-by-side and challenge and support them.  As a leader, if you delegate tasks you will develop followers.  If you delegate authority you will develop leaders.  This is a challenge to conventional wisdom.   

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5 (NIV).

Just as Jesus modeled for all of us, the greatest responsibility for leaders is the development of the next generation of leaders.

Jesus understood this concept well so well.  Many would say that He called together quite an unlikely bunch of guys to become his apostles.  They included fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and someone who would betray him.  He spent time developing them; equipping them for the task at hand.  Matthew chapters 5 through 7 and Luke 6:20 – 49 explore the lessons He taught to prepare them to do the work His Father prepared before them.

In preparing to send the Twelve apostles out Jesus delegated and gave each authority to do the task.

He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons.  Mark 3:14 (NIV).

In Matthew 10:1 (NIV), “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”

Luke 9: 1-2 (NIV) 1When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Acts 2 shows an ultimate act of delegation and equipping when the Holy Spirit provided each apostle with the Gifts of the Sprit to do the work they had been called to do in building the new Church.

As leaders we need to find those opportunities where we can build other leaders up and prepare them for the work that they are called to do.  A sink or swim approach is not the way to train new leaders.  When you work with young leaders look for those opportunities to challenge them to go beyond what is comfortable and push to the edge of their experience yet provide the support necessary for them to practice their new leadership skills.

When you send out new leaders do you give authority?

Speak Life - Toby Mac