Tag: Relationship

Prayer

We communicate with God through prayer. Our approach to God is significant when thinking about prayer. Consider the apostles who desired to learn how to pray (Lk. 11:1).

We need reverence when approaching God’s throne to speak. Without a doubt, He is to be revered and lifted up by our hearts through the words expressed from our lips.

However, this is not the only approach found in scripture, and the model prayer was not intended to be a formula used in every prayer.

Prayer signifies a relationship and leaders need to understand more fully the relationship represented through prayer.

Peace…

Peace is often associated with the absence of conflict, but the Hebrew word shalom and the Greek word eirênê both carry the idea of wholeness and harmony.

Kenneson points out that promotion of individualism strikes at the heart of achieving biblical peace, and the privatization of faith takes individualism even further. Many speak of a “personal relationship with Jesus,” meaning one’s own “private” relationship.

Perhaps this explains why so many “self-professed Christians believe they can be perfectly good Christians apart from the church” (92).

Compartmentalizing life, defending personal rights, and sanctioning violence are a few of the ways peace is attacked.

Incorporating baptism, encouraging, edifying, admonishing, and forgiving one another are a few ways to support biblical peace.

A Prerequisite for Leadership…

What prerequisites are needed for successful leadership? Good communicator? Solid character? Leadership ability?

While I realize choosing one prerequisite for leadership can be subjective, I have learned over the years the main prerequisite needed is a relationship with God.

Leaders often fail when attempting to go it alone.
Leaders blindly falter when leading from a humanistic worldview.
Leaders suffer needlessly because they seek help from worldly wisdom.

Only with the guidance, strength, and help of the Almighty God can we lead with this foundational prerequisite for successful leadership. Do we know Him?

A Motive To Lead…

People lead for different reasons. At times, the situation (crisis) demands someone lead.

However, selfish ambition motivates far too many. The desire to personally benefit from a position of power is appealing in both the secular and spiritual arena. 

When people lead with the right motives, the result is powerful.

Developing this motive consists of three components.

1) Personal and familial relationship with Christ. 
2) Understanding scripture, both the milk and meat of God’s word.
3) Compassion for people’s eternal condition, saved and lost.

These help us check and develop the motive godly leaders should possess.