Successful high impact spiritual leaders have something
in common. According to the research done by Dr. Dave Earley; prayer is an
essential element of biblical leadership and while it is not the only act of
leadership it should be the common denominator.[1] Earley
is the founding and senior pastor of New Life Church in Columbus, Ohio, as well
as the creator of the New Life Center for Church Growth, Health, and
Multiplication. Earley speaks around the country on the subjects of prayer,
spiritual formation, leadership, small groups, and church planting. He has
written several books and in his book “Prayer:
The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders” he defines leadership as
influencing others. He also writes that the best way to influence others is through prayer, as prayer
influences God to influence others.[2] Earley has identified nine prayer disciplines
seen in the lives of leaders who have successfully led others for God.
Successful leaders value prayer, make time to pray, pray for those they serve,
train others to pray, turn problems into prayer, fast, possess a bold faith,
build on the basics, and adopt best practices.
Leaders must value prayer; it must be the most important
task at hand. Spiritual leadership has eternal ramifications and souls hang in
the balance, our attitude needs to reflect this importance. It is not an easy
task as Dick Eastman stated, “An intercessor must bid farewell to self and
welcome the burdens of humanity”.[3] Paul understood the burdens we would encounter
as believers, when he wrote to the Corinthians, “Three times I was beaten with
rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole
night and a day adrift at sea.” In his
letter to the Ephesians he explains why he experienced so much difficulty and
where the battle is. As he details in Ephesian 6, we are soldiers in a
spiritual warfare, we must put on the armor of God, stand firm, and pray for
each other. After researching the essentials of prayer in the Bible David
Jeremiah wrote, “Everything God does in the work of ministry, He does through
prayer.”[4] Many
do not understand the power of prayer. In regards to this Billy Graham wrote,
“We have even discovered the secret of releasing energy in the atom, which is
capable of destroying entire cities and civilizations. But very few of us have
learned how to fully develop the power of prayer”. [5]
Making time to pray is essential for successful
leadership. Jesus made time to pray and He is the very person we as believers
should be looking to as an example. During the Last Supper Jesus knew His hour
had come so he wanted to speak a few things to His disciples and as He washed
their feet He stated, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done
to you.” (John 13:15). “Jesus knew and lived the life of human leadership. We
need to adopt Jesus Christ as the foundation on which everything we learn about
leadership is built and the template on which everything we learn about
leadership is hung”.[6] Jesus was 100% God and He was 100% human. He suffered
through being human and understands our afflictions. His whole life was a model
and example for us to follow. From His example, we learn that He made time to
pray; he prayed early in the morning (Mark 1:35) and late at night (Mark 6:46).
He also selected secluded and silent places to pray. “There can be no communion with a holy God, no
fellowship between heaven and earth, no power for the salvation of souls,
unless much time is set apart for it.” Andrew Murray.[7]
Effective spiritual leaders pray for those they serve.
One of the most powerful ways for leaders to exercise love for those they serve
is to intercede for them in prayer. E.M. Bounds said, “Talking to men for God
is a great thing. But talking to God for men is greater still”.[8] Jesus is the great intercessor as he sits at
the right hand of God interceding for us. John 17 is a great example of praying;
Jesus uses adoration, supplication, and intercession. There is also a great
promise that others will believe in Him when believers are as one. True
intercession makes a big difference as it elevates others and stands in the gap
or breach between them and God. “Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had
not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His
wrath, lest He destroy them” (Psalm 106:23). True intercession can heal the
sick and bring salvation (James 5:15). Intercession is costly and we must be
willing to accept the costs of self-denial, tears, and time. Our attitude
should be as John Hyde’s when he said, “O God give me souls or I die”[9] and
like Moses when he interceded for Israel saying to God “Forgive their sin—but
if not, then blot me out” (Exodus 32:32).
Great spiritual leaders understand the importance of prayer
and intercession, so they train others to pray for them. Paul was a great
spiritual leader and his leadership influenced like few others. He also
experienced the hardships of spiritual leadership like few others. Earley states that Paul was able to endure
such hardships because he recognized the need and power of prayer. While Paul
never solicited money he did solicit prayers often in his letters (Rom.
15:30-33; Eph. 6:19-20; Col. 4:2-4; 1 Thess. 3:2). Successful leaders recognize
their need for prayer and the power of having prayer partners. Charles Spurgeon
when often asked of his success would simply reply, “My people pray for me”.[10] Charles
Finney said he found the secret of spiritual effectiveness by observing another
pastor during a prayer meeting; a member got up and confessed of his neglect to
stay up till midnight praying on Saturday nights. To Finney, the secret was out the pastor had
a praying church.[11]
Spiritual stewardship
is casting all our cares on Him; spreading it out before God, turning our
pressures and problems into prayer. Jesus took on the sin of all and no human has
ever felt the pressure like Him. “He prayed more fervently, and he was in such
agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood” (Luke
22:44). Jesus was to be made sin, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians
5:21). It was through prayer that Jesus gained strength to face the cross. David
was another leader who dealt with intense pressure. When one studies David’s
prayers, his most used prayer can be summed up very well in one word, ‘Help!’
“’Call to God, Cry Out, Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you’ that
was David’s plan.”[12] Earley
writes; turn your prayers into provisions, problems into rescue, and indecision
into breakthrough. “We let God work for us, when the hour of trial of our faith
comes, and do not work a deliverance of our own.” -- George Muller.[13]
Moses had fasted for forty days when he came down from
Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. Earley
writes, “That fasting has long played a significant role in the prayer ministry
of the effective spiritual leader.” Samuel, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, Ezra, Esther,
Paul, and Jesus are among those who fasted in the Bible. Fasting helps in
denying yourself, breaking down the barrier between you and God. “When you long
to strengthen and discipline your prayer habits and to add a new dimension to your
prevailing in prayer, add fasting.”—Wesley Duewel. According to Earley we
should fast for; revival, monetary miracles, healing, messages to preach, and
for huge evangelistic results.
High-impact spiritual leaders pray boldly. Earley writes
we are to boldly claim God’s promises and to be specific in prayer. Hudson
Taylor said he believed, “the promises of the Bible to be very real, and that
prayer is in sober fact transacting business with God, whether on one’s own
behalf or on behalf of those for whom one seeks his blessing.”[14] Earley makes a bold statement himself saying,
“If we don’t use His promises to the fullest, then Christ will have died in
vain.”[15] The promises of God can help us boldly go
before God. “The bible contains 7,487 promises, many of these contain God’s willingness
to answer prayer. “[16] Earley
goes on to give suggestions for being more specific, bold, and effective in
prayer; pray about what to pray for, pray for what you desire for, have pure
motives, and go on record by telling someone.
Great spiritual leaders build on the basics. They take
the model Jesus gave in Mathew 6:9-13 which is a prayer of balance and variety,
and build on this model. Earley mentions this model for prayer using the
acrostic ACTS; Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Earley has a modified acrostic TACS, it models
the Lord’s Prayer and in addition Psalm 100 verse 4, “Enter his gates with
thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his
name.” A recurring prayer of thanksgiving in the Bible is “Give thanks to the Lord,
for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1). Thanksgiving is a
grateful attitude verbalized. “It is an indication of humility and the cure
from complaining.”[17] Adoration
is praising God for who he is, “the great and awesome God” (Nehemiah 1:5).
David wrote many prayers that were praises, the Hebrew word Psalms means
praises, and he understood the power of singing prayers of praise. Augustine spoke of this secret when he said,
“To sing once is to pray twice.”[18] Our
God enjoys praise, “‘from the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have
called forth your praise'?” (Psalm 8:2). Earley finishes his writings by
stating we should build on the basics by adding confession of our sin which is an
act of agreeing with God about the existence and seriousness of our sin and do
supplication which is simple asking God to supply ours and others’ needs.
Finally as Earley studied the lives of high-impact
spiritual leaders, he learned of practices that were not used by all but are
beneficial. He called these best
practices and mentions them in his book. The best practices are; Pray without
ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17), persisting until an answer comes (parable of
persistent widow, Luke 18), having prayer retreats, instant messages sent to
God (during the busyness send short brief messages to God), praying the
scriptures (claiming the word of God), a frank familiarity (talking as you
would to a friend), group prayer meetings, listen and smuggling prayer (blind
their eyes and deaf their ears), and prayer walking.
[1] Earley,
Dave. Prayer: The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders. (Chattanooga: Living
Ink Books, 2008), 1
[2]
Ibid. , 3
[3]
Ibid., 37
[4]
Ibid., 10
[5]
Ibid.
[6]
Ibid., 17
[7]
Ibid., 31
[8]
Ibid., 34
[9]
Ibid., 41
[10]
Ibid., 63
[11]
Ibid.
[12]
Ibid.
[13]
Ibid., 85
[14]
Ibid., 91-92
[15]
Ibid., 114
[16]
Ibid., 116
[17]
Ibid., 133
[18]
Ibid., 139