Somebody who knew how to pray more than anybody I knew was my Grandmother. My grandmother lived to be 92 years old in a small village in England. She wasn’t popular, or famous, or rich. You won’t find her name in the history books of earth. She didn’t have a lot of money and she wouldn’t be hailed as a hero on earth. But she knew how to pray.
On June 6, 2008, I called Grandma on the phone because I wanted to ask her some questions about her experience with prayer. I remember sitting at my computer typing as fast as I could, trying to capture everything she said. She talked about the necessity of prayer in our daily lives. She would say, “We have to do many different things, but prayer is the main thing.” I wonder if that’s true for us today. Is prayer our main thing?
[bctt tweet=”We have to do many different things, but prayer is the main thing.” username=”stephenblandino”]
In that conversation, she would go on to say, “It’s the prayer of the people behind those in the pulpit that makes what happens in the pulpit so powerful.” She knew I was a pastor, and she wanted me to know that any victory I see on Sunday morning is because somebody was praying long before Sunday arrived.
Grandma also reminded me that prayer was how Jesus himself experienced victory. Before Jesus was arrested, and before He was crucified on the cross for our sins, He was found praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was because He prayed for an hour in the garden that He found the strength to face the most difficult hour ahead of Him. Grandma kept telling me over and over, “Jesus got the victory not at the cross, but in the garden when He was praying before going to the cross.” We find our victory at the cross, but Jesus found His victory in prayer. Without His victory, there would be no cross.
Some of Grandma’s final words to me were, “The message of prayer is for people to come to Him. This is the heart of the Father.” Those words also describe the legacy of Grandma’s prayers.
Why?
At her funeral, something peculiar happened. On three separate occasions, people stood to their feet to applaud Grandma’s life. Many of the people standing in applause were literally “prayed into the Kingdom of God” by her prayers. Grandma knew how to pray the seven words in The Lord’s Prayer that we are most familiar with:
“Give us today the food we need.” (Matthew 6:11)
That prayer is symbolic of every need we have. Whether spiritual, physical, relational, emotional, financial, or in any other area of life, God invites us to present our needs to Him in prayer. As leaders, this reality is of utmost importance. Author Steve Moore observes:
“If God has called you to lead a ministry, he has also called you to intercede for that ministry.”
So, how should leaders intercede? Three lessons appear in the seven words found in verse eleven. These lessons have extraordinary relevance for leaders today.
Three Lessons for Leaders:
1. “GIVE US” – Pray Dependently
When we read the word “give” in this verse, our first thought is the thing we want God to give to us—whether that thing is food, or money, or an open door to expand our church or organization. But “give” doesn’t just remind us of what we need from God; it reminds us of our need for God. Think about it: the very fact that we have to ask God for something is evidence of our need for God. When we pray, “Give,” we are praying dependently. We acknowledge our dependence on God.
The word “us” reminds us that that we can pray for our own needs as well as the needs of others. In other words, there’s not a limit to our prayers. We can pray for anything, or anyone, at anytime.
Most leaders lead independently; few pray dependently. They lead independently, relying solely on their wisdom, their resources, and their influence. But they don’t pray dependently, relying on God as their ultimate source. The leader who prays, “Give us,” is the leader who recognizes God as his or her Provider.
2. “TODAY” – Pray Regularly
Unfortunately, as leaders, our proactive nature can get in the way of the best strategy. Because leaders are rarely short on ideas, we can work harder and harder, exhausting ourselves on the latest strategies and the best practices. The unintended casualty is the power found in prayer.
The word that followed “Give us” in Jesus instructions on prayer is the word “today.” Today acknowledges that our dependence on God is continual. It’s not a yearly, monthly, or even a weekly dependence on God. It’s a daily dependence on God.
“Today” also acknowledges our need to be content, not greedy. The emphasis in this passage is today’s need, not tomorrow or the rest of my life’s needs. Perhaps that’s why, just a few verses later, Jesus dealt with the worries of tomorrow (of which leadership provides plenty). Jesus said:
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:31-33)
The leader who prays daily—who recognizes that God is far more than fire insurance when the business is failing or the church is struggling—is the leader who is wise. He turns to God in times of need and in times of plenty. Such a leader understands the need for God every day.
3. “THE FOOD WE NEED” – Pray Specifically
Many translations say, “Give us this bread.” Bread is a common theme throughout Scripture. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, God provided them with daily manna to eat. In the New Testament, we read how Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The name Bethlehem means, “House of Bread.” And Jesus himself would be called the “Bread of life.” The “Bread of Life” was born in the “House of Bread.” When we pray, we are looking to the Bread of Life to provide our daily bread. Again, our daily bread is symbolic of all of our needs.
Author Steve Moore goes on to say:
“The primary evidence of a burden in the heart of a leader is the ministry of intercession for followers. Followers most need the prayers of leaders in the moments leaders are most tempted to abandon them…Prayer for followers and for the mission increases the burden, which increases the need for prayer, turning the process into a positive feedback loop.”
As leaders, there is much to worry about—organizational direction, hiring decisions, funding the vision, and much more. But worry only adds to the stress of leadership. Jesus—the greatest leader of all time—instructs us to pray…to pray specifically. The apostle Paul instructed us with the same wisdom.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Pray dependently. Pray regularly. Pray specifically. Your leadership demands it. Your followers depend on it. Your mission requires it.
