1 Samuel 12:23 “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”

As I read just now I underlined several verses that I hadn’t underlined previously, but I still came back to this one. This verse is essential to anyone in ministry, but it gets ignored all too often. The point of leadership praying for those being led is vital, yet I would venture to say that few seminaries do more than mention it in passing. It is significant that Samuel specifically says that failing to pray for those under him would be sinning against the Lord. Many, many pastors need to repent! Failing to pray for those you are leading shows two major problems. The first is self-centeredness, a feeling that you are all that really matters. This problem is endemic to the human race, but it is fatal to effective leadership. The second problem is conceit, the feeling that you can solve people’s problems on your own. That gets right back to the Original Sin in the Garden of Eden, thinking that you know better than God. Objective analysis shows immediately that couldn’t be the case, but we fall into the trap of feeling that way all too often. We tend to focus on “I will teach you the way that is right,” while forgetting that we can’t know it ourselves without the help of the Holy Spirit! Samuel was not a perfect leader, and he seems to have failed rather badly in raising his own sons, (1 Samuel 8:1-3) but he knew he couldn’t get things right by himself, so he prayed. That fact, along with the famous story of “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening,” (1 Samuel 3:10) make him an example to be learned from for any spiritual leader.

I have fallen into the traps of self-centeredness and conceit more times than I care to think about. The results are never good! Lately the Lord has been growing me in praying for the members of my flock, and the results have been gratifying. Situations that I absolutely could not “fix” in my own wisdom and strength are being resolved better than I could have asked. I’ve got to stay active both in praying and in teaching, so that the believers may be raised up as disciples indeed, for their blessing, the building up of the Body of Christ, and for the glory of God.

Father, thank You again for all You are doing in this church. The messages the past two Sundays have been powerful, and seem to have been received. Help me be faithful in following through with each part You have for me to play, whether it’s spiritual warfare, binding up the wounded, proclaiming the Word, or anything else. And in it all, help me never forget to pray, so that I may always remember that I cannot do any of it by myself, but You can do it all through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!