5 Jobs of a Spiritual Leader - Week 3 - Pray Like a Spiritual Giant
Job #3 - Pray Like a Spiritual Giant
“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6)
As Spiritual Leaders, we must be committed to Intercessory Prayer.
Samuel Chadwick, a minister in the late 1800’s, nailed it when he said, “Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.”
When we cry out to the Father on behalf of our teammates and communities God moves radically!
Many of us know and believe in the power of prayer. However, as leaders, intercessory prayer is one of the most difficult things to consistently live out. Why?
I believe there are four reasons.
1. Prayer takes incredible faith. As leaders, we all have dozens of things on our to-do-list to get done. Combined with the stress of not being able to finish it all in the day, is prayer really worth my time? Is it really making a difference? Is God really listening and answering?
2. Prayer requires us to let go of self. It is tough to let go of our worries and concerns to prioritize bringing others needs to the throne of God.
3. Prayer takes hard work. When we pray, we labor for the souls of our teammates. It takes spiritual muscle and effort.
4. Satan fights prayer relentlessly. It is one reason why so many churches start prayer groups but struggle to maintain them long term. To pray, is to enter spiritual war. It requires a warrior spirit.
As Spiritual Leaders, we cannot be casual in our approach to intercessory prayer. We need the heart of a spiritual warrior who is prepared to face and overcome opposition. Intercessory prayer is one of our greatest weapons. Remember, we are not physical warriors in a physical fight using physical weapons. We are spiritual warriors in a spiritual fight that requires spiritual weapons. To win spiritually, we need to fight spiritually.
When Israel faced the enormous task of rebuilding the Temple amidst much opposition, the Lord said to Zerubbabel: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). David wrote in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." In Isaiah, we learn God is the One who makes ways in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19).
To win spiritually, we need to fight spiritually.
Our #3 Job as a Spiritual Leader is to Pray like a Spiritual Giant.
Samuel Chadwick, a minister in the late 1800’s, nailed it when he said, “Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.”
When we cry out to the Father on behalf of our teammates and communities God moves radically!
Many of us know and believe in the power of prayer. However, as leaders, intercessory prayer is one of the most difficult things to consistently live out. Why?
I believe there are four reasons.
1. Prayer takes incredible faith. As leaders, we all have dozens of things on our to-do-list to get done. Combined with the stress of not being able to finish it all in the day, is prayer really worth my time? Is it really making a difference? Is God really listening and answering?
2. Prayer requires us to let go of self. It is tough to let go of our worries and concerns to prioritize bringing others needs to the throne of God.
3. Prayer takes hard work. When we pray, we labor for the souls of our teammates. It takes spiritual muscle and effort.
4. Satan fights prayer relentlessly. It is one reason why so many churches start prayer groups but struggle to maintain them long term. To pray, is to enter spiritual war. It requires a warrior spirit.
As Spiritual Leaders, we cannot be casual in our approach to intercessory prayer. We need the heart of a spiritual warrior who is prepared to face and overcome opposition. Intercessory prayer is one of our greatest weapons. Remember, we are not physical warriors in a physical fight using physical weapons. We are spiritual warriors in a spiritual fight that requires spiritual weapons. To win spiritually, we need to fight spiritually.
When Israel faced the enormous task of rebuilding the Temple amidst much opposition, the Lord said to Zerubbabel: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). David wrote in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." In Isaiah, we learn God is the One who makes ways in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19).
To win spiritually, we need to fight spiritually.
Our #3 Job as a Spiritual Leader is to Pray like a Spiritual Giant.
8 Ideas to Start Praying Like a Spiritual Giant This Week
1. Start your day on your knees declaring your utter dependence on the Lord and sending the Holy Spirit ahead of you. Pray Zechariah 4:6 and Psalm 127:1-2 over your day.
2. Pray for one teammate a day. Start with the lowest number own your teams roster. Over the season, yo will pray for your entire team multiple times.
3. Prayer walk around your locker room or campus. A focused effort to prayer walk the perimeter of your locker room, lifting up every teammates stall to the Lord, or your campus can have powerful effect.
4. Organize a Prayer Day. Send prayer warriors to every directional (N, S, E, W) of your city, facility, or campus. On the same day, at the same time, cry out to the Lord for teammates.
5. Start a Prayer Journal. Begin recording prayers so you can keep calling on God with perseverance. This also can become great encouragement as you record the prayers God answers!
6. Record Audio Prayers and send to teammates. Our phones have great ability to record audio. Record an audio prayer and send it to a teammate to encourage them.
7. Build a Prayer Team to support you. Organize a team of people who will commit to praying for you and your teammates by name as you fight to reach your team with the Gospel.
8. Pray Scripture over your team. Pick a book of the Bible and begin praying it over your teammates. There is power when we verbally declare God's Word over people.
2. Pray for one teammate a day. Start with the lowest number own your teams roster. Over the season, yo will pray for your entire team multiple times.
3. Prayer walk around your locker room or campus. A focused effort to prayer walk the perimeter of your locker room, lifting up every teammates stall to the Lord, or your campus can have powerful effect.
4. Organize a Prayer Day. Send prayer warriors to every directional (N, S, E, W) of your city, facility, or campus. On the same day, at the same time, cry out to the Lord for teammates.
5. Start a Prayer Journal. Begin recording prayers so you can keep calling on God with perseverance. This also can become great encouragement as you record the prayers God answers!
6. Record Audio Prayers and send to teammates. Our phones have great ability to record audio. Record an audio prayer and send it to a teammate to encourage them.
7. Build a Prayer Team to support you. Organize a team of people who will commit to praying for you and your teammates by name as you fight to reach your team with the Gospel.
8. Pray Scripture over your team. Pick a book of the Bible and begin praying it over your teammates. There is power when we verbally declare God's Word over people.
The number 1 non-negotiable job for a Spiritual Leader is to Abide in Christ.
The number 2 non-negotiable job is to Passionately Pursue Jesus.
The number 3 non-negotiable job is to Pray Like a Spiritual Giant.
What's Next? Join a Group
Join the Pure Encouragement Prayer Team.
Soul Care Groups: New Journey groups start August 2023. See opportunities below.
Confidence Groups: Join other athletes from around the world training their confidence on our weekly Zoom training groups. We run off-season (May-Aug) and in-season (Oct-Mar) groups. Athletes can join anytime and catch up on past material through video recordings.
Leadership Groups: Team Captain and Spiritual Leader Groups are in development. Stay tuned for upcoming group opportunities.
Soul Care Groups: New Journey groups start August 2023. See opportunities below.
Confidence Groups: Join other athletes from around the world training their confidence on our weekly Zoom training groups. We run off-season (May-Aug) and in-season (Oct-Mar) groups. Athletes can join anytime and catch up on past material through video recordings.
Leadership Groups: Team Captain and Spiritual Leader Groups are in development. Stay tuned for upcoming group opportunities.
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