Spiritual Leadership

LTCi course 602EBI courses 115 & 224

115 - This course focuses on how to teach and practice the principles of spiritual leadership. Topics include the leader’s challenge, role, preparation, vision, character, goal, influence, decisions, schedules, pitfalls, and rewards.

Section 6 - The Leader’s Goal

Group Activity: Create a one-pagevisual summary of moving people on to God’s agenda.Study chapter 6 in BlackabyStudy chapters 11-12 in SandersPrint an article on leadership at: http://www.biblicist.org/systematic/TableOfContents.htm

Section 6The Leaders

Goal

J. Oswald Sanders, Chapter 11,Prayer and Leadership

“The spiritual leader should outpace the church, above all, in prayer”Yet no leader fails to be conscious of how much more he could grow and develop in this area.

CJ Vaughan, “If I wanted to humble someone I should ask them questions about their prayers. I know nothing to compare with this topic for its sorrowful self confessions”Prayer is the Christians vital air and native breath.Yet we often fail to pray!We talk of prayer as drawing near to God, as a place of power, it is indispensable, a place of delight, a command.Yet often we fail to pray.

We need to look at the example of great men of God, Samuel Chadwick,He was essentially a man of prayer. Every morning he would be astir shortly after six o’clock, and he kept a little room which was his private sanctum for his quiet hour before break­fast. He was mighty in public prayer because he was constant in private devotion. When he prayed he expected God to do something. “I wish I had prayed more,” he wrote toward the end of his life, “even if I had worked less; and from the bottom of my heart I wish I had prayed better.”

One famous leader confessed he found his heart loath to go to God in prayer and when he did he was loath to stay - yet he confessed the need for self discipline here, encouraging those who knew him to greater depth and discipline in prayer even when they thought they could not.The time and effort given to prayer is a measure of how important it it to us.

Martin Luther declared extra work was not a reason to pray less, “Work, work from early till late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”We cannot learn about praying except by doing it! Intellectually it might seem hard to understand but by looking at Jesus we see the necessity of it - and if anyone could manage without it, surely it would be Jesus. Yet prayer was dominant and prominent in his life and a regular part of his teaching.

D. M. McIntyre wrote:In Luke 5:16 we have a general statement which throws a vivid light on the daily practice of the Lord. “And He withdrew Himself in the deserts and prayed.” It is not of one occasion but of many that the evangelist speaks in this place. It was our Lord’s habit to seek retirement for prayer. When He withdrew Himself from men, He was accustomed to press far into the uninhabited country – He was in the deserts.

The surprise of the onlookers lay in this, that One so mighty, so richly endowed (gifted; enabled) with spiritual power, should find it necessary for Himself to repair (to go) to the source of strength, that there He might refresh His weary spirit. To us, the wonder is still greater, that He, the Prince of Life, the Eternal Word, the Only-begotten of the Father, should prostrate Himself in meekness before the throne of God, making entreaty for grace to help in time of need.

Jesus at prayer:Lk 6:12 - full nightsMk 1:35 - rising earlyLk 5:16 - oftenMk 6:46 - after feeding 5000Lk 9:28 - before transfigurationLk 6:12 - before choosing the apostlesHeb 5:7 - with loud cries“All vital praying makes a drain on a man’s vitality. True intercession is a sacrifice, a bleeding sacrifice” J. H. Jowett.

Col 4:12 - Epahphras is wrestling for you in prayerCol 2:1 - Paul is struggling (a word usually used for agonising or being in agony) - the same word is used of one who is weary (Col 1:29), competing (1 Cor 9:25), a soldier batting for his life (1 Tim 6;12), a man struggling to deliver his friends form danger (Jn 18:36)“True prayer is a strenuous spiritual exercise which demands the utmost mental discipline and concentration”

Rom 8:26-28 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Pray in the Spirit

Holy Spirit is the master teacher in prayer - more is mentioned of this aspect of his ministry than of any other. All true prayer comes from his activity in our souls.Paul and Jude both speak of “praying in the Spirit” - the same things, lines, name, as he does

Pray in the Spirit

Holy Spirit is the master teacher in prayer - more is mentioned of this aspect of his ministry than of any other. All true prayer comes from his activity in our souls.Paul and Jude both speak of “praying in the Spirit” - the same things, lines, name, as he does

“True prayer rises in the spirit of the

Christian from the Spirit who indwells us”

Pray in the Spirit for 2 reasons:1. The HSp is the atmosphere and sphere of the life of a Christian - yet much of our praying is merely physical, in the area of the mind alone, produced by our thinking not the Spirit’s teaching.“Real prayer is deeper. It uses the body, requires the cooperation of the mind, and moves in the supernatural realm of the Spirit...it transacts business in the heavenly realm”

2. Pray in the power and energy of the Spirit.Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.Human power and energy are not enough!

The HSp helps us to pray even in our failings;- in our sin HSp leads us to grace and forgiveness in the blood of Jesus- ignorance of mind can stop us praying but HSp knows the mind of God and reveals it to us as we wait and listen, so we know our prayer is in accordance with God’s will- sickness and weakness stops us praying, HSp brings life and healing, enabling us to rise above such thingsAnd, of course, satan tries all sorts of tricks to stop us praying

Do you pray in the Spirit?

Do you walk in the Spirit - all of the time,

sometimes, occasionally, rarely,

never?Are your prayers powerless and

frequently (always) unanswered?

Biblically prayer is often seen as spiritual warfare;- Eph 6:12 - the Christian at prayer stands in between God and the devil - wielding no personal power but having a strategic role - the victory won by Christ works through our prayers to those in captivity and darkness.Jesus seemed at times to be less concerned over the sinful person as the power behind their sin (or sickness) - the grip of satan in such lives is released through the power of the cross taken hold of in prayer

Such understanding is vital in spiritual leadership - know where the battle is meant to be won and pray there in spiritual warfare.Matt 12:29 - “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.”Sanders suggests that this refers to neutralising the power of the enemy - a task fulfilled by taking hold of the power of the cross - the power of which is taken hold of in prayer.

Such understanding is vital in spiritual leadership - know where the battle is meant to be won and pray there in spiritual warfare.Matt 12:29 - “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.”Sanders suggests that this refers to neutralising the power of the enemy - a task fulfilled by taking hold of the power of the cross - the power of which is taken hold of in prayer.

Luke 10:19 I have given you

authority to trample on snakes and

scorpions and to overcome all the

power of the enemy; nothing will harm

you.

Hudson Taylor“It is possible to move men, through God,

by prayer alone.”

Practice

We might all say we believe in the power of prayer - but practicing it is very different. Do you believe you can take hold of God’s power to move the cold, unyielding hearts of men?We might think this is inconsistent - how can we speak of freewill and yet also of this power of prayer to affect hearts?Sanders notes:

1. God is always consistent with himself - no contradictions - therefore if answer to prayer is promised it will come in a way consistent with who God is - 2 Tim 2:132. Prayer is commanded by God - meet the conditions suggested by God and he will answer - he commands prayer for kings and those in authority, so surely such prayer has power consistent with God’s created order.

3. We can know God’s will regarding what we are praying - Ro 8:26-27

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

As we seek the will of God and the HSp impresses upon our hearts and minds God’s desire - this leads us into the prayer of faith - even if it takes time to be answered

“One day George Mueller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Mueller’s funeral the last one was saved.”"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." John Wesley

“One day George Mueller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Mueller’s funeral the last one was saved.”"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." John Wesley

Muller was asked if he believed these men would really be converted, he replied,“Do you think God would have kept me praying all these years if he did not intend to save them?”

It is important to remember we deal first with the ear of God in prayer - not the ear of men.Remember it is not our prayer that moves people - but the influence of God upon them.If you want to move someone you must be sure you can move God first!Prevailing prayer that moves people is the result of a right relationship with God - most unanswered prayers are centred on the believers relationship with God.

Are your prayers full of...- self interest- impure motives- sin - if you cling to sin you move away from God- unbelief (Heb 11:6)Great leaders in the Bible were great at prayer, EM Bounds says,

Are your prayers full of...- self interest- impure motives- sin - if you cling to sin you move away from God- unbelief (Heb 11:6)Great leaders in the Bible were great at prayer, EM Bounds says,

“They were not leaders because of brilliancy of thought, because they were exhaustless in resources, because of their magnificent culture or native endowment, but because, by the power of prayer, they could command the power of God.”

The school of prayer begins with the kindergarten understanding of communion with God and proceeds beyond graduate studies - where is your prayer life now, is it progressing?Who are your prayer models, who has helped you most in prayer?