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The Prayer Life Of an Above Average Leader

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I’ve never considered being called average a compliment. I think it means you’re just as close to the bottom as on top. I don’t believe that God meant for you to be average. I don’t think God meant for you to live a so-so or bland, mediocre life. As a leader, I don’t think God intends for you to be an average leader. I believe that every human being was designed for excellence, that you’re not one in a million, you’re one in five billion and as the book In Search of Excellence states, “The average person desires to be excellent in many different ways.” There is no one else like you in the universe. As Pastors and Christian leaders, one of the key elements in our pursuit of being an above average leader is having an above average prayer life. I want to share some big lessons from the life of Jabez about the prayer life of an above average leader. Jabez is a man who literally stood out in a crowd. There isn't much written about him in the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 4, you find a couple of sentences about him in the middle of a bunch of genealogies. In the middle of 600 names God singles out one man for special recognition. He stands above average. He’s like a redwood tree in a forest of Bonzai’s. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 it says, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez saying, `I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cries out to God, `O God, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory and keep me from harm so that I would be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” Out of those two obscure verses, we learn that there are three secrets to his life as an above average leader. What can we learn from Jabez?

You Need a Great Ambition

Jabez didn’t want to be ordinary. He wanted to excel and grow. In other words, he was a person of vision and dreams. He wanted something special and something great from his life. Most of all, he wanted God’s blessing in his life. A lot of people never achieve the leadership level that they could achieve in life because they just drift through life with no ambition, no master plan, no real purpose, no dream that pulls them along. It’s what I call haphazard living. You’ve got to have a dream if you’re going to be a great leader. And in looking at Jabez’ prayer life we’ll find that his prayers actually came out of his dreams. When you stop dreaming, you start dying. If you have no goals, you have no growth. You were designed by God for great dreams.

You Need a Growing Faith

Jabez had a deep trust and belief in God. It is obvious from his prayer that he recognized that the source of his blessing was the Lord. It reminds me of William Carey who said, “Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.” In these two verses, we notice a couple of things about Jabez. If you’re going to live above average, you first need a great ambition and second, you need a growing faith.

You Need a Genuine Prayer Life

Jabez knew that to live above average, it was going to take more than his own strength. It was going to take God’s power in his life to accomplish his dream. Notice he’s very specific about what he prays about. God wants us to pray about our goals. He wants us to be specific. Nothing becomes dynamic unless it becomes specific. The more specific I am in my prayers, the more quickly God’s going to answer. God dares us to ask for big requests. James 4:3 says, “You have not because you ask not.” Jeremiah says, “Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you know not.” Over twenty times in the New Testament we’re commanded to ask. Jesus said, “Ask, Seek, Knock.” That spells “ASK”. In Ephesians 3:20, it says “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us.” That’s one of my favorite verses because it says you can’t out-ask or out-dream God. Stretch your imagination and let God take you further than you’ve ever gone before in your prayer life, in praying for God’s blessing on your ministry and on your life. Have you let God give you a great ambition for your life, for your ministry? Have you had a glimpse of what God wants to do in your life? Maybe the most important thing you could do is take a full day off get off by yourself with your Bible and say, “God help me to see the situation as You see it. Help me to see Your church as You want it to be. Not as it is, but as You want it to be.” The most fulfilling ambition is to do God’s will. The Bible says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” So never be afraid of having ambition if what you’re attempting is ultimately for the glory of God. There’s no doubt about it that ambition outside of God’s control is destructive. But ambition under God’s control is dynamic. I believe that there is nothing that God won’t do for the person who’s sole ambition is for God’s greater glory. Let God give you a great ambition for your church. Photo by Kevin Carden

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Remember God’s Promises When Leadership Feels Heavy

One of the hardest parts of leadership is carrying a God-given assignment while feeling the weight of your own limits. You can run on adrenaline, discipline, and experience for a while. But sooner or later, the pressure of ministry shows you what you’ve really been leaning on.In Joshua 1, God points Joshua to something sturdier than willpower. He did not just hand Joshua a job to do. God gave him promises to stand on. And if Joshua was going to lead faithfully, he had to stay conscious of God’s dependability.God gave Joshua four promises that every pastor needs to hold onto when the work gets tough (as it always will).1. Remember that God promises power.God told Joshua, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life” (Joshua 1:5 NIV). That was not a promise that leadership would be easy. It was a promise that God’s power would be enough.Pastor, the assignment in front of you may be bigger than your natural strength. That does not mean you are in the wrong place. It may mean you are right where God wants you—so you can learn again that ministry is sustained by his power, not yours.Do not measure the size of the challenge before you remember the size of your God.2. Remember that God promises protection.God also said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5 NIV). Joshua was not being sent out alone. The presence of God would go with him.That matters because leadership can feel lonely. Criticism is lonely. Big decisions are lonely. Carrying spiritual responsibility is lonely. But if God is with you, you are not abandoned, even when you feel outnumbered.Your safety is not in having a trouble-free ministry. Your safety is in the faithfulness of God.3. Remember that God promises provision.Joshua 1:8 says that obedience leads to a life that is “prosperous and successful” (NIV). That does not mean every ministry grows in the same way. It means God provides what you need to do what he has called you to do.Pastor, God’s provision is not about platform, size, or ego. It is about having God’s hand on your life and ministry. It is being able to say, “By God’s grace, I am becoming who God wants me to be, and I have what I need in order to do what God has asked me to do.”So stay close to God’s Word. Meditate on it. Obey it. Do not pick and choose the parts you like. God’s provision often shows up as you take the next obedient step.4. Remember that God promises his presence.The promise that frames this whole idea is simple: “The LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV). That is the best promise of all.God does not just give direction. God gives himself. God does not just send leaders into the work. God walks with them in the work.If you are heading into a hard week, that truth changes everything. You may still have the same meetings, the same burdens, and the same unfinished problems. But you do not face them alone.If you’re entering a hard week, do not just admire these promises. Use them.When you feel weak, remember God’s power. When you feel exposed, remember his protection. When the future feels unclear, remember his provision. When leadership feels lonely, remember his presence.Joshua’s success did not begin with self-confidence. It began with God-confidence. And that is still where faithful leadership begins.Pastor, do not build this week on your experience, your energy, or your best instincts alone. Build it on the character of God. God is dependable. So take the next obedient step.

Slow Down and Hear the Hurt

“The one who gives an answer before he listens—this is foolishness and disgrace for him.” Proverbs 18:13 (CSB)Pastor, one of the hardest parts of ministry is resisting the urge to fix things too quickly.When someone comes to you hurting, confused, or overwhelmed, your mind often moves fast. You want to help. You want to solve the problem. You want to bring clarity and move things forward.But Scripture says, “The one who gives an answer before he listens—this is foolishness and disgrace for him” (Proverbs 18:13 CSB).That is an important word for shepherds.People do need wisdom. They do need truth. But often, before they are ready for your answer, they need your presence. They need to feel heard. They need to know you care. They need space to speak their pain out loud.There is healing in being heard.Your ear is one of the tools God will use most in your ministry.Jesus shows us this in John 11. When he arrived after Lazarus had died, he already knew what he was about to do. He was not confused. He was not powerless. He knew the solution before anyone else did.And still, when he saw the grief around him, he did not rush past it.The Bible says, “Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved. . . . Jesus wept” (John 11:33-35 GNT).Jesus knew resurrection was coming, but he still entered their sorrow.That is pastoral wisdom.Pastor, sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to not speak first. Instead, stay present long enough to feel what someone else is carrying. Yes, there may be a time to guide, correct, or counsel. But often ministry begins by listening well.So this week, before you rush to fix, slow down.Listen fully.Enter the pain.Let people feel heard.A shepherd’s heart is often seen first in listening.

Four Marks of Holiness From Psalm 24

Pastor, God is looking for holy leaders.Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (NIV) Holiness won’t happen on autopilot. You have to fight for it in your schedule, your thoughts, your habits, and your words.Why should you pursue holiness? God says, “Be holy because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 GW).That’s the heart of it, pastor. When the Spirit is filling your life, you don’t just feel comforted; you feel called. You want to look like Jesus.So what does it mean to be holy?Psalm 24:3-4 says, “Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (NIV).In other words, these are the characteristics of the person who gets blessed by God. If you want the blessing of the Lord, Psalm 24 gives four simple marks of holiness.1. Clean handsClean hands mean a clear conscience.Think about the tabernacle in the Old Testament. When you walked into the court, the first thing you would do is wash at the brass washbasin. It’s a picture of cleansing. The starting point for a holy life is a cleansed life.Does that mean you will be perfect? No, because no one is perfect. It means you keep short accounts with God; you don’t let sin sit.Scripture says, “If we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away” (1 John 1:9 CEV). When you sin, you need to agree with God about it; you need to confess it.You won’t have much spiritual strength with a guilty conscience. A clean engine produces more power, and the same is true in your life.2. A pure heartPsalm 24 also says a holy person has a pure heart. This is about your motives. A pure heart reflects pure motives.Jeremiah 48:10 says, “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the LORD’s work!” (NIV). When you’re “lax in doing the LORD’s work,” that means you’re doing it with mixed motives.God can do a lot through the pastor with pure motives, who doesn’t care who gets the credit. So in private, talk to the Lord: “God, examine my heart. Clear out the junk. Make my motives pure before you.”3. HumilityPsalm 24:4 says a holy person is someone “who does not trust in an idol” (NIV). This speaks to humility.Pride goes before destruction. God doesn’t take pride lightly. Pride kicked Satan out of heaven. Pride caused Pharaoh to lose his nation. Pride led to Herod being stricken and dying on the spot.So be aware of pride’s power in your life. Proverbs 18:12 says, “Pride leads to destruction” (CEV).4. HonestyPsalm 24:4 goes on to say that a holy person doesn’t “swear by a false god” (NIV). That’s about being honest, having the right words, and using holy language. In other words, you need to watch what you say.Psalm 39:1 says, “I’ll be careful not to sin by what I say” (CEV). One of the easiest ways we sin is by talking too much. When you talk too much, you lose spiritual weight. It is like a steam engine. If it is always letting off steam through the whistle, it builds up no power. But if it stores up the steam, then when it releases it, it can move an engine.Are you quick with angry words? Sarcastic words? Put-down words? Pray and ask God, “Where do I need to watch my words?” When you boil it all down, to be holy is to keep a clear conscience, purify your motives, walk in humility, and speak honestly with guarded words.That is what it means to be holy. And God uses holy people.

Who Is Watching Out for You?

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)Pastor, you probably know what it’s like to watch over others while quietly feeling unseen yourself. You help people stay steady in temptation, grief, conflict, and doubt. You pray for them, counsel them, and carry burdens you cannot always share.So here is a Monday-morning question worth asking: Who is watching out for you?When you go on vacation, you ask someone to keep an eye on the house. That is wisdom. But in ministry, it is easy to let the “watching out” stop with everyone else. And when a pastor becomes isolated, discouragement can deepen, temptations get louder, and blind spots grow.Scripture gives a better way: “Look out for one another's interests, not just for your own” (Philippians 2:4 GNT). God intends for the family of God to be a protective gift, not just a place we serve.Ecclesiastes calls it a braided cord. Strength comes from connection. Not performative connection. Not “I have plenty of people around me.” Real, honest, mutual care.Pastor, you were not meant to stand alone.Here’s a simple encouragement for this week: Choose one trusted person and invite a real check-in. Not a ministry update. A soul check. The Lord often protects pastors through faithful friends who lovingly “look out” when you cannot see what is happening in your own blind spots.You are better together.

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