by Tim Swanson
You have influence in someone's life. Maybe you’re the boss at work and you're responsible for a whole team of people. Or maybe you're low on the totem pole, and you feel like you don't carry weight with anyone. But I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that you carry a measure of influence in someone's life. Are you married? Do you have kids? How about nieces or nephews? Maybe you're not the boss at work, but I bet you're also not the newest person there either. Even friends, by definition, give one another some level of influence in each other's lives. Think about those people you care for. Maybe you don't care for them. Maybe you just feel convicted to reach out to someone that's difficult to love. In any case, your commitment to pray is the most powerful and compassionate thing you can do for the people that you have some measure of influence with.
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people" 1 Timothy 2:1
A couple years ago I committed to praying for my team at Moon Valley Bible Church. That was easily the best leadership decision I have ever made.
I got a regular white three ring binder and filled the inner pocket with blank 'prayer pages' that I made. Each page had a place at the top for volunteer's name. Beneath the name there were two columns. One for the date and the other is just labeled "prayers". Then I spent a little time each day calling my volunteers and simply asking them how I could pray for them. My goal was to listen without trying to fix their problems and give them a bunch of uninvited advice (that wasn't easy for me). I wrote down whatever they told me. I would typically end my conversations by saying something like, "Would you do me a favor and keep me updated on how that's going?" Calling everybody on my team was a lot of work. After that, I set out to pray for each person's requests each week. My goal was to contact every person again within 8 weeks of our previous conversation. This was also not easy to do.
That was just two years ago. The other day I was flipping through the pages and thanking God for what my prayer journal has become. Every one of my volunteers has multiple pages satapled together with my scribbles all over them. But that is not the reason I was thanking God. My praises were over the many pages of answered prayers that I saw. One of my volunteers asked me to start praying for her son. The subsequent entries told the story of his arrest, making bail and running before the trial. I prayed for a long time for God to lead that young man to turn himself in. Today, more than 2 years later, he has not only turned himself in and served his sentance, but he has pursued recovery from drugs and is doing well. It is a tramendous priviledge to get to be a part of something like that. And there are bunches of stories just like that in that three ring binder.
My prayer journal has become so much more than just a way to keep track of everyone's prayer requests and answered prayers. It has become the most valuable tool I have at my disposal. I am confident that if you pursue a prayer journal for the people that you care for, it’ll become your most valuable resource too. Here are 5 things that’ll make your prayer journal your most valuable resource.
1. God listens to your prayers and they change the way He acts: It is no coincidence that many of the prayer requests in my book have smiley faces next to them (meaning a prayer has been answered). As Christians, we pray to the one true and all powerful God of all creation. He is the first and only stop for anything that requires any measure of power to accomplish.
2. It’ll keep you mindful of where people are at in life: I have another prayer journal for my family at home. I do the same process with my wife as I do at work. I routinely talk to her about how I can pray for her. It’s amazing how I still have to be reminded of things that are going on in her life. I have sat down many times to read her pages and realized I had completely forgotten about major things going on in her heart. Reviewing the entries of the people you are praying for is like studying for a test, and it’ll keep you mindful of the little things that they’re going through. This will give you perspective on when someone who is going through a really rough time may need some compassion and grace. As you try to delegate responsibility and authority, your deeper knowledge of your volunteer’s life circumstances will help you make informed decisions.
3. It’ll build your relationship with God: I often ask God to help me see people the way that He sees them. I’m pretty sure I’m not there yet, but I’ve made progress. As you spend time in conversation with God, your faith will be tested. As He responds with answered prayers, you’ll find that your faith is stronger.
4. It provides a framework for you to be consistent in prayer: Some days I’m tempted to shift my priorities when my workload is heavy. On those days, seeing my prayer journal sitting out on my coffee table helps me remember what is most important to me. As a leader, being true to your word is essential to impacting people. Your prayer journal will be a physical reminder of your commitment to the people you are influencing. It’ll help you follow through with the people you’ve committed to praying to.
5. Your prayer journal will strengthen your relationships with other people: When I started calling people and asking how I could be praying for them, something really great happened. They started calling me when they needed prayer. When you make it known that you care for your people, it’ll build trust. Before too long, you will become a more integral part of their lives. This trust will be one of your most valuable assets as you lead your team.
0 comments:
Post a Comment