Focal Passage: Judges 3:7-5:31
When my wife was carrying our first child I was studying about a judge in Israel called Deborah. Her courage and devotion to following God greatly encouraged and challenged me during this time in my life. After discussing it, we decided if our first child was a girl we would name her Deborah. The name Deborah means “busy as a bee,” and we prayed that she would be busy in serving and following God – and He honored our prayers.
John Maxwell often says that if one is leading and no one is following they are just out for a walk. However, often the problem is not that there is no one leading in our churches today, it is that we choose not to follow. We give our attention to what we want, when we want it, in the way we want it. And if the leader isn’t meeting our plans, we just do our own thing.
What is it that God wants from us? How does He encourage us to be in our churches?
How can we support and encourage those God has placed in our lives to lead and guide?
First and foremost we need to pray for them. Not pray about them (or prey on them). We need to pray that they stay close to God, that they seek Him with their whole heart, and that they listen to Him. Leaders are placed in our churches to guide and direct (not dictate) the direction God wants His people to go. We should pray and find ways to help and encourage them.
It is important that if we want to truly see what God is doing to be personally involved in it. When God is moving we can’t understand or see it if we are sitting still on the sidelines. The only way that we truly see God’s hand and heart is being a positive participant in what He is doing.
Following this lesson, take a moment and write a short note of encouragement and appreciation to your leaders, letting them know you are praying and praising God for them.