Appointment with prayer

Good morning! Have you had time to read Scripture and pray this morning?

This week I was blessed to attend The Leadership Summit 2009, sponsored by the Willow Creek Association. It was an awesome experience! Some of the speakers include Bill Hybels, Wes Stafford, Bono and Tony Blair plus others... what a diverse group it was.
(you can check it out at www.willowcreek.com)

One of the take-aways that Bill Hybels pointed out in his closing remarks was to make sure to take time with God every day.

Make a daily appointment with God and keep it!

This conference was for leaders - mostly they were church leaders but many attendees (and presenters) are leaders in the business community as well. "Take time for God daily."

Think about it - God is the original leader. Wouldn't it be fantastic if He was truly the Leader of all leaders? Think of the difference it could make in the world if every leader - at every level - began the day with a time of Scriptures and prayer? Think of the way decisions would be made - decisions that impact the economy, health, relationships and welfare of people and governments all over the world. Amazing!

In reality, not all leaders do that. So we must each do what we can to support them and create change. And though praying generically for "all leaders everywhere" is one way, I suggest that we pray for each leader that we know by name. Pray for the local leaders (mayors, county executives, governors, etc). Pray for our local congress reps and senators. Pray for the leaders of businesses you patronize (your own employer, the man who owns the supermarket where you shop, the woman who runs the yarn store, the people who own the coffee shop...) - and if you don't know their names, start by praying for them generically while you find out their names. Pray for your pastors and church leaders. Pray for the coaches.

You get the idea:
Pray for the leaders within your sphere of influence - anyone who leads a group, an organization, a club, a team, a ministry, a county, a state, a country ... any leaders you know by name. Pray that they will make a daily appointment with God and keep it - seeking God's guidance in every decision. Pray that God will protect them from their own poor decisions and the poor decisions of others. Pray that he/she is safe and well. Then let God take it from there.

Be a leader - lead with prayer.

Make that daily appointment with God - put it on your planner - and keep it!