In our Seekers group, I expressed how weak my prayer life is. It seems that my prayer life is always one of the biggest weak points in my life. This morning I spent a little time in prayer, then I wondered why it is that prayer is so difficult for me...and I think I have an answer.
If anyone were to ask me if I felt competent as a youth minister, I would probably answer no. In my head, I know that real ministry is only possible through God's power, and that even the best youth ministers are by nature incompetent. I have been around enough youth ministers to know that I am no where close to being able to be considered among the best.
But while I may say that and a large part of me believes that, my poor prayer life reveals that at my core, I think I can handle it on my own.
Reflect on the differences in Solomon and his son Rehoboam.
When Solomon was a young king, God gave him the opportunity of naming whatever he wanted, and having that wish granted. Solomon answered, "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
To this day, Solomon is remembered as the wisest king the world has known. His rule was the golden age of Israel. There was peace on all borders, people came from all over the world to hear his wisdom, his subjects delighted in him, and everyone enjoyed tremendous prosperity.
But then he had a son.
Rehoboam, when faced with an early dilemma, rejected the advice of the elders and did not seek God's counsel, but instead, listened to his own desires as voiced through his peers.
During Rehoboam's reign, he was stripped of most of the kingdom, Jerusalem was sacked, the Temple was stripped of all it's treasure, and sin and corruption were rampant.
Solomon knew he was incompetent, and through him, God ruled in glory and power as his kingdom flourished.
Rehoboam thought he was competent, and his incompetence was made obvious to the world as his kingdom dwindled and corroded.
A good leader must be humble.
A good leader must trust in God.
A good leader must be a man of prayer.
As I think about what qualities I would like the next youth minister to have, there are many, but the one at the top, is that he needs to be a man of prayer. Anyone who relies on God to get him through each day, can lead this group in ways you couldn't even imagine.
I will leave you with a couple of quotes from the Bible to reinforce what I just said.
(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) Numbers 12:3
You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.
2 Samuel 22:28
"Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son." 1 Kings 21:29
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD...I have heard you, declares the LORD. 2 Kings 22:19
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. Psalm 18:27
Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. Luke 1:52
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:11
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10
