The Presbyter's Page
Electronic Edition – April 2001
Original articles published March1998
Section 12 - LA
District UPCI
Donald Bryan - Presbyter
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Sermon Thought: “Seven
Habits of Praying People…
Is there room for improvement in your prayer life?"
What Every
Leader Should Know About People
New Values
of People in Society
The Ten
Commandments of Confrontation
Sermon Thought:
“Seven
Habits of Praying People…”
Is there room for
improvement in your prayer life?
Prayer is foundational to every ministry of the church, for it is prayer that puts the power of God into the work of God. What is it that keeps a prayer life energized?
1. Pray in a designated place. All highly effective praying people pray in a place that is far from distractions and interruptions – a “tent of meeting” set aside in which to meet with God can take various forms.
a. A private place. Jesus, the most highly effective praying person who ever lived, sought a secret place for prayer.
b. A public place. Paul reports from Philippi, “On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.”
c. A prison. One of the greatest revivals in history was the result of Paul and Silas praying in prison. (see Acts 16:25).
d. The church. Today many churches are constructing well-equipped prayer rooms.
2. Set aside a specific time for prayer. Highly effective praying people all report that prayer doesn’t “just happen.” One has to make time for it. It is important to set aside the best time to commune with God.
3. Develop an effective prayer plan. It is essential to plan your prayer time. Prayer schedules or plans include such things as : worship, quietness, submission, confession, listening, requesting and praise. For what do highly effective praying people suggest we pray?
Ø Pray for your enemies.
Ø Pray for your friends and family.
Ø Pray for the gospel to be preached and the lost to be saved.
Ø Pray for yourself.
Ø Pray for your leaders.
Ø Pray for the sick.
Ø Pray for God’s will to be done.
Ø Pray the scriptures.
Most highly effective praying people pray aloud, even when they are praying alone. Effective intercessors also take time to listen.
4.
Keep a prayer journal.
Many effective intercessors routinely journal their prayer requests
in a notebook.
5.
Have materials close at hand. Highly effective intercessory prayer warriors typically have
a well-ordered place of prayer.
6.
Pray with expectation.
Like the Old Testament priest who would go beyond the veil once a
year into the Holy of Holies, highly effective praying people approach the
place of prayer with great expectations.
7.
Pray with humility.
Highly effective praying people approach God with a submissive
heart. Prayer is the most effective
means of submitting to the will of God.
What Every Leader Should Know About People
Leading an organization
is about 95% people and 5% organization.
1. A good leader can lead many different organizations.
2. People are an organization’s most appreciable asset.
3. A leader’s most important asset is people skills. Success is 87% people knowledge and 13% product knowledge.
4. You can have people skills and not be a good leader, but you cannot be a good leader without people skills.
What Should Leaders Know
About People?
A. People
are insecure – Give them confidence.
B. People
like to feel special – Sincerely compliment them. The highest compliment a leader can receive is one given by his
people. The highest compliment the
people can receive is one given to them by their leader.
Comments on Compliments:
a They should be sincere.
b Start with your family.
c Look for good qualities in people.
d General compliments make people feel good.
e Specific compliments help people to grow.
C. People look for a better tomorrow – Show them hope. Everyone lives for something better to come.
D. People need to be understood – Listen to them.
Ten Things To Know About People:
1. Background
2. Present context.
3. Personality temperaments.
4. Spiritual gifts.
5. Abilities.
6. Dreams.
7. Hurts.
8. Joys.
9. Priorities.
10. Influencers in their life.
E. People lack direction – Navigate for them.
F. People are selfish – Speak to their needs first.
a. Leaders put their people first.
b. Leaders know their people’s needs.
c. Leaders see the total picture.
G. People get emotionally low – Encourage them. The secret of success is to not let what you’re doing get to you before you get to it.
H. People want to be associated with success – Help them win. What do these things all have in common? High Morale, Optimism, Momentum, Enthusiasm, Energy, Fun = Winning.
I. People desire meaningful relationships – Provide community, God’s word is all about community – From the Garden of Eden at the beginning to the city at the end.
J. People seek models to follow – Be an example.
New Values of People in
Society
·
Time
is more important than money.
·
Effectiveness
is more important than tradition.
·
Application
is more important than facts.
·
Flexibility
is more important than ritual.
Who use their influence a the right time for the right reasons;
Who take a little greater share of the blame and a little smaller share
of the credit;
Who lead themselves successfully before attempting to lead others;
Who continue to search for the best answer, not the familiar one;
Who add value to the people and organization they lead;
Who work for the benefit of others and not for personal gain;
Who handle themselves with their heads and handle others with their
hearts;
Who know the way, go the way, and show the way;
Who inspire and motivate rather than intimidate and manipulate;
Who live with people to know their problems and live with God in order
to solve them;
Who realize that their dispositions are more important than their
positions;
Who mold opinions instead of following opinion polls;
Who understand that an institution is the reflection of their
character;
Who never place themselves above others except in carrying
responsibilities;
Who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
Who discipline themselves so they will not be disciplined by others;
Who encounter setbacks and turn them into comebacks.
The Ten Commandments of Confrontation
Confrontation is very difficult for most people. If you feel uneasy using the word confront,
I’d like to suggest that you substitute the word clarify. Clarify the issue instead of confronting the
person. Then follow these 10
commandments.
1.
Do
it privately, not publicly.
2.
Do
it as soon as possible. That is more
natural than waiting a long time.
3.
Speak
to one issue at a time. Don’t overload
the person with a long list of issues.
4.
Once
you’ve made a point, don’t keep repeating it.
5.
Deal
only with actions the person can change.
If you ask the person to do something he or she is unable to do,
frustration builds in your relationship.
6.
Avoid
sarcasm, sarcasm signals that you are angry at people, not at their actions,
and may cause them to resent you.
7.
Avoid
words like always and never.
They usually detract from accuracy and make people defensive.
8.
Present
criticisms as suggestions or questions if possible.
9.
Don’t
apologize for the confrontational meeting.
Doing so detracts from it and may indicate you are not sure you had the
right to say what you did.
10. Don’t forget the
compliments. Use what I call the “sandwich”
in these types of meetings: Compliment –
Confront – Compliment.
It’s Just a Thought…..
Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.
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