Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

Prayer is primary—but not theoretical prayer. Prayer that gets the job done includes the conviction, “I’m available, Lord—ready and willing.”

All who lead must place a high priority on prayer. Why is prayer so important? Here are the four shortest reasons I know.

Prayer makes me wait. I cannot pray and work at the same time. I have to wait to act until I finish praying. Prayer forces me to leave the situation with God; it makes me wait.

Second, prayer clears my vision. Southern California often has an overhanging weather problem in the mornings, because of its coastal location, until the sun “burns through” the morning fog. Prayer does that. When you first face a situation, is it foggy? Prayer will “burn through.” Your vision will clear so you can see through God’s eyes.

Third, prayer quiets my heart. I find that prayer is the best channel for removing my worries. When I turn my anxiety into prayer, my spirit grows quiet. Prayer replaces angst with peace. Knees don’t knock when we kneel on them!

Fourth, prayer activates my faith. After praying I am more prone to trust God. How petty and negative and critical I am when I don’t pray! Prayer sets faith on fire.

Don’t just fill the margins in your Bible with words and thoughts about ways a leader prays. Do it! Don’t stop with just a sterile theology of prayer. Pray! Prayer was the first major step Nehemiah took in his journey to effective leadership.

The Lord is the Specialist we need for these “uncrossable” and impossible experiences. He delights in accomplishing what we cannot pull off. But He awaits our cry. He listens for our request. Nehemiah was quick to call for help. His favourite position when faced with problems was the kneeling position. How about you?

Taken from Hand Me Another Brick by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2006 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com