1 Samuel 16:13-14
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.
INSIGHT
-Leader is written as nagid in Hebrew & is define a head, principal, guide, instructor, governor, chancellor, ruler, commander, victor & conqueror.
-Leadership & authority are not the same. One can be in authority but lack leadership qualities & skills. Leadership is given by God & is developed through training, sacrifice & experience with a clearly led vision.
-King David was chosen & anointed by God but king Saul was chosen & announced by the people. King David’s leadership skills & qualities were directed by the Holy Spirit Who came upon him. The Spirit of the Lord left king Saul who He rejected & a distressing spirit troubled him. David’s leadership was governed by God as he won all his 66 battles. When Absalom wanted to anoint himself as king, the Lord upheld David’s kingship & restored him back to authority.
We continue praying for the Lord to direct us in electing leaders who bear His Spirit so that His will may prevail in our nation.
PRAYER
Lord our Father, we thank You for the gift of life & Your love for us. We have seen Your hand in our lives. We humbly ask You to help us elect leaders who will diligently follow Your will in leading the nation. May Your Spirit fill all our leaders to put You first & regard highly the interest of the people in all their decisions. Amen
Judges 5:1-3
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: “When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord! “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
INSIGHT
-Deborah the prophetess & Barak sang a song of thanksgiving to God. They recognise the leaders for offering service to the people & the people submitting to their ruler-ship. In their song, they make mention of some of the leaders in Israel. These leaders came from the twelve tribes of Israel, where each man represented his father’s house (Num 1:44). Kings & prince’s are also recognised in a manner suggesting that they should as well praise God.
-The song also mentions how God has made provisions for them & delivered them from the oppression of their enemies. It is important to reflect on your life since you were a child up to now & give thanks to God for all the good He has done.
PRAYER
We thank You Father, for the far that You have taken us. We have never lacked daily provisions. We have overcome many challenges & bad experiences by Your power . We also thank You for all the good times & for Your abundant mercy & grace upon us. All glory, honour, praise & thanksgiving belong to You, Lord, now & forever. Amen
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
INSIGHT
-Personal leadership is a mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses & interpretations of occurrences. A positive mental attitude is generated by passion, motivated by a vision derived from a conviction & rooted from purpose. The result is better work & personal relationships with others & living in peace as advocated for in the scriptures.
-Apostle Paul advices that it is desirable for one to have peaceable & quiet behaviour upholding virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility & self-control. The Holy Spirit helps us to maintain these qualities in our work, personal life & relationship with others, that He may grant us all things.
PRAYER
We implore You Holy Spirit our Helper to fill our hearts with Your fruit & gifts that we may live a life of justice & truth hurting no one. Strengthen us in our weaknesses, protect us in times of temptations, pardon all our iniquity, enlighten us in ignorance, help us in our work & relations with others. Enhance our mental & behavioural intelligence that we may have complete faith in You believing that whatever we ask for we will receive. Amen
John 10:2-4
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
INSIGHT
-Jesus our good Shepherd leads, advises, instructs, encourages & calls each of us; His sheep, by name into the paths of righteousness, beside the waters of life. He leads us to the pastures of His ordinances, so that we may enjoy the privileges of Christianity. As His sons, may we always seek His mercy & grace that we may lack no good thing.
PRAYER
Lord our Father, shepherd us in Your wisdom, truth & power that we may hear Your voice & follow You always. Help us to harbor thoughts of righteousness in our hearts & not evil thoughts. May we always find pasture & water by Your grace. Hold our hands & lead us out of the ditch when we fall. Thank You for choosing us & drawing us through the Door. We worship You, we praise You, we adore You, now & forever. Amen
Matthew 15:13-14
But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus was addressing the Pharisees & brought our distortions in their doctrines where their traditions consumed His law. He warns that church leadership which is not founded by Him; is misleading & will be uprooted. He cautions false prophets who are blind, do not know Him & teach that which is not His. He also warns that false christ’s & false prophets will rise & show great signs and wonders to deceive, even the elect (Mat 24:24). Apostle Paul adds that; Jesus Christ must be the foundation of every religious establishment & leadership; which He plants, waters & increases (1 Cor 3:6-11).
SUMMARY
-Leadership is given by God & developed through training, sacrifice & experience with a clearly led vision because one can be in authority but lack leadership qualities. Everyone should develop their personal leadership qualities harbouring a positive mental attitude that predetermines their responses & interpretations of occurrences. This results in an enhanced relationship with our Maker & those we interact with; as advocated for in the scriptures.
-The Israelites wanted a physical leader & chose king Saul to lead them. After his rule; the Spirit of the Lord left him & He came upon David when he was anointed king by Samuel. True leaders come from God & their thrones are well rooted & established. It is important for people to submit to the authorities & the leaders to praise God, as Deborah & Barak sang in their thanksgiving song. Personal leadership also entails walking properly towards others, living a peaceful life & working with a vision guided by the Holy Spirit. Christ our good Shepherd leads us, His flock & calls us by name to go to Him & access His grace & mercy. He leads us to the green pastures & fills our hearts with rivers of living water, that we many never hunger nor thirst.
PRAYER
Christ our Father, You & the King of kings & Lord of lord’s, the First & the Last. Shepherd us in Your Word & teachings & fill our hearts with Your living water that we may never hunger nor thirst. Instill in us the gift of wisdom & discernment that we may be established in Your truth. You are the Way the truth & the life. Show us Your ways, build us in Your truth & preserve us with Your life. We praise You & honour You now & forever. Amen