It is useless for anyone in a leadership position to pray that there be no problems whatsoever. Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States of America is credited with, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”. I am not sure in what circumstance he said that, but being a leader himself it must have been born out of the many tough situations he faced. On his part, Colin Powell, the former secretary of state once said, “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership”.
I had written this entry halfway, and two developments cropped up as if to test the claim. First was a long-distance call informing me of a pastor’s wife that just passed away. The second call was local, and this had to do with someone who had just been apprehended by the police for traffic-related offense. They both ended on my table because I have some leadership roles over the affected parties. The right prayer a leader should make is the type that Solomon made when he ascended the throne. He asked for wisdom and understanding to handle whatever problems the people would bring to him. God granted his request. If there is another thing to add it would be stamina, the inner strength not to give up. On a final note, followers should learn to be more sympathetic and supportive of their leaders. Your leader may be fighting some battles that you know nothing about. Your prayerful support and obedience to lawful instructions will help them carry on their leadership functions much better.