Why is it that so
many potentially great men/women of God never seem to reach their full
potential?
Of course that
question is loaded, in the sense that God is sovereign and divinely ordains all
that comes to pass. However true that may be, we know as Christians we cannot
to always live at the bottom line. In other words, we can’t throw our hands up
and ascribe to a form of fatalism.
We must recognize
that though God does determine the ends, He likewise determines the means.
So to get back to
my original question, why is it that so many potentially great men of God never seem to reach their full potential?
I think the answer is Prayer, or lack there of.
How easy is it to shame a man by asking them how their
prayer life is.
How often am I ashamed when someone asks me how my prayer
life has been.
As I read through R. Kent Hughes book “Living on the cutting
edge”, one of his opening principles for spiritual leadership is dependence on
God through prayer.
If you take the time to read through Exodus 17.8-15 you will
come to realize that Joshua didn’t win that war with the power of his army, but
by the Power of God. Thus Joshua learned an important lesson that day; that the
foundation of any victory lies in God’s power.
How true is that for us today? So many “spiritual leaders”
are attempting to minister by the power of self, rather than leaning on the
power of God through prayer. Have we
forgotten that we are wretches, sinners and powerless in the spiritual realm
apart from God? Hughes writes, “No one
attains true spiritual leadership who thinks that his power is his own or that
past victories are due to his own genius. The overriding lesson Joshua learned
at Rephidim was that the backbone of any work done for God is prayer.”
I give a hearty AMEN to that!
All things done apart from Him is chaff. Prayer and
dependence on God will enable any man to do great and lasting things for the
Kingdom.