A Leader’s Prayer
Lord…
Help me to be firm without being immovable.
Help me to take risks without being reckless.
Help me to be sensitive without being hyper-sensitive.
Help me to be confident without being arrogant.
Help me to be sure without thinking I can never be wrong.
Help me to empower others without abdicating my responsibilities.
Help me to be excellent without thinking I need to do it all myself.
Help me to take responsibility without taking ownership.
Help me to be wise without thinking I am wiser than anyone else.
Help me to first give the benefit of the doubt without prejudice that come from stereotyping.
Help me to always show grace and understanding without criticism or judgment.
Help me to listen and understand without being naïve.
Help me to never speak negatively about others without first speaking to them.
Help me to serve with other leaders without comparing the results of my work to theirs.
Help me to be an example without the motive of being noticed as an example.
Help me to shut my mouth so I can be frustrated without gossip and slander.
Help me with Your perspective because there is always one I don’t see.
Help me to know what you expect of me so I can care less about the expectations of others.
Help me to serve while knowing I will be often treated like a servant.
Help me to always be open to and learn from criticism regardless of the motive of the one giving it.
Help me to not subtly influence people to think better of me by influencing what they think of someone else.
Help me to handle “success” with humility and “failure” with grace and determination.
Most of all…so I can be this kind of servant…empower me to seek Your face more and to more reflect Your image to a world so desperate to see it.