Is It A Sin NOT To Pray For Your Team?

In a recent post, One Responsibility A Christian Leader Cannot Delegate, I explained that Christian leaders are responsible for prayer. It is not something we can delegate to someone else and be relieved of the responsibility. Today, the question gets a little tougher. Is it a sin NOT to pray for those we lead?

Samuel’s Farewell Speech

In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites. he has been their spiritual leader for many years and is now turning that duty over to Saul, whom he anointed as king. Samuel is warning the Israelites against turning away from God as they transition to following a king.

At the end of this farewell address, Samuel makes an interesting statement that directly relates to our topic of praying for those we lead. Here is what Samuel said…

As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.
1 Samuel 12:23

A Sin Not To Pray?

I am not sure it gets any more clear than that statement right there. Samuel clearly understood it to be a sin for him to fail to pray for those people he was leading. However, my initial question after reading this passage was, “Where is that in the Bible?” I could not remember a verse that said it was a sin NOT to pray for someone.

Well, here is what I have concluded after a little studying.

Samuel’s Vow To Pray

First, in 1 Samuel 7:5, Samuel vows to pray to the Lord on behalf of the Israelites. It is not clear whether this vow was intended to be an ongoing promise to pray, but it makes sense that it might. Either way, Samuel had seen it to be part of his responsibility to pray for those he was leading.

See Good, Do It!

Second, we can look to the New Testament in James 4:17 for more support of this idea that we are responsible as Christian leaders to pray for those we lead. Here is what James said…

So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.
James 4:17

I Am Convinced!

Folks, that is enough for me. I am convinced that it is a responsibility of mine as a Christian leader to pray for my team. I look to men like Samuel as examples of great Christian leadership. If Samuel saw it as a sin to refrain from praying for his people, then I see it the same way.

So, assuming you agree with me, what are we to do? Well, I am sure I will leave something out, but I will take that risk and give you a list of what I think we should be praying about. If you think of additional items for this list, please let me know in the comments section!

What To Pray?

1. Pray first for you to be the godly example and leader they need.

2. Pray for their salvation (and that of their families)!

3. Pray for their minds and hearts to be open to growing in their faith.

4. Pray for their daily needs to be met.

5. Pray that they would forgive and know forgiveness.

6. Pray for their strength when facing temptation.

7. Pray they find fulfillment in their jobs (current or future).

8. Pray they would find (and develop) their own area of leadership.

My Commitment

As I said at the end of my post on being unable to delegate prayer, I am going to give more energy to my prayer life. As part of this, I commit to pray for everyone in our business according to the list above. I can’t wait to see the results!

Do you agree with our responsibility to pray for those we lead?

What prayers would you add to this list?

What other thoughts do you have on this topic?