How “Prayer” and “Rest” Make You A Better Leader
I am trying to read a couple of books a month: one spiritual, the other business or somehow work related. I do not always get this done, but it has led me to some great reads over the last couple of years. Below are two, one I am working on and one I have just finished, that I think will grow you as a leader.
Prayer: Finding The Heart’s True Home
by Richard J. Foster
I feel like this first book should have a disclaimer.
Warning! Side effects of reading this book include:
Longer and more frequent prayers
A sense of peace regardless of circumstance
The feeling of the presence of God in your life
I first encountered Richard Foster’s book when Bob Hoskins, the founder of OneHope, taught a class on prayer that I had the privilege of attending. Through the course of the class, I learned that I had a very anemic prayer life. As a gift for attending the class, and on condition that we read it, Bob gave everyone a copy of Foster’s book. I am in the process of re-reading Prayer and I realize how much more I have to learn. Foster covers the many different aspects of prayer in a way that is both accessible and applicable.
Recently, I have learned the value of sacramental prayer. Sacramental prayer is praying through liturgical prayer. Sacramental prayer helps me to meditate on God’s word. I have also found ways that I was praying more channeled and meaningful. I will be re-discovering this book for years to come. I highly recommed Prayer for anyone who wants to grow closer to God.
If reading this book causes you to spend an extra hour in prayer rather than an extra hour in preparation for your weekend, you will find it is worth it.
Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
There are many books on work-life balance; this is not one of those books. What Mr. Pang does in Rest is show the connection between intentional times away from work and how those times lead to greater productivity and accomplishment. Using examples from artists, writers, scientists, business, and world leaders, Rest shows how certain restful activities can energize you and lead you to breakthroughs. What I found fascinating was how much of our brain works when we are doing things other than focused work. Mundane chores like cleaning out a closet can lead to creative breakthroughs. Taking a walk — whether it be on a treadmill or nature trail — can re-energize your day. The book even gives you a scientific reason to take a mid-day nap! In fact, Rest provides both academic and real-world examples to support why you should sleep, take vacations and multiple days breaks, exercise, and engage in an all-encompassing hobby.
I have seen many of the truths listed in this book work years before reading it, which is why I like it. When I was a Children’s Ministry Leader and Curriculum Producer, I would often clean out a closet or some other ministry area when I was stuck writing a lesson. My wife and I took up Krav Maga to get our minds off the church and meet people who did not go to church anywhere.
One of the most interesting things I learned from the book: the term “workaholic” originally came from a survey on the work habit of ministers.
“Prayer” and “Rest” both the books and the concepts will help you become more like Jesus and therefore make you a better leader.
In our Ministry Accelerator Community on Slack, we talk about the ministry challenges we face today. To join, send an email to info@ministryacclerator.org and put “ I want to join the community,” in the subject line. We would love to meet you.
