Home Pastors 5 Common Temptations for Leaders and Their Devotional Life

5 Common Temptations for Leaders and Their Devotional Life

Sometimes you can just sit with God, enjoy His presence, and soak in His Word. If you only read a verse and meditate, great. It’s not a competition.

I deeply appreciate devotional apps, like reading through the Bible in a year, but empathize when leaders lament to me that they missed a day or two and now “it’s a project to keep up” rather than a relationship to enjoy.

I can see the joy drain from their expression.

You might be tempted to return more slowly to your devotional practice because you feel you must “catch up” rather than simply be still in communion with God.

You don’t have to keep up; the purpose is to draw close, worship, and hear from God. The joy is to know Him, love Him, and want to obey Him. Not check the boxes.

Never lose grace in search of truth, and never surrender joy in obedience.

3. Function Without Power

It’s rarely intentional but easy to slide into leading from your own ability rather than with God’s power.

Leading on your own talent is often a result of ministry demands, problems to solve, and pressure in general.

The pressure can be so great that we think there is no time to pray, but the opposite is true; we need to pray all the more.

God doesn’t withhold His promises, favor, or blessing when we lack in our devotional life; we just fail to step into them. He’s always with us, but we must also move toward Him.

God gave us access to His Spirit within us, but that power isn’t automatic. Instead, it functions on a relationship of dependence, worship, prayer, and quietly waiting upon His guidance and timing.

It’s not a legalistic transaction, but like communion with God, it just can’t be rushed. With that communion, God’s power is not only available; it’s abundant.

4. Give in to Doubt

In a business deal, when you don’t have the numbers or are missing information, you have major questions.

In a relationship, when you don’t talk much, aren’t close, or even become disconnected, you can doubt the real status of the relationship.

Distance from God can shrink your faith and cause you to doubt.

Intellectually you believe, but experientially you aren’t entirely convinced because of the distance.

Drift from God causes doubt in God. So, the beginning of the remedy is a renewed and deeper connection.

About now, you might be wondering, “are you just saying the answer to everything is to pray more?” No, I’m not, but it’s a big part.