5 prayers every leader should pray

Ken Gosnell Aug. 22, 2024

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Of all the tasks that steward CEOs engage in daily, one of the most essential is talking with the true Owner of the business. In prayer, the Owner can provide belief, encouragement, wisdom, and direction during all seasons.

Jesus made it a habit of going away by Himself to pray. Mark 1:35 records: "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." If that was true of Jesus, why should it be any different for any CEO?

Knowing how to pray is an important start for effective prayer. The Well Done CEO will focus on prayers that align with the company's purpose and mission. There are a few critical prayers for those who wish to honor God with their business.

#1 A prayer of effectiveness

Any reader of the Parable of the Talents can attest that God is concerned with work that produces results. Leaders and CEOs can quickly become distracted with the day's fires and miss out on the work that God has specifically designed for them to complete. The prayer of effectiveness ensures that the leader keeps in mind the most critical tasks and projects that will propel them to hear the words: Well Done, in their business and eternity.

#2 A prayer of release

Leaders like to maintain control of all things, but steward leaders understand they have received oversight, not ownership. An important prayer for faith-driven leaders is a prayer of release. It must be prayed often in the life of the business. The model is Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, whereas He faced the unimaginable task of going to the cross—He prayed, "not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).

#3 A prayer of favor

Christian businesses have the potential to be the "best in class," whatever the industry or trade. J.C. Penney led his department store chain to become the nation's largest department store chain. Truett Cathy led the Chick-fil-A franchise to become a leader in fast food even though he closed the stores one day a week. Leadership sage John Maxwell is a former pastor who has become one of the most widely known in his field. To date, he has written nearly 100 books, which have sold more than twenty million copies and often reach the New York Times bestseller lists.

Jesus makes a powerful statement about the prayer of favor in Matthew 7:11: "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

God is not afraid to give favor to those who are bold enough to ask and trust Him for the gifts that He alone can provide from heaven. Don't be afraid to ask God to expand your company beyond your wildest imagination.

#4 A prayer of increased insight

It takes wisdom to run a business, so another prayer steward CEOs should focus on is asking for knowledge and increased insight in the many decisions that must be made to lead an effective and successful business. As James writes in James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." God wants his children to seek out His wisdom so they can make better decisions.

Stanley Tam illustrates the truth of this Scripture in his book, God Owns My Business, which is still in print fifty years after its release. He talks of how—when he needed money for U.S. Plastic, he didn't ask God to send down green manna from the skies or for a handout from a well-heeled Christian businessman:

"On the contrary, I've asked God to show how I could upgrade the effectiveness of our business operations so we could generate the needed capital. In other words, I have asked Him to illuminate my mind and guide our business decisions, and He has wonderfully answered this kind of prayer thousands of times. My theory is that God has given each of us a brain and expects us to use it. There are laws in business just as in anything else, and if we use our heads in harmony with those laws, we stand a good chance of success."

Business leaders who recognize that they do not know all things but that they work for the One who does will take a huge step towards success when they are motivated to tap into that knowledge. Asking questions is an excellent process, and asking the God of wisdom to provide it is always a good prayer.

#5 A prayer of gratefulness

Leaders can often sabotage their success because they only focus on what is not working in their business. This type of leader spends their time and their energy on putting out fires and fixing problems. Although every leader will solve problems and fix issues, they also must focus on the good things that are happening in the business. I like to call these good things wins. When a leader celebrates a win, it is more likely to be repeated. A leader who knows their wins can build energy and excitement and find the momentum that can lead to breakthroughs.

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Ken Gosnell is CEO and Servant Leader of CXP (CEO Experience). CXP is a premier coaching and executive roundtable business that serves Christian CEOs in Washington DC, Maryland and Florida. Ken serves leaders by helping them and their teams to have great experiences that both transform the leader and their organizations to go further faster. Learn More »

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