Prayer for Steward Leaders and Boards By R. Scott Rodin

An Exercise of Prayer for Steward Leaders and Steward Boards

I grew up in a highly liturgical church, and I still love the planned intentionality of moving through prayer, reading, and response rituals. I love liturgy. We wrote a liturgy to support our Steward Declaration, and I hope you will consider using it as part of your daily devotions.

I want to offer a prayer liturgy for all who seek to live as faithful stewards. I am thinking not only of steward leaders but of the boards of Christian non-profits and all Jesus’ followers. This liturgy consists of five prayers[1].

Here is how they may sound in a group setting. I encourage you to pray through this with your family, team, co-workers, or even on your own, adjusting the wording to suit your situation.

THANKSGIVING

The first is a prayer of Thanksgiving. We start with this because it helps keep us mindful that God is our Provider, and he does so abundantly.

 “Lord, we give you thanks and praise for all you have provided. We recognize that everything belongs to you. You own this ministry, its people, its finances, its programs, its clients, its impact, and its future. And Lord, we acknowledge you have provided all these things, which are enough. Thank you, Lord, for your abundance and continued faithfulness for all we have.

Fill our hearts with thanksgiving and praise. This is yours, and we are called to steward it wisely and carefully. Help us to be faithful stewards and let our first act always be that of thankfulness, gratitude, and praise for you and all you have provided for our life and work.”

SURRENDER

The second is a prayer of Surrender. It’s our opportunity again to lay our lives and ministry before him and surrender it to him. It keeps us from allowing personal agendas or controlling attitudes to seep in.

“Lord, as we look at all that is before us that represents this ministry: the budget, our staff, our programs, our executive director, our board, our strategic plan, the clients we serve, the community in which we operate and the future to which you call us, we collectively right now surrender all of this back to you. Lord, show us our ownership tendencies and expose our desire for control. We confess that they will only get in the way of us truly being stewards of this ministry.

Forgive us, Lord, if we have allowed some of those tendencies to creep into our conversation, attitudes, or decisions. Lord, we surrender this ministry back to you. It’s already yours, and we acknowledge that fact. Along with this ministry, Lord, we surrender our lives to you. Take us and use us as faithful stewards in our work for your glory. In Jesus name.”

STRATEGIC VISION

The third is a prayer for a Strategic Vision. We ask God to help us see and understand his vision for our future, work, and ministry. It focuses us on ensuring that we are doing God’s work God’s way.

“Lord, in these challenging days, it’s hard sometimes to know the direction we need to go. But we praise you because we don’t have to understand where to go; we need to follow you where you want to lead us. And so, Lord, we pray for a strategic vision. Lord, we like to do your work your way for your glory. We have thanked you for being this ministry’s provider and owner. We’ve surrendered everything in it back to you, and now we pray that you will give us a vision for the future of this ministry.

Give us eyes to see where you want us to go, give us ears to hear your guiding words, and provide us the courage to pursue it. Lord, you have a great future for this ministry. Help us follow you and give us a vision for the future into which you are calling us. Thank you, Lord, for that precious gift. In Jesus name.”

CONTENTMENT

The fourth is a prayer for Contentment. This is the one that might surprise us, and it may be the most powerful of the five. It reminds us that God always supplies our needs and that whatever he has provided is enough to do his will in our lives and the work he has called us. It keeps us from focusing on what we don’t have and yielding to the temptation to live with a scarcity mentality.

“Lord, this is a challenging prayer because we struggle with it so much in our lives and work. But Lord, we pray that you would give us, the staff, our clients, our financial partners, and our community a deep sense of contentment in all you have provided. Lord, we often look at what we don’t have, what we wish to do, what we seem to lack. We acknowledge Lord, how sinful that is when you promise to provide all of our needs according to your glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Help us, Lord, to focus on all you’ve given us and keep us from a scarcity mindset. Lord, and fill our hearts with contentment. You have brought us to a good place. You have blessed us abundantly. We have asked you to provide our needs, and you have provided them. Lord, even as we look to the future and seek to do new and exciting things, we pray You help us always operate from a profound sense of absolute contentment in not only all that You have provided but in who You are. Bless us, Lord, with that precious gift as we seek to be faithful stewards of your organization through our work. In Jesus name.”

COMMISSIONING

The last one is a prayer of Commissioning. We pray that God would send us out, ready to live and lead according to his calling while not relying on our strength. It’s commissioning to trust him and to know that he will supply us with the strength and courage we need to be faithful.

“Lord, thank you for hearing our prayers of thanksgiving, of surrender, seeking after a vision for your future for this ministry, and for deep contentment. Now, Lord, send us from this place with the Commissioning to do your work and way for your glory. Lord, we need your courage to pursue this mission. We require your strength to take on the challenges we face.

Keep us from operating out of our strength, relying on our skills and expertise, or trusting in our wisdom. Keep us entirely reliant on you for all that we need so that we can go from this place emboldened and encouraged to follow you. Commission us now, Lord, and equip us with all we need to be faithful and joyful stewards of this ministry. In Jesus name.”

However you choose to use these prayers for steward leaders and boards, I pray this approach to prayer becomes a daily habit that blesses you and those with whom you work.

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[1] These prayers are taken from the Five Commitments in The Greater Mission, Scott Rodin: Kingdom Life Publishing, 2021.

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R. Scott Rodin is the Senior Consultant/Chief Strategy Officer for The Focus Group. Over the past thirty-eight years, Scott Rodin has helped hundreds of organizations improve their effectiveness in leadership, fund development, strategic planning, and board development. Be sure to read Dr. Rodin’s newest book titled The Greater Mission.

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Read the declaration and add your name to it!

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