July 24, 2026
Show Me Your Ways
When Servant Leaders Desire God’s Ways Before God’s Anointing
There is a prayer that every servant leader should eventually learn to pray, and it is deeper than, “Lord, use me.” It is deeper than asking for a greater platform, greater influence, greater gifts, or even greater anointing. Moses prayed it while carrying one of the greatest leadership responsibilities ever entrusted to a man: “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You” (Exodus 33:13). Moses had already seen extraordinary demonstrations of God’s power, yet his hunger was not simply to see God do more. Moses wanted to know God more. His prayer was essentially, “Lord, don’t just show me what You can do. Show me who You are and teach me how You walk.”
Psalm 103:7 gives us an incredible description of Moses’ relationship with God: “He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the sons of Israel.” Israel knew God’s deeds, but Moses knew God’s ways. Israel saw the plagues fall upon Egypt. They walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. They watched manna appear every morning. They drank water from a rock and followed a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. They were surrounded by the supernatural activity of God, yet repeatedly their hearts wandered. They knew what God had done without truly understanding the heart of the God who had done it.
That distinction should deeply challenge every servant leader. We can become fascinated with the acts of God while neglecting the ways of God. We can desire the anointing without desiring the character necessary to carry it. We can want God to work through us while resisting the work He wants to do within us. We can preach powerful messages, lead growing ministries, experience answered prayers, and watch lives transformed while still having areas of our hearts that desperately need God’s transforming hand. God’s activity around us is never a substitute for God’s work within us.
Perhaps our prayer should change from simply, “Lord, increase the anointing,” to “Lord, show me Your ways, and let the anointing flow from that.” Teach me how You love people. Teach me how You respond to rejection. Teach me Your patience when people disappoint You. Teach me Your compassion toward the broken, Your holiness toward sin, Your mercy toward failure, Your courage toward opposition, and Your humility in serving others. Before I ask You to place more upon me, Lord, form more of Christ within me.
Moses understood something else that servant leaders desperately need to recover: God’s presence was more valuable than God’s promise. When Moses considered moving forward, he told God, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). Moses was unwilling to possess the Promised Land without the presence of the One who promised it. What a word for ministry today. We can become so focused on reaching the destination that we fail to ask whether God’s presence is directing the journey. Bigger is not necessarily God. Opportunity is not necessarily assignment. Open doors are not necessarily His direction. Servant leaders must value His presence above progress.
Jesus demonstrated this perfectly. He said, “I can do nothing on My own initiative” (John 5:30). Think about that. The One through whom extraordinary miracles occurred lived in complete dependence upon the Father. His public ministry flowed from private communion. His authority flowed from submission. His works flowed from relationship. The anointing was never separated from intimacy.
This is why character matters so deeply in servant leadership. Anointing may open doors that character must keep us humble enough to walk through correctly. Giftedness can take a leader somewhere his inner life is not prepared to sustain. We should never mistake gifting for maturity. God’s power flowing through someone does not mean God has finished His work within that person. Our responsibility is to remain teachable, broken, surrendered, and hungry for His ways.
David prayed, “Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path” (Psalm 27:11). That must become our prayer. Lord, before You make my ministry larger, make my heart deeper. Before You increase my influence, increase my dependence upon You. Before You give me greater authority, teach me greater humility. Before You allow Your power to flow through my hands, teach my feet to walk in Your ways.
Servant leaders, never become satisfied merely because God is using you. Keep pursuing the God who is using you. Keep returning to the secret place. Keep allowing Him to correct you, shape you, humble you, and teach you.
Lord, don’t merely show us Your acts. Show us Your ways. Don’t merely give us Your anointing; form Your character within us. And then let the anointing upon our lives flow naturally from the relationship, surrender, obedience, and intimacy You have developed within us.
The crowds may be impressed by the acts of God. But servant leaders must hunger to know the ways of God.
