A Billy Graham Secret

In The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham, one of Reverend Graham’s assistants relates a story about an appearance on the Today show. When he arrived, a program producer offered to escort Graham to a private room for prayer before the broadcast. The assistant expressed thanks for the kind offer but said Graham would not need the room. The producer seemed somewhat stunned that a world-famous Christian leader would not want to pray before an interview on national television.

"Mr Graham started praying when he got up this morning, he prayed while eating breakfast, he prayed on the way over in the car, and he'll probably be praying all the way through the interview," responded the assistant.   

Authors Marshall Shelley and Harold Myra included this anecdote about unceasing prayer to serve as one example of the well-developed prayer life of Reverend Graham. Our leadership responsibilities may not reach past leading a small group or our children. However, that responsibility needs 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) power, “Pray continually.”

Many of us miss the opportunities we have. How many minutes do we usually wait for an appointment in a quiet lobby? We may get thrown out if we kneeled and prayed to a chair (which is what it could look like to an unbeliever). Instead we can pray silently for the burdens of family and friends.

Rather than get frustrated waiting for a red light to turn, could we “pray without ceasing,” (NIV or NKJV)? I would not suggest closing your eyes until horns behind you start blaring. To pray continually becomes a focus of the mind. In every situation, during every minute, we must seek God’s help. We are weak, and we do not have all the answers. Our Lord does.

After extensive interviews of Billy Graham Evangelist Association staff members and some well-known people, Myra and Shelley analyzed the leadership characteristics of Graham. A commitment to prayer was one of those important leadership traits. You can find The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham by Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley (Zondervan, 2005, 2008) here:

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