49 about who God is and who He made the leader to be, these affective and cognitive factors can quickly wither in a crisis if they are not undergirded by spiritual disciplines which allow the Christian to remain close to God and His Word. These spiritual disciplines include prayer, reading and meditating on Scripture, attending church, and a variety of other helpful disciplines. Prayer, in particular, serves several important functions in undergirding one’s faith in the midst of crises. Studies have shown that prayer serves as an important mechanism for both reminding the believer of God’s ultimate control and providing an avenue for self-disclosure of one’s feelings, emotions, worries, and fears to a God who has power over the situation.7 This self-disclosure not only provides comfort to the believer, but also forces them to seek God’s purpose, meaning, and direction in the midst of the situation.8 In particular, prayers which acknowledge one’s own limitations but also focus on thanking and praising God for His power, strength, love, and compassion have been shown to be particularly helpful in building resilience.9 Likewise, prayer that is rooted in God’s Word serves a particularly powerful function of reminding the believer of the trustworthiness of God.10 Reading one’s Bible regularly has been shown to be a strong indicator of resilient faith in leaders who are facing trying times.11 While each Christian may have a variety of spiritual disciplines that help him/her connect with the Lord, the important thing is that the Christian is rooting his/ her faith in a daily set of disciplines that allow the Christian to sense that he/she is walking on a journey with God. This is especially true in the midst of pain and suffering, which may make that journey seem very treacherous. SPIRITUAL SOCIAL SUPPORT The final factor in resilient faith is spiritual social support. As John Donne famously noted, “no man is an island unto himself,” and the same is even more true for Christians who need the support of other believers in the midst of trials. Such support from other believers is important for several reasons.12 First, the words and actions of fellow believers serve as a mirror for God’s own love and compassion, reminding the leader in crisis that God is present and in control. Second, in trusting others during the midst of crises, Christian leaders LEADING ONESELF AND OTHERS IN CRISIS SITUATIONS
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