This morning I almost beat my neighbor at tennis. During months of playing, he has served me one resounding defeat after another. But not today.

"Your shots have more muscle today," my friend commented.

"Not more muscle-more power," I replied. I'd discovered that pausing a split second in my backswing allowed me to return the ball with new authority and accuracy. That quiet instant of waiting is beginning to transform my game.

A moment of waiting sharpens my performance off the court, as well. In my weekly round of sermonizing, organizing, and visiting, I find new stamina and power from the times I give to prayer. I am learning how to face the opportunities and.rigors of ministry with more than human muscle or earthly ingenuity. Praying, I find, helps in three ways.

Quiet that brings power

Isaiah said it well: "In quietness and trust is your strength" (30:15). And no leader knew the power of quiet better than Jesus. Amid the whirlwind of his ministry, we read, "Early in the morning, while it ...