Who’s Watching Over the One Who Watches Over Everyone?

Who’s Watching Over the One Who Watches Over Everyone?

Have you ever stood in a room full of people who are looking to you for every single answer? I mean every single answer.

It’s an incredible honour, yes, but if we are being completely honest with ourselves today, that can also be heavy. You run the meetings, set the tone, carry the vision, and pray faithfully over the men and women God has entrusted to your care. Or over those He has placed under your oversight. You spend your weeks, months and even years pouring oil into everyone else’s lamps, answering late-night messages and calls, bearing spiritual burdens, and holding up when things get shaky.

People submit to your leadership. They also honour your voice. But in the quiet moments after the room clears and that screen goes dark, let me ask you a gentle, tender question: Who are you under?

Who gets to speak into your life? Whose loving correction do you welcome? Where do you go when your own well runs dry?

As women of God called to lead, it is dangerously easy to fall into the trap of spiritual isolation. We become so accustomed to covering everyone else spiritually that we forget we need covering, too. But the Kingdom of God isn’t built on lone soldiers. Leadership, according to the Bible, is never about standing alone on a pedestal at the top; it is about being firmly embedded in a healthy, precious structure of what I call submission.

Timoty, walked closely under the apostolic authority and mentorship of the Apostle Paul. Paul regularly referred to Timothy as "true son in the faith," guiding him, correcting him, and stationing him in Ephesus under a clear framework of accountability.

Jesus Christ submitted to the Father and Earthly Custody. Even in His earthly ministry, Jesus frequently emphasised that He did nothing of Himself, but only what the Father showed Him. “So Jesus explained himself at length. "I'm telling you this straight. The Son can't independently do anything, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does”.—John 5:19. He also lived in submission to His earthly parents in Luke 2:51, even as a youth.

We also have some leaders who walked outside and struggled with covering (Independence, Isolation, or Rejection of Authority). King Saul. He rejected Samuel’s authority. When I studied the Scripture, I got to understand that Saul was initially chosen and anointed by God through the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 10, but he began to bypass Samuel’s counsel, offering unlawful sacrifices himself (1 Samuel 13) and disobeying direct instructions (1 Samuel 15). His rejection of prophetic accountability led to the loss of his kingdom.

Dear reader, this is what I meant by that divine coverage:

1. Before you are a leader, director, or founder, you are a daughter. Your primary submission is never to a platform or a title; it is to the person of Jesus Christ and the authority of His Word.

When you are genuinely under God’s authority, your leadership becomes weightless in the best way. Why? Because you aren't carrying the burden of being the final authority; He is. And when a tough decision arises, a woman submitted to God doesn't have to rely on her own wisdom or political savvy. She simply gets on her knees and asks, "Lord, what do You say about this?"

If your leadership ever reaches a point where you cannot remember the last time God’s Word convicted you or changed your mind, please, I want you to pause. Real authority only flows from real submission. You can only lead as deeply as you are willing to obey.

2. Spiritual Oversight from Faithful Shepherds. This right here?. The Bible instructs us in Hebrews 13:17 to honour those who keep watch over our souls. Sister, who keeps watch over yours?

The question becomes, "Who watches over the one watching everyone? Being a leader in your own right doesn't exempt you from needing spiritual oversight. You need a local spiritual home, a pastor, or trusted spiritual elders who actually know your name, know your story, and have the liberty to speak into your life. You need people who aren't impressed by your title or intimidated by your gifting, but who care deeply about your soul.

I will tell you this as a sister: having spiritual oversight isn't about control; it's about protection. A leader who refuses to sit under spiritual authority is vulnerable to burnout, pride, and isolation. Having someone who can look at you and say, "Hey, I notice you're pushing too hard—you need to rest," is one of the greatest gifts God can give you. Trust me

3. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us: "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." In the multitude (highlighted)

Who makes up your holy inner circle? Every woman in leadership needs two vital types of relationships in her personal court:

• Mentors (Those Ahead of You): Women who have walked the road you're currently travelling. They carry the wisdom of experience, the grace of spiritual maturity, and the perspective that only years with God can bring.


• Peers (Those Beside You): Faithful, godly friends who walk in equal authority and understand the unique pressures of leadership. These are the friends you can be completely raw with—the ones who let you drop the shield, keep your secrets, and gently remind you of who you are when you forget.


If everyone in your life is looking up to you, but no one is walking alongside you or speaking wisdom down into you, your spiritual foundation is out of balance.

4. Lastly, divine Accountability. There is a massive difference between asking for casual advice and giving someone explicit permission to hold you accountable.

Submission means granting a few trusted, godly individuals the key to ask you the hard questions: How is your heart really doing? How is your prayer life behind closed doors? Are you leading out of rest or out of hustle? Is there any area of compromise starting to creep in?


A healthy leader invites accountable eyes into her life because she knows her heart is deceitful without the light. Submission isn't weakness—dear sister, it is wisdom. It is deciding that keeping your character clean is far more important and better than protecting your ego.

Sweet sister, if you want your leadership to endure, if you want to run this race with joy and finish without running dry, you must check your foundation.

Take a breath today and look at your spiritual ecosystem. Honour the leaders God has placed over you. Yield your heart freshly to His (God's) Spirit. Surround yourself with counsellors who love God more than they love your approval.

Please remember this: when you are properly covered, you don't lose your strength; you find it. You can step out onto the front lines with confidence, knowing that the God of Heaven covers you, His church surrounds you, and you are never walking alone.

Now, over to You. Take five quiet minutes today with your journal and ask yourself:

1. Who is currently empowered to speak honest, unvarnished truth into my life?


2. Is there an area of my leadership where I have been acting as my own final authority instead of yielding to God's Word or wise counsel?


I’d love to hear from you: how do you maintain spiritual accountability while serving as a leader? Share your thoughts or leave a prayer request in the comments below.

God bless you.

Our Author Bio

Gift Ekiuwa

Convener of Global Women Intercessory Ministries.