The greatest service you can render mankind if to learn to pray. Prayer gives leverage that goes far beyond natural limits and harnesses the powers of heaven to work in this present world.
Going deep begins here. As a believer you have been first called to know God, then to work from that place of knowing.
“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth…” (Mark 3:14 KJV)
These men were ordained to go, but first, they were called to be.
As an entrepreneurial Christian, this lesson from the lives of the early disciples is foundational.
Prosperity begins in the soul. That’s how John described it.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2 KJV)
In the topsy-turvy culture we inhabit, this equation is often inverted. The world wants to convince you that prosperity of pocket will salve your soul and bring the happiness you crave. It may for a moment render some relief, but John points out that a clean conscience and a healthy connection to God’s purposes, empowered and made possible through a healthy mind and body, will give greater and longer-lasting dividends.
Another favourite promise box verse, popular on a postcard, is Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
What is often excluded from the conversation is the context of this verse.
People love the idea of hope, plans, vibrant prosperous futures, but fail to embrace that the root of the promise is prayer, and not just a few incidental requests. Deep, repentant, passionate, unreserved seeking of God’s face.
“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12–13 KJV)
Prayer – the inner work – and prosperity – the outer work – are intimately attached.
Jesus warned so clearly of the dangers we will face as we negotiate our pathway through the vanities of the present age.
“Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” (Mark 4:19 AMP)
Our challenge as creators, with all of the necessities of life clawing for our attention, and a trillion adverts scratching for our eyeballs and ears, is to keep our craving centred on Christ.
He is our treasure. The field we sell all to own is a field of fruitful favour in His presence and intimately entwined with His plans. The richest man on earth is one who has discovered contentment in the Saving grace of God, not the one slaving for a bigger barn.
I find myself too often ruffled by the desire for other things, craving significance in all the wrong places. I find the promised pleasures and delights of things that dollars can buy rather too convincing at times.
Satan is a devilish alchemist. He takes the outward tune piped by the world, “I don’t have enough”, and stuffs it inward to become, “I am not enough.”
Tell a lie often enough and big enough and people will believe it.
What’s the lie behind the lure? Can a car really offer significance? Can a can of fizzy pop really deliver bliss? Is our life so shallow that the right logo on our clothing could honestly make us worthy?
Jesus spoke of false glamour and deceitful riches for a reason. Deceit is not deceit if the one who swallows the lie knows what they are guzzling. The very nature of deceit is that we don’t realise that we are blind to reality.
This is one of many reasons to place depth of prayer and acquaintance with God as your priority.
Knowing Jesus is ultimately the only thing that really matters.
By nature, we pursue things, with pure intention, but that intentionality must always be tempered by humble connection to Heaven.
If you plan to go deep, go deep in prayer first, and from that place of connection begin to create and sell. Sell as an act of service to others, seeking their best. Make your life count in places more significant than just your bank account.
God’s desire is to prosper His people, but not at the cost of integrity.
The rashlike preoccupation with money is a disease we need to inoculate in the secret place of prayer. That way, when cash comes into our hands we will act as stewards not slaves of the riches entrusted to us.
Jesus first, everything else follows.
