A little over a month ago, I was recovering from some mild burnout, and somewhere in there, the call in my spirit to change my approach to business came welling up out of me. Since then, I have been pursuing Kingdom engagement daily in my approach to everything I do at my desk. I somehow stumbled on a Daily Godpreneur Devotional Plan, and that is how my road here started. The prayer I wrote below is what I pray every time I sit down at my desk to work, ensuring all of me is aligned and submitted to hear God’s voice amid the goals, the customer reach-outs, the strategizing, team-leading, etc. You will notice a space for you to insert your name near the end, so when I say this for me, I say, Kelly Bat Yahweh, which means Kelly Daughter of Yahweh. If you are a male, you would say, Alex Ben Yahweh, for example. Be blessed today in whose you are and as you go about your work on behalf of His Kingdom. I invite you to pray this with me: Father, I come to you in the precious name of Your Son Jesus and thank you, Jesus, for your blood that allows me to come boldly before the Father’s Throne of Grace. Father, I thank you that you hear me and that I am welcomed. I thank you for making me in your image I and praise you for the purpose and destiny that You have imbedded in my DNA and my spirit; I call it forth now and choose to step into it at this moment. Father, I humble myself and put you in the highest place - above the abilities and strengths inside of me. I recognize my need for you and declare with humility that apart from you blessed Father, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit; I can do nothing. I turn away from the systems of this world that would compete for first place and dictate how to operate. You said in Your Word that we are to be in this world but not of it - so I sever all ties to the wisdom of this world with the Sword of the Lord and apply the blood of Jesus to this faulty and anti-Christ system. I set myself to honor Your Word and choose the wisdom of Heaven for all my business-related actions. I repent and turn away from the idolatry and gods of this world - social media, fear, and Mammon - that dictate how my business will flourish. I declare that my success is not tied to algorithms or systems of this world. I align my soul and spirit to the spirit of God, and I thank you that in James You say that if anyone lacks wisdom, you will give it generously when we ask. So, Father, I ask for fresh wisdom from Heaven and thank you that in John 3:27 you say that a man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven, so I open my hands, soul, and spirit to receive this perfect gift from above. Father, I thank you and ask for a fresh strategy from your kingdom and government to operate with success, love, and productivity. Thank you, Father, that you provide my every need. I declare that I turn from my abilities to you as my Provider. I humble myself and ask for your forgiveness for where I have set myself above you as the provider. I turn to you Jehovah Jireh and give you first place and remove all confidence of my flesh and submit to and trust you. Great I AM; I invite you into the work I am about to set my hand to and ask humbly that I might partner with what you are speaking and doing. I talk to my ears to be open to hearing the still small voice. I speak to my mind to be submitted to my spirit, and I speak to my spirit that it would be submitted to the Spirit of the Living God. In the power, the Name, and the blood of Jesus, I decree a matrix of protection overall technology and tools or myself and those I am interacting with. No weapon formed against me will prosper, and no satanic agenda will succeed. I thank you, Father, for the honor of being called Your own and that I am seated with You in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus where I rest in the authority that You have given me through your precious blood Lord Jesus. God, may you sent your angels in my favor that will secure Kingdom opportunities and divine appointments that will further multiply my purpose to expand the kingdom of God on the earth with the business I am about to engage in. Lord, in all that I do, may your name be glorified and exalted. May I be a conduit of your Kingdom and win souls for your name. I clothe myself in love and ask that you would bless the work of my hands. Thank you for prophetic insight for how to operate, who to reach out to, and be a voice and instrument for your glory. I praise you for the opportunity to love and serve others and thank you for your favor and open doors. You are my Great Reward, and I set myself to honor you as I work in this world on behalf of Your Kingdom. I love you, sweet Father, and thank You for calling me your own. Thank you for giving me your name, (Insert Your First Name) Bat/Ben Yahweh. In You, I live and move and have my being. I seal all of these things with the blood of Jesus and praise you because if God is for me, who can be against me. Amen. #GainConfidence

One of my most difficult challenges has been to learn to trust in the Lord with all my heart in all areas of my life, including building my personal brand. I first attempted to start a business and build my brand almost nine years ago. I remember I was just a baby in my walk with the Lord, but even so, I knew then, I wanted to build a business and a brand that would allow me to be in a relationship with women to lead them to God. Truthfully, my faith was weak. My fear of running out of time and never reaching my goals or success (I thought) were much stronger. The thought of fully trusting God in business and my life, for that matter, of letting go of the outcomes and practice letting go and trust him seemed almost impossible, especially with my type-A personality. As Christian Entrepreneurs, most of us, if not all, struggle with this. As we begin getting closer to the word of God and building a relationship with Him, we start discerning our gifts and calling; we even start feeling and being drawn to a specific group or need. However, the uncertainty of whether this is truly God calling us leads us to fear and to doubt God’s word and promises. We quickly take back the wheel and driver’s seat. We take back our control and let go of our trust in Him. God’s word and promises say to us in Proverbs 3: 5-8: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 5: 5-8) I wish I could tell you that I quickly learned my lesson to “Let Go and Let God,” but unfortunately, that was not the case. During this period, I attempted three times to follow my calling and build my business; the first two attempts were made in desperation and fear of never becoming the woman and daughter God promised. I failed. But, here is what I have learned throughout my walk and process. God’s timing is always perfect. Thank God for this truth. He knows better than us what qualifications we need to get to where he wants to take us. I learned that to grow in my faith. I must join God’s Bootcamp. I have no valid reason to doubt His word. It is so right for all of us; as we start reading the Bible and learning about God’s character through Jesus and his disciples, we see that all the prophecies found in the old and new Testaments have been fulfilled and continue to be. When He knows you’re ready, get ready. I’m living proof of this! For the past five years, I’ve practiced this; to let go of the wheel and let God lead me. Today he’s entrusted me with a business that employs seven women, including me, and we get to serve women in mortgage and real estate by identifying their born-to-do calling and building a Personal Brand that genuinely represents them and their audience. I believe that if more of us Christian Entrepreneurs sought to grow from the teachings and wisdom of the bible, our brands and businesses would stand stable on the rock; His rock. We must learn to put our eyes on the things not seen, for these are the things of the spirit that strengthens us to walk on this earth, trusting blindly in God’s Promises to us. To learn more about Trusting God and Letting go of our Control in our brand and business. Check out this podcast Episode by Divine Confidence. #FindingMyBrand #FindingMyCalling #WheretoStartFirst

The Gospel’s Clash With Culture’s Radical Egalitarianism God says interesting things. He never takes one side or the other … it’s always about bringing both sides into unity through Him. One of the strangest things that grabbed me recently was this verse from Romans 12:16: “Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.” What?! “Condescend” is a terrible word in 21st Century Western society. Just read this grotesque definition from Webster’s: “1. Show feelings of superiority; be patronizing. 2. Do something in a haughty way, as though it is below one’s dignity or level of importance.” The mere thought of it makes me uncomfortable. God is telling us to act like pompous, arrogant know-it-alls? This isn’t going to sit well with the grievance industrial complex. I foresee lawsuits and a Twitterstorm of self-righteous indignation. If this is what Paul actually meant, we have a case where Scripture contradicts itself. But Scripture never contradicts itself. Yeshua also told us, “Do not cast your pearls before swine.” Did he mean to say that “some men are pigs, and others are not”? No, because elsewhere He spends entire sermons telling us that no one is excluded from salvation through faith in Him. Just so, there is a context and a framework for us to apply to this command. We must discover what it is. Why “Equality” of Outcomes Is a Myth One look at nature ought to tell you our Father’s attitude concerning equal outcomes. Eagles enjoy the freedom of flight, and wield the power of tremendously good eyesight. They can spot a rodent scurrying across the floor of the forest, from hundreds of feet in the air. But that same bird, hunted by the fowler, would give anything for the gills of a lanternfish, to hide underwater and avoid the bullet of a rifle. His gifts are only eclipsed by his limitations. This would be easier to accept if some human beings could fly, while others could live underwater. But on the surface, we appear to have little difference in needs, from one person to the next. Air, water, food, shelter, elimination, reproduction - on that level, it’s standard formula. Only when we perceive ourselves correctly - as spiritual beings with physical bodies - that our differences and variety become clear. I’ve met people of tremendous gifting in certain areas … and been blown away when they’ve told me, “I wish I had your skill with language.” On my podcast, Influencer Networking Secrets, I’ve spent the last two years interviewing the most brilliant minds I can find, including some very recognizable names in the Kingdom of God. You’d be shocked to learn of the opportunities it’s afforded me, because of the things people sense in me. I can’t perceive what they find so valuable; I’m just being myself. But it doesn’t matter … what’s important is how they feel when we interact. They feel the same as I do, listening to them … “This person has such a depth of knowledge” … “This lady projects warmth and enthusiasm like no one else” … “This guy could kill you as soon as look at you” … “She is an irresistible force” and so on. Spiritually, we are incredibly different. Uniquely gifted, and uniquely limited. Forged and influenced by our heritage, background, ancestry, upbringing, education, surroundings, tribes and experience. There are too many variables. That’s why it’s such a thrill to discover that rare person who thinks the same way you do … at least until you learn that in some ways, they think differently. How To Condescend In a Godly Way Believe it or not, the original “Condescender” is Yeshua Himself. God The Son, the Word Made Flesh, took on full humanity. It was one way He could later tell us, in Hebrews 4:15, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weakness, for He Himself was tempted in every way.” We also don’t have a foolish God, who lacks the foresight to anticipate sin’s abuse of the merit system. In an equally baffling passage known as the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Yeshua compares His Kingdom to … a socialist system, where the man who works eight hours a day gets paid exactly the same as the man who works for one! What do you make of that, Mr. Overachiever? God understands - our pride can swim low as a lanternfish, or soar high as an eagle. We don’t have to become strutting egomaniacs, in order to be prideful. We can also swim in self-hatred, unforgiveness and cursing, to avoid surrender, reconciliation, union and intimacy with Him. All very well … but what does it have to do with condescension? I’ll explain by sharing a little dream I have for my podcast. I’m a big fan of Ray Lewis, the Hall of Fame middle linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. I love listening to him explain the mindset and strategy behind the game. I’d love to interview him. If Ray appeared on my show, and I asked him about football, he would condescend to answer. Wouldn’t you agree? I’ve never played a game of full-contact, tackle football in my life. I'm a 100% certified armchair cornerback. For all of Ray’s field prowess and force of personality, however, I wouldn’t need him to admit it - there are areas of life where he feels weak, unprepared or incompetent. It only takes a semi-private, 60-minute conversation to discern what some of them might be. I’m not kidding - I have leveraged my “strengths” many a time, for people far more socially prominent than me. This is why I wouldn’t hesitate to ask someone like Ray, “How could I make myself useful to you? What’s the hardest part of being you right now?” Like the Master, I am not a priest of God unable to empathize with the weakness of others - even successful, accomplished, influential others like Ray Lewis. The “completeness” status the world confers on people like him is phony. Ask anyone who’s ever achieved it. I can condescend to anyone - once I know their weakness. That’s the rule of the game, and what makes “Christian condescension” so different from worldly condescension. If you understand God’s design for human interaction - that “we who are strong are to bear with the weak” - it makes for a much more level playing field. And like the Master, I am here “not to be served, but to serve.” Don’t read this and think, “Oh boy, he wants me to join the ushers or parking lot ministries.” We’re talking about caring enough to find out where people struggle, and showing up with your strength. The purpose of your strength, in other words, is to lovingly and tactfully spend it, on behalf of others. And the purpose of your weakness is to know you share in the experience of being human, so you don’t elevate one person over another - especially yourself. #StrengthenIntegrity Paul Edwards wears many hats – bestselling author, podcast host, executive ghostwriter, strategic connector. Hus band, father, older brother to younger men. Amateur theologian, men’s physique competitor, voice mimic, and recovering insurance salesman. A first-generation Spanish-speaking immigrant to the US with African heritage and Middle East combat experience, Paul lived in five different countries and speaks two languages. Paul does two things well: words and people. When he isn’t writing content for clients, you’re most likely to find him building relationships and creating opportunities for his network. Instagram: @thepaulsedwards

Money is not evil. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. In the days of my ignorance, I have been caught in the web of financial embarrassment when my wife and my children need a small amount of money to do something important, and I could not provide for them financially! How often we blamed the Devil for our ignorance and shifted the blame to others around us. This is not fair to God, not fair to those around you, and it is not fair to you as well. The beginning is half done, so they say. To get to that beginning, you must use what you have to get what you need. Think within the box. There is much food in the land of a lazy man, only that he cannot think to break the ground. The Bible says: 'A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry: but money answers all things.' - Ecclesiastes 10:19(KJV) The full colon in the above Scripture tells you that both feast (for laughter) and the wine (that makes merry) result from money. These days, the youth are so determined to make it in all legitimate ways possible; they use the slang 'Double your hustle' to project their struggle to get money. When you finally get money in your hands, the first thing to do is not spending, but saving the money. Your ability to save money will determine your level of discipline, which in turn is a significant key to success. Prior to the famine in Egypt, Joseph saved the grains grown in the land, despite a great desire to consume all the grains in one year. The more you save, the more your financial base increases! Joseph gave them the formula in Egypt - It worked then, and it will work now! It is 50 - 20 - 20 - 10 where 50% of your income should go for recurrent expenditure, 20% of your income should go for miscellaneous 20% of your income should go for Savings 10% of your income should go for tithe/giving One more time, let it be known that the Bible never stands against money, but the love of money. #RaisingCapital #MakeMoreMoney

Until the past few years, my thoughts had been that the only reason to go into business is to make money. That sounds good anyway and represents the mindset of many business people. I went into business with that mindset. After all, one should make a living. So, when I set out, it was to make money and not help people solve their problems. Now I understand better and know better. I have the right entrepreneur’s mindset now. On one fateful day, I visited the market to procure some production inputs. My Client wanted samples of the materials, so they could decide what goes for them. I, therefore, requested my customer to cut out half the yard of each material for the production of samples. As a regular customer, I told her I would not pay for the samples, but she insisted I must. I made a case that she stands to gain a lot when my Client places an order. Out of compulsion, she agreed to give the samples for free, though with an evident feeling that she has lost some money. A week later, my Client placed an order for 4,000 units of the product. The implication of this was that I would buy materials worth about USD 3,000. This was just one order in the series. The woman couldn’t see ahead, even though I told her, because money had blinded her foresight. She could only see the loss of about USD 3.0 for the samples. Indeed, it was the mindset and not the amount of money. We still have many people in business today without the right biblical entrepreneurial mindset, just a money mindset. Unconsciously, we sometimes walk into this moment because we seek to make a living or a fortune rather than seek to help people and please God. This has to change. The Bible says, “Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with income. Even this is pointless” Ecclesiastes 5:10 GW. This scripture indicates that people are more money-minded in business because of the love of it. The Bible does not condemn seeking money as a return on investment. The priority is the issue. One’s business attitude about money is the crux of the matter. Some godly acts should precede money and profit. The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes also says, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” {Ecclesiastes 11:1 Amp}. In business, there are things to let go of for future rewards. The outcome of my story above is a practical example. Rigidity in all aspects of Christian business pays less. At every point, the Kingdom's purpose must be served. So, our money mindset in business should be that of purpose-driven contentment. Suppose your primary purpose or motivation for going into business is to make money. In that case, you are not an entrepreneur but a businessman, and you will never be satisfied with money or more money. You will also not be able to serve God’s purpose for calling you. It is a limiting attitude to be overly money-minded. Your focus should be to offer purpose-driven services. Money then comes as a reward you receive by putting in efforts to help people meet their needs. See yourself as God’s instrument in bringing assistance to His creation. Desist from seeing money in everything. It can deny you good opportunities, relationships, and finally, ruin your business. Change your mindset as I did. We can all have a singular mindset in business, despite our individual calling into Christian entrepreneurship. The world will be happier with our emergence as God-centered entrepreneurs because it cannot give itself what we have #DifferentiatingMyself

If we choose to remain isolated when we engage our creativity: We’ll start blogs, but won’t keep them

God gave us a blogging desire – it’s His way of revealing our purpose, passion, and potential to us and the blog that He has created for us to write through. When I’m not too sure about the direction I should go with my writing style, book theme, or blogging Spend some time doing some research online of different blogging styles until you find what you enjoy course, I'll give you some keys God taught me about how to write a successful Christian blog.

It’s also a pure battle to make a choice to praise and worship when things are blowing up around you,

Not many people know this, but back in 2017, I was seriously considering hanging up the hat on this Godpreneur brand along with the agency I’ve had since 2005 to get a 9-5 job. I looked online for positions, I applied for a couple, and I even went in for an interview. It was the lowest point in my business life. Bills had piled up, clients weren’t calling, and I was lost in the direction of my Christian personal brand. I often think about how different my life would be had I given up at that time. My story would go something like “Yeah, I HAD a calling over my business life, and I have it my all but it didn’t work out. Oh well, that’s life.” As Christian entrepreneurs looking to launch a personal brand that will unashamedly put God first, we WILL wrestle with occasional challenges in different seasons of our business: a client we don’t think we can stand another day, a partnership that’s suddenly gone wrong, a dream that’s running out of money to fund, a product launch that’s failed our expectations. When we face difficulties in pursuing our personal brand calling, it’s natural to reconsider our huge, business-altering decisions. We might ask questions like these. Should I take my chances, leave this burning desire of mine, and look for another way to make money? After I failed attempt…again…is it time to move on? Am I really cut out to be a personal brand influencer for God? Should I cut my losses before things get any worse? In each of these examples – and with most major choices on our pilgrimage of Godpreneurship – we find ourselves at a pivotal fork in the road, and it’s time to decide to stay the course or walk away. At this moment, we have to ask ourselves: Are we choosing to quit because it’s the right thing or because it seems like giving up would be easier? The Bible says: "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." (James 5:7‭-‬8 NIV) Farming is such a crazy business because you plant some seeds and can’t eat or collect that money for months and months. The amount of faith needed to “stay the course” and trust that God will provide makes farming the perfect metaphor for kingdom-minded entrepreneurs. When you’re facing the tough questions of staying the course or walking away from your God-first brand, oftentimes the best choice is to keep your venture going. Although there are some situations and decisions you need to walk back from, the important question to ask yourself is, “Am I choosing to give up on the venture because it’s the right thing or because it seems like leaving would make life easier?” We Godpreneurs can sometimes show the greatest act of faith when we show faithfulness to what we feel God has called us to change in our respective marketplaces.  Sometime in the future we can look back and thank God that we stayed the course of our personal branding when it would have been easier to walk away and slide back into the shadows. What a testimony! Imagine if all of us “called” to share a testimony in business didn’t quit and instead finished the race set out before us! Remember, God made us in His image and He is the author and finisher of our personal brand story! Let me pray for you. Dear God, I’m praying for anyone trying to walk away from their calling, that you would convict them and give them the strength to stay and finish. Provide resources and people that will help them stay the course of their calling. Give them the strength to press on, in Jesus’ name, AMEN! #ChristianBloggers #FindingMyPurpose 7 Steps to Launching Your Christian Personal Brand There are seven key factors for succeeding at launching the purpose God has placed in your heart for you to fulfill. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

As an entrepreneur, I have been challenged to find the right people to hire, collaborate with, or partner with different projects. Work cannot be done in a silo, and work can only be accomplished by finding the right team members to complete the task. However, over the years, I am learning that finding the right team members goes beyond their skills and talents. Do they share the same values as me? What is their character like? One particular project stands out to me: a post-production editor was not meeting the timelines of delivering edited videos. I frequently called him to check on progress, and he made promises that he will deliver at a certain time but in vain. Then one day, an industry peer reached out, and we began catching up; and he mentioned that he was working on a particular project, and the above-mentioned editor was on this project as well. This shocked me and it made me realize that the editor did not share the same values as me. One value being honesty. The dictionary describes being honest as free of deceit and untruthfulness, sincere, morally correct, or virtuous. The word of God takes in deeper and states in Colossians 3:9 (AMP): “Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices…” In addition, the bible also highlights honesty in Proverbs 10:9 (AMP): “He who walks in integrity and with moral character walks securely, But he who takes a crooked way will be discovered and punished.” Therefore, as business leaders, we need to take some time in choosing whom to work with. Some situations will only reveal someone’s true character, and it will cause us to doubt our selection process. This should not deter us, but it should sharpen our discernment as we meet new people or continue working with our team members. The revealing of someone’s values or character is a gentle nudge from God to show who can progress with us into the next level of our businesses and those we have to leave behind. The entrepreneurship journey is a winding road that requires us to pay close attention to those we work, collaborate with, or partner with. For you to reflect, ask yourself the following questions: What values are important to share as a team? What skills and values should I have in order to work in harmony? Is there someone who I need to leave behind? #HiringtheRightPeople

One of the major challenges Christian entrepreneurs face is, aligning purpose with their businesses. A number of people are in a business void of purpose. Some others are running other people’s purposes. A lot more are being deceived by their thought pattern with regards to business. These can only leave much to be desired in the Kingdom business. The purpose is divine and the reason for being. However, it’s one of the most abused life concepts. Failure is; making money from business and not making a purpose out of it. A Christian entrepreneur is a man or woman on a purpose mission. On the other hand, entrepreneurship is simply a purposeful pursuit. If one is ever called to business, it is because some divine purposes must be fulfilled somewhere. Defining and aligning purpose in business are common challenges we encounter in business. Some have overcome it, while some are on it now. Sometimes, we seem not to find where purpose lies in our businesses. It is not strange that we can step into business without figuring out why we are called on to it. We all came into this world empty; no possession, no knowledge, no skills, no professionalism. However, each of us brought into this world, the most valuable thing - we brought purpose. The purpose is our gift to our world. The purpose is the primary reason for business. In this purpose lies the help, solution, comfort, wealth, and the relief the world had been waiting for. So, our coming is a response to the craving of God’s creation for what is in us. Jesus said; “I was born and I came into the world for only one purpose. I came to tell people what is true” (John 18:37 Easy English). Like every human, Jesus came with a purpose into the world. Jesus was born for one purpose – ‘to tell people what is true. He was focused on this purpose in doing the business of the Kingdom. When Jesus finally left the world, He left with no purpose because it is not needed in Heaven. Job declared; “We bring nothing at birth; we take nothing with us at death” (Job 1:21 CEV). The joy in departing this world is in dying empty. Purposes are only relevant here. What on earth are you here for, doing business? Find out. Can you boldly define and declare it? Can purpose be found in your business? You can still be the long-awaited solution if you make up your mind. See, there are definite roles that purpose will play in your business if you dare follow yours. The purpose will help structure your business. The purpose will help define your business to conform to what God wants and not what you want. The purpose will help clarify the things that cannot change about your business, regardless of any circumstance. You are called upon today, as a Christian entrepreneur, to do purpose and not just business. You cannot be said to be successful in business unless you have fulfilled your purpose. Obviously, the world is groaning in pains for want of purpose-driven kingdom businesses. Oh, how glorious and great relief it will be if we all fulfill our individual purposes in business. We can all determine to die and fulfill the pleasures of God, who has called us to impact our world through business. #FindingMyPurpose

Your life is in measure of macro - second The rich and the poor have the same access to God’s given 24 hours: the rich make use of it, but the poor wastes it altogether. I was held up in heavy traffic on my to a hotel where I was to discuss a business idea with a man who flew from Atlanta. My late arrival at the hotel caused me a loss that I would always remember. The man, who would not accept my heavy traffic excuse, told me bluntly that I should have left my home earlier so as to avoid this 'heavy traffic'. I am going to use my above experience to teach and impart every Christian business mind to respect and observe these 7 Bible-based Principles of Timing in your daily Christian business until they become your successful habits. There was an element of time in the first sentence that opens the Bible: ‘In the beginning’, has an iota of time wired carefully in the first verse of Genesis chapter One. In as much as we have a beginning in the Bible, it is therefore necessary to look forward to an end, as recorded also in the book of Revelation in the same Bible. The wise king of Israel, the author of the book called ‘Ecclesiastes’, wrote thus about time: ‘To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 8) In light of this, it is, therefore, necessary for Christian entrepreneurs to make good use of their days as business owners where time counts. The older you get as an entrepreneur, the more time eats into you. Time isn't anybody's, but we can make the best use of it. Those who have respect for time are in most cases people of integrity that accomplish their goals easily in their business. When the time frame is attached to a dream in life, it becomes a goal. Without a time factor attached, a dream is a mere wish at its best. God Himself at creation worked with a 6 - day time frame in mind. A goal is broken down into a simple everyday plan. Nothing great happens by accident, people plan for it. With time habits are formed! Success or failure, timing has a hand in it. This is why we must as a matter of compulsory learn the 7 Biblical Principles of Timing for Christian Entrepreneurs, and teach our children, so they can show their generation the importance of time. Those with an accurate understanding of these Principles are outstanding anywhere they are in the world as Christian Entrepreneurs! The Evening and the Morning Principle This is a must-key that opens the door for any form of good success. God Himself through the bible documentations built the precept of evening and morning principle. The book of Genesis has it thus: ‘And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.’ (Genesis 1:5) From the very beginning in the book of Genesis, and also during the early age of civilization; the day and night were not put together as we have it in today’s world. Jesus asked that ‘are there not twelve hours in a day?’ (John 11:9). During Jesus’ time, the Jews begin their day from 6 am in the morning and bring the day to a close by 6 pm in the evening. So there were twelve hours in a day and twelve hours in the night. Every three hours period in the day are called the ‘hour’, and every three hours period in the night are called the ‘watch’. However, our own civilization and modernization have taught us to lump up the day and night together, and we were taught erroneously that there are 24 hours in a day. This principle recognizes evening first before the day, and the 19th chapter of the book of Psalm explains it better and clearer: ‘Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge’ (Psalms 19:2) The rationale behind this principle is to draw inspiration in the nighttime when there are peace and quietness. It is upon this knowledge drawn in the night that you can work on in the daytime. In a nutshell, we draw inspiration in the night and put it on activation in the day. In simple language, you plan your day ahead the night before. When you do not have knowledge for a day, you have no plan for that day; such a day will fit into anybody’s agenda. The evening and the morning principle is paramount to you not wasting your day. Time Selection Principle The bible says ‘Time and chance happen to them all’ – Ecclesiastes 9:11 this means that a good idea needs good timing for good success. Queen Esther carefully engaged this principle to launch a counter-attack scheme on Haman through the King. The Bible bears the record of Esther’s wisdom in selecting the appropriate time thus: ‘And Esther answered, If it seems good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.’ - Esther 5:4, 7 & 8 She was careful and skillful about when to say what. The first dinner opened the door for the second dinner, yet it was not the right time to ask for vengeance. Time and chance were major players on the stage of this biblical theatre. Any attempt for Esther to fumble will surely go down the drain like bad rubbish. When it comes to burning issues in our hearts, we need also to consider the right time for such issues. Esther would have to wait till chapter seven, despite the urgency of the matter, until the time was right. This principle of time selection must be mastered by all of us if we really want to get results. Surely, there are wrong timing and there are right timing in life, even if the petition is right. Procrastination Principle: Idleness is conceived easily when we think that time is on our side. When there is no time frame, laziness becomes habitual. God Himself made the whole world within the time – frame of six days. ‘For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ – Exodus 20:11 One of the best leadership characters found in the Bible is Nehemiah. His leadership was without any flaw, with an excellent score on timing and planning. The task before him was not without a time – frame, the king wanted him back as the cupbearer in the palace, so a time was set by Nehemiah. Once the king approved the set time for his leave, Nehemiah could not procrastinate, he must get the task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem done on and in time. ‘And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) for how long shall thy journey be? And when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.’ – Nehemiah 2:6 Time Leakage Principle: This principle of timing hangs majorly on being the focus. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ – Proverbs 6:6 – 8 Although the ants are small and weak, yet because of focus, they are able to store up food in the summer and keep warm with enough food in winter. Our busy for nothing attitude coupled with no or little regard for time may give the reason for Africa’s economic position among her peers the world over. A Professor once suggested card – clocking for all civil servants in a country in Africa: they are to clock when they resume in the morning, clock when they are back from break, and clock when they close for the day. The idea was totally rejected because the nation does not see any sense in it. The popular phrase ‘African time’ may possibly have its roots in this principle. If you are traveling from point A to destination C; a journey of normal 30 minutes, and you see a friend at place B who is not part of your purpose for the initial journey, your time will be leaking at the friend’s place, if you ever stop to exchange pleasantries. Elisha instructed his servant, Gehazi, not to allow time leakage to truncate the mission he was sending him to do. He urged Gehazi to be focused. Hear him: ‘Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.’ II Kings 4:29 Time is money! The Front – Bench Principle: It is likely that people sitting at the front at any function might get served first before those at the back. As a matter of fact, if care is not taken, those at the front seats might get served twice before the backbenchers. This is also true of multi-level marketing being carried out in most western countries. Economically, we say the market is saturated; so they take the market somewhere else. In the same vein, it is a mere wasting of time and of resources to serve those who have been served before. Jesus Christ dealt with this principle without any sentiment or emotion. Mark recorded it thus: ‘And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth’ - Mark 1:36 – 38 The Sand – Glass Principle: Little drops of water makes the mighty ocean. Our entire life as human beings come in micro-units of seconds. Therefore, for a successful person, every second count. Wasted seconds may result ultimately in wasted days, and if care is not taken, wasted days may result in wasted years, which might end up in wasted life. One should make it a habit to have a full–filled and fulfilled day before retiring to bed in the night. The bible put it in this way: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom’ - Psalms 90:12 This Scripture can be better understood only if we know that our days to be numbered are made of hours, which can be broken down into minutes and seconds. So we apply our hearts unto wisdom every second. This principle is vividly pictured with sand – glass that runs sands from one compartment to the other compartment in seconds. The modern-day edition, the clock, was constructed to remind you of how much time left for you here on earth. When you place your ear to the clock to hear its sound, what you are actually hearing is ‘gone, gone, and gone; telling you as each second goes off of your life! Time Catalyst Principle: By definition, a catalyst enhances the rate of a chemical reaction. It makes the chemical reaction faster than it would have been without the catalyst. This is also true when we apply encouragement as the enhancer of time. Everybody needs ‘encouragements’ at one time or the other in life. Many people have been frustrated in life just because they lack encouragement. A week full of various encouragements will run and look as if it is just a day! Even the best among us needs this principle, not to talk of those who are struggling along the wilderness of life. At a point in time, a man helped Jesus to carry his cross for a while. This is critical to all of us. Having mentioned the above principles of timing, it is necessary to chip in on how best to manage our precious time. Plan: In time management, planning is very crucial. This is the mental strategy worked out as a blueprint, put down in detail to accomplish a desired goal or task. Planning gives direction to the desired goal and ensures that time is not wasted. Priority: This also is a key factor in managing time. This is where we separate the needs from the wants and the important from the necessary. Delegation: This is often used by the wise among men when it comes to effective and optimal use of time. God has placed reliable people around you: if you BELIEVE in them, as they TRUST you also, you can delegate tasks for them to do. In time management, delegation makes you use your own 24 hours somewhere else, while the delegates do a task on your behalf. Generally, delegation promotes the maximum use of time generally. Rest: As simple as this sounds, many top – notches and captains of industries never take the issue of rest seriously. Rest encourages the natural overhauling of the body system and also reduces diminishing returns. As you offer the sacrifice of praise to God, you must also offer the sacrifice of rest to your body. If you don’t give rest to your body, it will take it by force – sickness! Time Banking: This is simply saving time gained over a task, to be withdrawn and used judiciously for another task, project, vacation, or rest. This often happens when we worked faster than the given time frame for a project or task. The time gained in such a situation can then be banked, only to be withdrawn at a convenient time later. This time banking may spread and reflect over a lifetime. It is good to save time than to squander time. As Christian Entrepreneur observe these principles of timing and manage your own time very well, then get ready for a full-filled life every day! Remember that the poor and the rich, the Lord made them both, but He did not make them so! Segun Tewogbola

When running a Christian blog, know Jesus is shaping your every word through your faith.

After a pitch, my business partner and I left the meeting feeling hopeful that we would win the bid. We spoke excitedly on our way back to the office about how the pitched project would be a breakthrough and would give us consistent cash flow. Cash flow is the backbone of any business. A week passed by and I followed up with the company’s representative to forward the bid. He mentioned that the procurement department was yet to select a company for the project. I hung up the phone, and l told myself to remain hopeful. The following week came, and there was no update. As I dialed the number of the representative, I was overwhelmed with anxiety and dread. Anxious thoughts started popping into my mind: Is the company lying to us? Has the contract been awarded to another company? Did we miss the mark during the pitch? By the end of the conversation, I sensed that the company had chosen another business to carry out the project. I updated my business partner, and I ended the call feeling like I crashed. My spirit felt overwhelmed and crashed. I needed a breakthrough for the business. Cash flow was nonexistent, and bills were piling up. Have you found yourself in a situation where your spirit is crashed? You wonder if you will ever see a turnaround in your circumstances. Later that night, as I prayed, the following scripture came to mind: The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the [sunless] [a]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me. (Psalm 23:1-4, AMP) The verses reassured me that God is with me and He is guiding me through every situation. It further affirmed that everything I need comes from Him, and with every step I make, He is protecting me. You may be facing some dire circumstances, and your spirit is crushed. Reflect upon Psalm 23 and know that God is guiding you just as a shepherd guides his sheep to green pastures and streams to quench their thirst. God is with us through it all, and He will protect, guide, and comfort us along our entrepreneurial journey. #TrustOnGod

It’s hard to look back over my first thirty years and find anyone teaching me solid, Biblical lessons about money. My dad did encourage me to save for a rainy day but never enforced it through consequences. We were middle-class, but constantly afraid of running out. We moved a lot; he was frequently between jobs - good-paying, executive-level ones. We were not a Christian household. Public schools taught me nothing, in the days when I would have paid attention. I took an economics class my senior year in high school … mostly because I had to. I was far too disinterested by that time and did not get along with the teacher. My first two decades in the workforce were a hodgepodge. I could interview well, and make good first impressions. After a while, however, my true colors of pride, selfishness, greed and laziness would show. In my early twenties, I hopped from one job to another. I needed a job from which I could neither get fired, nor easily resign - so I joined the US military. They had briefings and classes you could take for financial readiness. But by then, the best things they could tell me were things I already knew - “Don’t spend more than you earn.” My integration into the Kingdom of God also proved financially … mediocre. Though my wife and I married debt-free (and remain so to this day), and though we are two-time graduates of Financial Peace University … I still couldn’t manage to raise my personal income above the federal poverty level. The clock kept ticking, until shortly after reaching the age of 38, I got fired from my job selling insurance in Olympia, Washington, where we live. I made the decision - it was “now or never” to attempt something I’d always feared - becoming an entrepreneur. I went at it … and for the first 17 months, I didn’t earn anything. If it sounds painful … it was. I found myself, as late as December 2019, wondering the same things I wondered in the same end months of 2009 and 1999 … “How am I ever going to earn more than the bare minimum?” But by 2019, there was one key differential - I not only knew what Yeshua (Jesus) said about worldly wealth … I also knew what He meant. Why Money Matters to God Six years in the insurance business taught me a key lesson: Nobody wanted to talk about insurance. It forced me to learn to sell a different product - myself. I learned, experientially, that the simplest way to get someone to “buy into” doing business with me was to be generous up front. To give, without any thought of return. In my book, Influencer Networking Secrets, I call this “Be A Magnet, Not a Pusher.” It didn’t occur to me, because of Christianity’s awkward, mixed attitudes toward wealth, that Yeshua could possibly want His disciples to be wealthy. But when I looked closer, I found Him saying something that dovetailed so deeply with how I’d learned to do business, that I could no longer accept the church’s “monetary neutrality.” “I tell you,” He said in Luke 16:9, “use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Now why would a Great King who abhors wealth tell His subjects to busy themselves acquiring and using it, for the strict purpose of ensuring they’re welcomed into His eternal rest? Why, if He prefers His people to live in poverty and squalor, would He give such a command? Why not say, “I tell you, avoid worldly wealth at all costs. Stayest thou broke, that thou mayest feel pathetic and needy all thy days ... and then enter, exhausted and embittered, seething with resentment at My indifference to your plight, into My eternal rest”? Seriously now … our Great King sits on His throne, roaring with mocking laughter at His subjects, reveling in their shame and dependency on handouts?! Would you take more pleasure in watching your son or daughter succeed and prosper? Or is it infinitely preferable that they struggle, and live in shame? But God also knows - we will idolize our wealth, prestige and position. So He warns us in Ezekiel 14:4-5, “Whenever any of My people comes to inquire of me, and sets up an idol in their heart, I Myself will answer, in keeping with their great idolatry.” Did you catch the underlined part? It means He will answer you the same way an idol would: blank stares, silent lips, lifeless, completely impotent. This is why stewardship has such enduring legacy in Christendom; we must be unattached to wealth, if we are to wield it for the Kingdom. That’s not a “switch” you just flip … it can take many seasons to mature beyond trusting in money. How To Walk Away From The Idol of Money Because I’d learned to give generously up front, in order to build relationships with clients and referral partners, I came to understand what Yeshua meant. He was speaking of the Giver’s Gain, that timeless principle He elucidates elsewhere in Mark 4:25, that “Generosity begets generosity, but stinginess impoverishes.” So, as I reached the exciting conclusion of my “desert season” as an entrepreneur … I never stopped giving. (Equally important - I never started asking for anything in return, either.) (“Giving” here should not be interpreted strictly in terms of donating or spending money. You can be flat broke and have no treasure; you still have time and talent.) Then one day, Aaron Walker approached me about becoming a writer for his team. “You’ve introduced me to so many amazing people,” he said. “You’ve never asked me for anything in return. You need to let me do something for you.” It was a seminal moment. Only a few weeks remained before I’d agreed to give up on business and look for a job. Instead, this relationship led to my first year in business as a ghostwriter, now becoming a content agency, mentoring three young hotshot freelancers. What’s more - I discovered my view of money had changed drastically. When I received my first client payment, my old impulse kicked in … “How can I spend it on something I want?” But I remembered all the sacrifices my family made to get here, and how unhappy I’d be if I went out and bought something for its own sake. I paid my tithe, my bills and then gave the rest to my wife and children. Soon, I began to pay back all the money I’d spent from our personal fortune, in spades. In time, I found myself bankrolling growth-oriented things for the younger disciples I mentor in church. I suppose it never occurred to me: when Yeshua told us, “Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven,” I didn’t realize you could sometimes make withdrawals. Just be sure to spend them on storing up more treasures in heaven.