followYour Dream to succeed

“Vision is the remarkable that inspires us to carry out the ordinary

Can achievement be broken down into steps?

It isn’t always that clean and easy, but those who achieve great things usually go through
much of the same process, with many of the items listed below as part of that process.

So if you have been struggling with achievement, look through the following. Begin to apply
them and you will be on the road to achieving your dream.

Dream it.
Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one
person.

 They risked to dream, to believe that it was possible.

 Take some time to allow yourself to ask “What if?”
 Think big.
 Don’t let negative thinking discourage you.

Do You want to be a “dreamer.” Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family and
for others.

If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Admirer the flames. Life is
too short to let it go.

Believe your dream

Yes, your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly beyond your
capabilities.

 But it also must be believable.

 You must be able to say that if certain things take place,
 if others help
 if you work hard enough
 though it is a big dream
 it can still be done.
Good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a $50
million-a-year company. That is big, but believable.

Bad example: That a 90-year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in
under three hours. It is big all right, but also impossible.

 She should instead focus on building a $50 million-a-year business! And she better
get a move on!

See it happen

 The great achievers have a habit , They “see” things,They picture themselves
walking around their CEO office in their new corporate headquarters, even while
they are sitting on a folding chair in their garage “headquarters.”

 World-class speakers picture themselves speaking with energy and emotion. All
of this grooms the mind to control the body to carry out the dream.

Tell it.

 One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps it all to
himself.
 It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind.
 The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people.

One reason: As we continually say it, we begin to believe it more and more. If we are
talking about it then it must be possible.

Another reason: It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it shoots us on to

actually doing it so we don’t look foolish.

Plan it.

 Every dream must take the form of a plan.

 The old saying that you “get what you plan for” is so true.
 Your dream won’t just happen.

You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the
dream.

Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts.
Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your “dream plan.”
Work it.

peoples, wouldn’t life be impressive if we could quit before this one!

 Unfortunately the successful are usually the hardest workers , While the rest of the
world is sitting on their sofas watching movies.
 Achievers are working on their goal—achieving their dream.

I have an balance that I work with: Your short-term tasks, multiplied by time, equal your
long-term accomplishments , If you work on it each day, eventually you will achieve your
dream.

Enjoy it.

When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it. In
fact, enjoy the trip, too.

 Give yourself some rewards along the way.

 Give yourself a huge reward when you get there.
 Help others enjoy it. 
 Be gracious and generous.

Stop Making Excuses for Who and Where You Are

What you do matters.

 Everything.
 The big stuff.
 The little stuff.
 Even the annoying stuff.

- It matters that you waste time.

-  It matters that you blame others for your failures.
- It matters that you are lazy at times.

It matters because achieving your goals matters. And eliminating excuses is the pathway
that takes you there. It’s the same path that every great achiever has followed.

Living excuse free is about taking responsibility for every aspect of your life. It’s about
creating a future you’re proud of.
So what if it hasn’t been done before?
- Be the first.

So what if you get it wrong a few times?

- Reinvent yourself.

So what if you don’t have a college degree?

- Be interested. Learn more.

So what if no one believes in you?

- You don’t need approval to be successful.

So what if it gets hard?

- All big things require pain and loss.

So what if you keep trying and never get it right?

- Boldness is always the right move.

So what if people aren’t following you?

- They will follow once you do something amazing.

So what if you get hurt?

- That’s the price of boldness.

So what if you’re under-appreciated?

- Ego would only make you unworried.

So what if everything you thought was right turns out to be wrong?

- Make up new rules.

So what if the experts disagree with you?

- The experts might be wrong.

So what if you give more than you get?

- You might just be happier.

So what? So what? So what? The rest of the what-ifs are just excuses.

You have to look within yourself and challenge the demons that hold you back from being
successful.

You’ll never rise to be a champion until you can look past the fear and the failure and the
excuses holding you back.
 Daily Habits Holding You Back From Success

That starts with believing that you can be amazing regardless of who or where you are in
life right now.

Joseph was born in Windhoek state capital. The fourth of 10 children, he was raised by a
single mom. They were a poor family living in the country without any real access to
recreation or sports facilities as we all now our country Namibia was behind in sport
entertaiments.

That’s probably why Joseph worked so hard to become a star athlete. Growing up, he
played street football. He fought with the older boys and it taught him to be tough.

He would get thrown violently to the ground but spring back up and launch himself back
into the action.

In grade 7, he made the basketball team. Standing under the edge, he would jump straight
up and dunk the basketball. That was just the beginning.

In high school, he played basketball and football and ran track, setting records in almost
every sport. At one track event, he high jumped 5-foot-8-inches then turned around and
threw the shot put 40 feet and the discus 130 feet. And in one football game against much
bigger, double-teaming opponents, Joseph exploded with 11 tackles, an interception and a
blocked punt. Anything comes in Joseph way he tried it , he grap chances ,he take risk.

The young superstar didn’t let down one minute as he made the progress to college. He
played middle linebacker at University, where five of his teammates went on to play in the
NFL. The Wildcats won their seminar championship, and a lot of it had to do with the
inspiration that came directly from Joseph. You see, he was born without a left leg.

Every competition Joseph participated in was a unequal event: Everyone else running,
turning and jumping on two feet while he did it all on one. No prosthesis. No crutch.

Just heart .

When asked what his limitations were, Joseph said, “I don’t have any.”

So… what was your excuse again?

Eliminating excuses is important because your future is important.

If you only get the future that you work for, then what you work on is pretty important,
right? You probably don’t want to screw that up.

If there is a list of things to not flub, “your future” has to be high on the list.
 Your decisions lead to your destiny. Do you believe that? You should. It’s true.

Sooner or later, what you do—and who you really are—determines what you ultimately
achieve.

But what does that really mean?

Let’s get practical about it. Let’s talk about how much sleep you really need and how a
decision like that impacts your results.

Getting up earlier means you have more time to conquer the world. Simply getting up one
hour earlier a day for 50 years equates to an extra 2,281 business days—or 6 1/4 years—of
conquest.

You win more when you fight more.

Your daily decisions—or the excuses you make—add up over time.

It’s easy to say that working hard is important. We all know that, right? But just because
you say the words doesn’t mean you’re doing the “doing” part.

Your future is about the decisions you make—not the ideas you have.

It’s causal rather than casual. You actually have a say in what you achieve.

We all want that extra 6 1/4 years of conquest. But when we have a zillion minute-by-
minute considerations just to decide whether to stay in bed or get up and conquer, most of
us choose comfort.

It seems small at the time—after all, it’s just an hour. But the results are life-changing.
Literally.

The decisions that you make hundreds of times a day build your future. They all count.

So how can you change your future today?

 Start by believing that you matter.

 That what you do matters.
 That what you do right now changes the possibilities for your future.
 It’s a mindset. An stressed mindset.

It means that you:

 Choose to be positive when things are scary.

 Fight to win even when you just got the wind knocked out of you.
 Are honest even if it means you’ll be embarrassed.
 Take the time to learn new skills, new talents and new ideas when it’s easier to just be you.
 Invest in personal inspiration instead of letting anxiety drive your decisions.

The importance of eliminating excuses is in understanding the outcome of individual

decisions.

Being positive 20 times a day for 15 years is 109,500 opportunities to create a happier
future.

Winning one more time per year could mean 30 amazing, mind blowing successes over a
lifetime.

Telling the truth just one more time each day gives you 365 more reasons a year to trust
yourself.

Reading one new book per week for 22 years equates to 1,144 new ideas from the smartest
minds in the world.

Creating five new meaningful (in-person) relationships per month over 35 years is 2,100
new people you can count on when you really need help.

A lot of small choices make a big difference.

What if you had happier moments, 30 more successes, 365 more ways to trust
yourself, 1,144 new ideas and 2,100 new friends?

 Could you conquer more?

 Could you do some outrageous things?

Possibly. Probably. You can bet on it. So stop making excuses.

. Stop Using These 3 Excuses If You Want to Be Successful

We are often our own worst enemies when it comes to stunting our success.

What’s to blame?

A lot of the time, it’s our tongue—and the excuses that spew from it. It is one of our most
powerful tools, and we use it on a daily basis, often oblivious to the potential destruction it
can cause.

The words out of our mouths can either build us up—or they can tear us down. The words
we choose to say can dramatically assist—or harm—our victory.
If you’re using any of these excuses, you should stop. Now.

1. “What’s meant to be I will be.”

It’s great to have the confidence and faith that things will work themselves out if you’ve
done all that you can on your end to set yourself up for success.

But it’s when you decide to just sit back and wait for your “destined” achievement that the
problem arises—when you stop taking the necessary action toward a major goal.

Stop saying, “What will be will be,” and start saying, “I’ll make it happen.”

2. “I’d rather be happy than wealthy.”

Why is it that we often treat wealth and happiness as mutually exclusive entities?

Think back on your history with money as a child.

Did your parents engrave in your brain their hardships with money, telling you that it
doesn’t come easy, that it’s the root of all evil—that it’s in control?

Your relationship with money doesn’t have to be one of regret or difficulty, and it certainly
doesn’t turn you into an evil villain.

Sure, some people use their money for horrible things, and yes, wealth might change some
people for the worse.

But it can also be used for good, and it can change you for the better, improving your
comfort, security and influence.

Change your mindset around money right now by believing in the deepest part of your core
that you deserve it and will use it wisely.

3. “I don’t have the time.”

We all have the same 24 hours, the same seven days.

Whether you use that time to work toward your biggest goals or waste it, using the
justification that “you don’t have the time” is your choice.

The only things you should “not have the time for” are negative people and excuses.

If it’s important to you, you have to find the time—you have to make the time.

There is no room for excuses in the mind of an achiever. maximized Prosperity And
Succeed
MEMORY VERSE: “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out
her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and
shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” –

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: The beauty of divine operations is that God shows up when it
appears that all human doors are closed.

GOD WILL ACCELERATE YOUR JOURNEY IN JESUS’ NAME

This devotional will move you to the peak of success.

 Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.

 Success is bouncing back when you hit the bottom.
 Success is making your life a masterpiece, such that you stand in the presence of God
and you are not ashamed at all.
 Success is knowing where you are going, getting there and fulfilling the purpose of
God for your life.

However, it is important to note that success is achieved in life through a strategic

empowerment, which consists in receiving some extra ability to be your best in life.

Many people know about success, many even desire it, but they never attain it because of
some limitations and constraints.

However, through the supernatural and enabling power of the Holy Spirit, you can
overcome all obstacles and reach your goal in life.

God took Joshua into the secrets of success when he was reluctant and discouraged about
taking over the leadership of Israel from Moses.

GREATNESS IN LIFE

Many who are successful and have attained greatness in life can testify to some spiritual
abilities that enabled them to be their best and become great.

Joshua gave himself fully to the word of God and he became great in life.
Through the power of God, he devided River Jordan and the children of Israel crossed it to
possess their inheritance.

God assigned a special angel to him. From the time when that special angel was assigned to
Joshua, the work of inheritance of the Promised Land was just a walk over.

Though the children of Israel had very formidable enemies, these were easily overcome
after the empowerment that Joshua had received from that angel.

Today’s text outlined the ingredients of success that you must possess in your life.

Take note of these ingredients of success and appropriate them with faith and conviction.

God Wants You to Succeed

God designed you for success. He made you to be a winner.

This is true for every person, regardless of what has happened in the past. God has never
destined anybody to live a ordinary life.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

This verse says that God knows His thoughts toward you, and His desire is to give you an
expected end.

That end is promised in the Word of God. You can walk in victory like Moses. He was 120
years old, and his eyesight wasn’t dim nor his natural force abated

- (Deut. 34:7- Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his
eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. ).

He actually climbed a mountain the day he went home to be with the Lord.

These things are in the Word, and God is no respecter of persons. What we have today is
superior to what Moses had in the Old Testament.
We can be guaranteed success. Now, I’m not saying success can always be achieved without
a fight or without effort, but we were destined for great things.

God created every one of us to be something special, but I also feel that we live in a culture
that has totally misrepresented true success.

As a matter of fact, I looked up the meaning of the word.

The defines success as “The achievement of something desired, Planned or attempted.”

That’s a pretty broad definition. I mean, some people are aiming at nothing and hitting it
every time.

The second definition I found is “ The gaining of fame or prosperity” .

I hate that definition. That is not a godly definition of success at all. Lots of people have
fame and prosperity, but they do not have true success.

In my opinion, success needs to be redefined. It’s not just doing something grand or big.

In fact, not everybody is called to do something big. I try to get this across to our member
all the time. We have 50 members in church here in swakopmund alone, and if it wasn’t for
every one of them, we couldn’t do what we’re called to do.

They may never be the one in front of the camera, but they are still a big part of what we’re
doing. We really count on and appreciate those who keep our church clean and looking
good.

And without the individuals who keep the church invested and polished in the season, we
would be in trouble. We need all of these people to help us be good stewards of what God
has given us.

Their jobs may not seem as significant as others, but they are being faithful in what God has
called them to do. That’s what I call a success.

Those who are faithful in a few things will also be faithful in much.
Matthew 25:23 says - His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant;
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

If we are good stewards of what God gives us, He’ll increase us and give us more.

The way that success has been presented is not a godly concept at all. I want to encourage
anyone who feels like they haven’t done much:

God’s got something more for you, and you can succeed. Your faithfulness will be rewarded.

And for those of you who think you’re awesome, I hope I can help you recognize that
success is not based on all of these temporary things that will pass away. God judges things
differently than we do.

First Samuel 16:7 says - For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looketh on the heart.

Many people look amazing on the outside, but in their hearts, they’re miserable—they don’t
have joy or peace and certainly don’t have success.

Understand this: There is nothing in this world that will minister to you or satisfy you more
than knowing that you are in the direct center of God’s will.

Many of you reading this can’t say for sure that you know you’re doing what God has called
you to do. You may love God and want Him to use you and bless you, but you don’t know
for certain that you’re where you’re supposed to be.

This is one of the reasons people aren’t happy and satisfied. In some cases, I believe God
has given certain people a holy dissatisfaction. He’s trying to stir them up.

This is one of the ways God motivates you and lets you know that there’s something more.
1 Corinthians 3:10-13- According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed
how he buildeth thereupon.
[11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
[12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
[13] Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed
by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

This is describing that as we go through life, we are either building with

 gold,
 silver,
 and precious stones
 or with wood,
 hay,
 and stubble.

It does not say that everybody is building with gold, silver, and precious stones or that
everybody is building with wood, hay, and stubble.

We have a choice. The sad fact is that many of us build things in our lives and accomplish
things that aren’t what God intended for us. And we count these things as a success.

But one day, we’re going to stand before the Lord, and He is going to put a fire to
everything.

It says in Matthew 12:36 that we’ll give an account of every idle word that we speak.

So, God will hold us responsible for every action and for every word that comes out of our
mouths.

Anything of wood, hay, or stubble—even if it looks good to man and conforms to the
world’s standard of success—is a work of the flesh and will count for nothing.

A lot of people think wood, hay, and stubble are referring to adultery, fornication, and drug
addiction.

But did you know that people have done things that would appear to be godly—started
churches, been in a foreign mission field, and written worship music—but none of it was
led by God?
For instance, my good friend Mathew recently shared with me on an episode of The Inside
Story that he once pastored a church and later realized he was doing it in his own strength.

His life became so difficult that he was ready to take his own life. That’s when God taught
him grace and really turned his life around.

It doesn’t matter whether the end result is good or not. God wants you to do what He has
called you to do, and He wants you to do it out of His ability.

I think what some call poor health is just people doing good things in their own strength
and power.

God’s never had anybody qualified working for Him yet, so stop relying on your own ability.
If you don’t trust in the Lord, you can’t accomplish the things He’s planned for you and you
won’t be a godly success.

How Does God Define Success?

I can confidently say that I have never met someone who didn’t desire to be successful and
prosperous.

I believe no one in their right mind wants to fail. I know I don’t. But one day, as I began my
meditation on the Word of God, a question struck my spirit: 

What is success to God?

People have inaccurately defined success as abundance. So, if a person has a career that
makes money, houses, cars, things, or earthly legacies, people generally would identify
them as successful.

But, does God feel the same? You and I are believers, and we must see things as God sees
them and define them according to our playbook, The Word of God.

Dictionaries define success as an accomplishment. But surprisingly, the word “success” is

written only one time in the Bible.

Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is
written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have
good success.”

There is so much to this Scripture, and it speaks volumes to the church.

 The words “prosperous” and “success” are terms that the church magnifies.

Every person is seeking their path to prosperity and success. However, God’s Word does
not base success and prosperity on the increase of goods, unlike the world.

Look at the scripture; nowhere does it correlate success with business, finances, money,
or blessings. Success is based on obedience to God.

We’ve all heard it before, the “prosperity gospel.” But, there were people all throughout
Scripture, including our Savior, who were not increased with goods and found themselves
“abased” at times

(Phillipians 4:12-  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I
have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or
hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ),but they were successful. Is having money
and possessions a sin? Certainly not.

But, you and I must change our perspective on what success is and who we congratulate as
successful when their success does not align with how God defines it.

Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so
that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful.

 provides three stipulations to attaining success and prosperity:

1. Not allowing God’s law to depart from your mouth.

2. Meditate on His law day and night.
3. To do all that is written in God’s law.
When all three are complete, the Scripture closes with a promise of prosperity and good
success.

Desire Good Success

One thing I found very interesting about Joshua 1:8 is that it specifies a type of success.

The term “good” leads the word “success” as an adjective. Adjectives are potent in
understanding Biblical revelation.
For example, John 14:6, which speaks about Jesus being the way, truth, and life details
to us through the article/adjective “the” that there is a single way, truth, and life.

Therefore, phrases like “my truth” are Biblically incorrect because the Word declares there
is no other truth than that of Jesus Christ. 

Joshua 1:8 teaches us in a like manner that the success God is referring to is “good.”

Moreover, since we can conclude that success can be good, then there must be an opposite.
So, what is the opposite of “good” success?

I did a podcast chapter about the word “good” and how its Biblical meaning is more than
just the quality of a subject, but it’s also defined as approved.

Understanding this, we can identify this kind of success as an accomplishment approved by

God.

On the other hand, we can also sum up the opposite of good success as
accomplishments unapproved by God.

You might be wondering, what would make an accomplishment unapproved by God?

Simple; it is when it breaks God’s law in any way. All Good Success is not Good

Let me make it straightforward. You may see a person with a ,great career, houses ,
cars ,equity , and label them as successful.

Indeed they are, but they may have attained this success through drug dealing.

As believers, there is no way we can label their “success” as good because God is not
pleased with the way or method in which they became successful.

Or, what if a person is a believer, and gained their increase in goods the honest way?

But they fail to complete the three stipulations of success, and never do the Word of God?

Would this person be successful if they achieved much without godliness? Certainly not.

The increase in goods is not what follows a person into eternity. We may be saved by grace,
but we are judged according to our works
(Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ).

Here is another example, people are claiming success but are indirectly involved in sin.

For example, a person may accomplish a lot by owning a brothel. Although they are not
personally prostituting, they make way for others to sin against God.

Their achievements are not an example of good success.

I am an author; if I become a namib Times success by writing a book that glorifies any kind
of sin, I am not successful.

I would prefer two people to purchase my book containing the unadulterated truth of God,
rather than one million purchasing a book that defies the law and promotes sin.

Jesus warned the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:17 -  You say, ‘I am rich; I have
acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

of this “unapproved success.” These were people that had money and goods. Yet Jesus
told them that they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Those are sobering words coming from the King.

I write with great passion because it pains me to see many of my brothers and sisters
striving for a success that God has not ordained.

Or, secretly envious of those who compromise the faith in the name of success.

Live The Approved Life

I sincerely desire that you live the life God wants you to live.

I want you to have prosperity and abundance, but not at the expense of your soul.

 The Bible says in Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul?”
I want to illustrate something for you. Let’s say you receive a prophecy or a dream, and in
it, someone tells you, “You are going to be a person of great influence.

Many will follow you. You will lead. Your name will be written and remembered for
generations to come.”

At first look, you may be praising God because this sounds like success.

But this can be a “word” given to both a “Deborah” or a “Jezebel” if you are a woman. If you
are a man, a “David” and a “Saul.”

All four people had the fruit of success, but one man and one woman’s fruit was good, and
the others, evil.

I hope this is clear to you because the fruit increase may seem right until evaluating the
type of fruit produced.

So, What’s the Play Call?

I hear people say, “If Jesus were in my day, I would have followed Him.”

How easy it is to utter those words, but the truth is, if we are not careful, we can be the very
people that will reject Jesus now.

 (Matthew 24:24 - For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform
great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ) Jesus said that in
the last days if it were possible, the very “elect” would be deceived.

That indicates to me that the cunningness of deceit in this last day is very strong.

Think about it; if Jesus were here now, people would say he was not successful.

He had nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:19-20 - Then a teacher of the law came to
him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes
have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

 He had to go fishing to pay His taxes.

 He was imprisoned and died at 33.

John the Baptist lived in the woods, eating locusts and honey.
 He wore animal hair for his clothing. But it was those in “high places” or those labeled as
successful who are responsible for both Jesus’ and John’s deaths.

It is time that you and I seek a clearer vision. We have to look through the eyes of God and
His Word, or we will find ourselves approving what God has rejected.

To the world, godly success won’t look as prestigious. But, if you never inherit this earth’s
good, think about the crown of life that will sit tall and beautifully upon your head when
God, the Father, and Jesus our Lord welcomes you into the Kingdom.

How God Turns Our Failures Into Success

How can God use our many failures and turn them into success?
 Believe me, it’s possible!

Using Failure

How can God use our many failures and turn them into success?

I can’t count all the manufacturers who, if they had given up, would have never developed
great things like the airplane, the light bulb, the television, and any other number of things.

 If we see failure as not being final, we’ll persevere and keep moving forward.
 If we can see that our failures can be launching pads for future success.

One lady who was swimming across the ocean Waterway finally gave up, but when she got
in the boat, she could see through the fog that she was less than a mile away.

If she’d known that, she said that she wouldn’t have given up.

The point being, success may come just after the time when you feel like giving up.

The great authors learned that if it didn’t work, they kept trying and trying, but one thing
they didn’t do. They didn’t give up.

Success Can Lead to Failure

I can also count numbers of people who, when they made it big, started to fall.

Their successes went to their heads. Their pride led to their downfall.
Once success came, they started to overestimate themselves.

One pastor had several people tell him that his sermons were among the best they’d ever
heard.

He then asked his wife, “How many great preachers do you think there are in the world?” 

She wisely answered, “One less than you think.” 

Ouch! Pride comes, and then the fall.

And the higher someone is lifted up, the harder the fall will be.
There is a real risk for those who are successful to start believing their own stuff, thereby,
their success sometimes led to failure, rather than let failure lead to success.
It can happen to me, and it can happen to you. Some people just can’t handle success.

Success is in the Finish

(Phil 3:13-14). In trying to inspire perhaps his favorite church, Paul wrote to the
Philippians, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” 

(1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.), The point is, never trip over anything that’s behind
you. God forgives and we move on.

We don’t drive backwards using our rearview mirror because if we give too much
attention to looking back, we’re at risk for stumbling over something that’s right in front of
us.

 (Heb 6:10). “God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have
shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do”
 
What Doesn’t Work

Thomas would never have invented the light bulb if he gave up after 300 tries, or 500 tries,
or a thousand!

It was what didn’t work in his experiments that led to what did work.

The point is he didn’t give up. He found out by trial and error (most error) how to make the
light bulb that has been relatively unchanged for over a century.

Edison’s trip down the road of failure was the same road that led him to success.
Blood, Sweat & Tears

Most people can pour their life into something and yet see no tangible or visible results, but
it may be that just down the road that it all smooth’s out.

The bumpy ride you’re having today may be easier once you’re down the road a ways.

Nothing worthwhile comes easily and it may take a little blood, sweat, and tears to endure
the road of failure which should ultimately lead to success.

The only time you’re really defeated is when you stop moving.

Getting Strength

(John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.) We can do nothing without Jesus
Christ,

(Phil 4:13) but with Christ Who will strengthen us, we can do all things within His will.

(Phil 4:12), That’s why the Apostle Paul could say, “I know how to be brought low, and I
know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing
plenty and hunger, abundance and need” 

so he would say, stay on the road, even if it appears to be going nowhere. 

Paul was content with the ride. 
Keep going and keep trying to find the road to success.
This trip’s going to require us to be content with the ride, but it’s not so much the journey
as it is the destination for believers.

The Finish Line

We are all pilgrims or wanderers in this life because we’re citizens of the kingdom and not
of this world.

(Phil 3:14) For this reason, we must “press on toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus” .

(1st Cor 9:24) ‘Paul asks, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only
one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” ?

(Phil 3:12) He keeps pressing forward, “Not that I have already obtained this or am
already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his
own” .
  How about you?
 Are you pressing forward?
 Or, are you looking back?
If you are, you might miss the turn that leads to success.

A Comma, Not a Period

I once heard a pastor tell someone who was contemplating suicide that God intended this
to be a comma and not a period.

 How many heroes and heroines of the faith do you know that have failed time after
time?

 How many famous Christians or believers you know have failed big time?

There are too many to count.

People like David, Jonah, Elijah, and many others. Every one of us will fall, but we can get
back up again.

Even if we’re disgraced, it’s not the end of the story. In fact, it might be the beginning of a
new chapter in our life.

After a great forest fire, from ashes to beauty, thousands of new trees burst forth to cover
the mountains.

Failure is Not Final

(Prov. 24:16) Solomon once wrote that “the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble in times of calamity”.

Perhaps Solomon knew very well what it meant to fall, as he fell into serious sin after
marrying a foreign woman and falling into idolatry, but he did finally repent near the end of
his life.

(1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness. )
The difference between Christians and the lost are that we can fall into sin, but the unsaved
dive and swim in it and don’t seek to repent of it. We all fall into sin, but we don’t stay
there.
We get back up, and God forgives us of all our sins and then cleanses us from all
unrighteousness. We get a fresh start every day!

A faith that’s not been tested is a faith that can’t be trusted.

(Eph 2:1-2) You may not be where you want to be, but at least you’re not where you used
to be, right?

Every one of us will make mistakes, but we’ll learn from them and grow from them.

(Gen 50:20 - As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of
the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. )

We’ll stop repeating certain mistakes. We can teach others that some things are not in their
bests interests.

We can use our examples of mistakes and failures to show others that God can bring out
good in these things. 

Concede the fact that it’s not going to be easy in this life living as a Christian.

We must understand that we can’t do it without Christ, so let’s fix our eyes upon Jesus Who
is waiting for us at the finish line.

5 Ways Failures In Life Can Shape Us Into Who God Wants Us To Become

Here are 5 ways that God can shape us in this life to become what He wants us to become,
even if it’s in failure.

Examining Ourselves

Perhaps God allows failures to show us where we might have sin in our life or where we
need to grow. 

Maybe we’re taking our eyes off of Jesus or drifting away from our relationship from God
and He wants to draw us back to Himself. 
God can use any means necessary to get our attention and often I have had failures in my
life to teach me something about myself. 

Maybe I was getting to full of myself; perhaps I was losing focus on God’s purpose for my
life; and possibly God wants me to examine my life to see areas that I need to work on. 

I think we’ve all got blind spots but failure can make us reassess what’s going on in our
lives.

(2 Cor 13:5) That’s a good thing. Paul commanded us, “Examine yourselves, to see
whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about
yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test” .

” (1 Cor 11:28) Certainly before we take the Lord’s Supper or Communion, “Everyone

ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

Learning from Experience

They say that experience is the only teacher that gives the test first before you have a
chance to study but the lessons learned are invaluable. 

I have learned more from my failures than I ever did when things were going well. 

True failure is staying down when you are knocked down by life and we all do on occasions.

Just as Thomas Edison said of his attempts to invent a working light bulb, “I have not failed.

I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” 

 What others meant for evil, Paul considered God’s purpose as he asked the rhetorical
question, “

(Rom 8:35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or
sword” ?

(Rom 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who  have been called according to his purpose.)
[a]

Obviously, if you read the rest of the chapter, what the world perceives as failure like
famine, distress, persecution, danger or sword, Paul considers as working out for his very
best.

Failure is not Final

Failure is never final and it’s certainly not fatal. 

Failure shows us what doesn’t work and forces us to see what does work.

I have a close friend who battled pornography for decades and he tried everything and
failed time and again and fell back into this stronghold of the mind. 

One day he called me and told me that he had victory over pornography. 

I asked him how he did it. He said that he finally gave up trying to do it himself.

He simply surrendered.  He didn’t surrender to the pornography but in trying to fight it in

his own strength and he’s been free from this scourge ever since.

(Prov 24:16) The Bible says “the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the
wicked stumble in times of calamity”

 (Job 5:19) and it will be “From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will
touch you”

 (Prov 37:24 so even “though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds
him with his hand” ).

Leaning on God’s Understanding

Sometimes I depend too much on my own human, earthly wisdom even though I am told to 

(Prov 3:5) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding” 

(Prov 3:7 and “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil” ). 

I am my own worst enemy.  How about you? 

Isn’t it so easy to seek the advice of family, friends, and co-workers when we have failed? 

Why not seek godly wisdom for by leaning on my own understanding, I am essentially
leaning on air but when I depend on God’s wisdom, I am not being “wise in [my] own eyes”
but trusting “in the Lord.”

The fact is that (Prov 28:26 “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who
walk in wisdom are kept safe” ). 

(Prov 22:19) I would do well to heed this truth “that your trust may be in the LORD, I
teach you today, even you” .

More Christ-Like
No one can be more Christ-like until they have suffered like Christ did. 

Of course, it won’t be the type of suffering that Jesus endured but suffering makes us more
like Christ

 (2 Cor 1:5 “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we

share abundantly in comfort too” ). 

Do you want to know the very power of Christ? 

Then you are like Paul who wrote (Phil 3:10) “I want to know Christ–yes, to know the
power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his
death” . 

No one likes to suffer but Paul wrote(Col 1:24) “I rejoice in what I am suffering for you,
and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake
of his body, which is the church”

(2 Cor 4:10)  and we “carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of
Jesus may also be revealed in our body” 

(1 Pet 4:13) so “rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that

you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” . 

To the world, suffering looks like failure but to the Christian, suffering is not failure, it is
being more like Christ.

Every single one of us has or will eventually fail at something in life.  That’s the way the
world is wired but
 failure can help us to examine ourselves more closely;
 failure can teach us valuable lessons;
 failure is never fatal or final;
 failure teaches us to not depend on our own understanding but lean upon God’s
wisdom;
 and suffering, while looking like failure, is actually allowing us to know Christ better
because we have a small taste of what He endured by this suffering,

(Phil 3:10) we can “know the power of his resurrection and participation in his

sufferings, becoming like him in his death” .

“Is it God to succeed?”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that question – or lament – after someone didn’t
get a promotion, missed an opportunity they thought was excellent.

Sure, God wants us to succeed.

 But God’s meaning of success is often different than ours.

He wants us to succeed in our obedience and faithfulness to Him and His Word and in our
development of Christ-like character

 Joshua 1:8 - Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be
prosperous and successful.

 Do you want to succeed in the areas that are important to God?

 Do you want to impress Him rather than others?

God Wants Our Humility.

God knows better than we do how personal success can cause us to praise ourselves, rather
than Him.

 Scripture instructs: James 4:10. “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord,

and He will exalt you” (Rather than handing us success,
 God wants us to live humbly, according to His Word, and wait for His promotion

Psalm 75:6-7. No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt
themselves.7 It is God who judges , He brings one down, he exalts another.

Instead of praying for success in your job, finances, or personal life, pray for a humble heart
so God can trust you with whatever He blesses you with.

we are exhorted to grow spiritually and in the character of Christ (Colossians 1:10).

 In Galatians 5:22-23, we are given a list of the fruits of the Spirit –  character
characters that match Christ and make up God’s measure of success for our
spiritual life:
love, joy,peace,patience,kindness,goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self-
control.
 These characters are evidence of one’s spiritual growth.

If winning the draw, succeeding at our business, gaining recognition, or even achieving a
desired personal level of success keeps us from revealing these characteristics,
God may do what it takes to prevent that type of “success” in our lives. His goal is that we
be mature and display spiritual qualities.

When we display the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we are living “successfully” in God’s
eyes.

God Wants Our Obedience & Surrender.

The Prophet Samuel told King Saul “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better
than the fat of rams”

(1 Samuel 15:22). Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrificesas much as in

obeying the LORD?To obey is better than sacrifice,and to heed is better than the fat of
rams.

God took the kingdom of Israel away from King Saul and gave it to David, whom He
described as “a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do’

(Acts 13:22. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him:
‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want
him to do.’ ).

God equated obedience and surrender with success and the ability to be a great leader.

Jesus said “(John 14:21).Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who

loves me.The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and
show myself to them”

According to Jesus, obedience to God is evidence of our love for Him and a formula for
spiritual success.

Personal success can make us believe we are doing cute well on our own.

We can even incline to think we don’t need God. Wise King Solomon knew this tendency of
ours if we were given everything we wanted.

In Proverbs 30:7-9, Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:8 Keep
falsehood and lies far from me;give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my
daily bread.9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is
the LORD?’Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

he asked for two things before he died. In addition to his request that God keep deception
far from him, he also prayed “Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Are you asking God for a deeper dependence on Him?

It seems contrary to a prayer for success. But wants us to depend on Him for everything we
have, success included.

Instead of praying for a certain measure of success, ask God to make you so dependent on
Him you become a success in His eyes.

God Wants Our Faith.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

If you are highly successful do you still  need faith?

Of course you do. But if you have plenty of money, people standing by to take your orders,
and the belief that you can take care of yourself, it’s easy to get comfortable without
exercising faith on a daily basis.

God wants you to seek Him first and discover that He supplies everything else you can
possibly need (Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well. ).

When we are successful in our eyes, we sometimes think we have all we need.

Don’t pray for the ability  to do all things, but for a deepening faith in the One who can do all
things.

Does God Require? Not Success, But Faithfulness

The apostles saw miracles that most of us could never imagine. They experienced ministry
success that most pastors today will never see.

Yet when we find the Apostle Paul nearing the end of his ministry ( what is his concern?
Faithfulness.

 Acts 20:17, “You’ve seen how I lived,” Paul says, “And you know that my only
concern is to finish the task that Jesus gave me.”

As Paul would say elsewhere, “What is required of stewards is that they be found faithful”
(1 Cor 4:2 - Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove
faithful.).

A steward is just a servant. He doesn’t run the household, the master does.

His only responsibility is to do what the master tells him. So if the master tells him to invest
money in something that completely containers, the steward doesn’t take the blame.
On the other hand, if the master gives the steward an order that leads to great success, the
steward doesn’t get the credit. Success and failure are master words;

What God requires of you is not success, but faithfulness in what he has assigned to you.

Ask yourself: what has Jesus called you to do?

You aren’t responsible to save the world, but you are responsible to follow Christ
in your situation.

For a servant, “success” in life is identifying what God has called you to and being
completely faithful in it.

I’ve seen people go very wrong with this. Some people get so overwhelmed at the needs
around them that they see everything as “their” cause.

 So they want to minister to prisoners,

 take in foster children,
 mentor elementary kids
 , feed the poor, end human trafficking,
 lead an entire unreached people group to Christ—in general,
 to save the world.

But, as a mentor once told me, not everything from heaven has your name on it.

This is a lesson I have needed to learn personally: God can do more with one act of
faithfulness than I could accomplish in lifetimes on my own. Many of us need to change the
questions we ask when we come to a crossroads from, “

 Where can I make the biggest impact?

 Where does God want me?”

most of the opportunities for faithfulness are already right in front of you. If you’re in
high school, faithfulness might mean staying committed to purity, even though you feel like
it isn’t making a difference.

 If you’re in college, it might mean continuing to share the gospel even after you’re
mocked and humiliated in front of your peers.
 If you’re at work, it means choosing integrity when everyone else is cutting corners,
or using your career for the sake of God’s mission instead of your own bottom line.
  If you’re a parent, it means obedience to Christ in the most ordinary aspects of
everyday life, because your kids are always watching.

We only see the fruit of this in sights now, but one day we’ll be shocked at the powerful
ways that God used these small acts of faithfulness in the lives of others.

I think, for instance, of the mother of one of our pastors, who recently passed away. He
shared with me that there was nothing particularly extraordinary about her—in terms of
talent. But in her late 40s, she learned that God wanted to use her to disciple other women.

So she did: she picked up some ready-made discipleship curriculum and just walked
women through it. Ordinary. Simple. But faithful. And over the course of 25 years, this dear
saint discipled hundreds of women.

What do you think she heard when she walked into heaven?

She did what God had told her to do until her very last day. Don’t you think she heard the
one thing we all desire to hear?

The voice of Christ, the beginning and end of creation, the one who loved us and pursued us
and died for our sin, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your
Lord!”

GOD MEASURES SUCCESS

SUSANNAH BAKER
RELATES
In an age where we can easily compare our families, ministries, finances, callings,
friendships, vacations, and physical beauty to others as we scroll through social
media, it is easy to walk away feeling unimportant.

The voice of defeat speaks failure over us when we compare our “feed” to someone
else’s.
It’s refreshing to know that Jesus doesn’t measure success the way the world does.

Each year, as the calendar year draws to a close, me and my family take the better
part of a day to sit down, just the two of us, and plan for the upcoming year.

As we think about our year, and form our goals,

 we talk about everything from our marriage to our each of our four kids,
 to our work and ministry and relationship with the Lord,
 to our finances and giving,
  to our travel, vacation plans, and books we want to read or relationships
we want to foster.

By the end of the day, it feels as though no stone is left unturned in the path of the
upcoming year.And it’s a great feeling; it’s a clean feeling.

Like the foundation for the house of the new year has been swept clean and made
ready for a good, solid structure to go on top.

But to get to a good beginning of the new year, we first have to deal with and put
to rest the old year.

 We talk through what went well,

 what goals we completed from last year,
 what goals were forgotten or left by the wayside,
 and what goals we absolutely tanked.

And that’s because I have to look back at all the things I wanted to do in the year
that is now behind me and see what I actually did.

 I have to look carefully at the person I wanted to become and see who
I actually became.
 I have to look at the relationships I wanted to foster, and the books or
Bible studies I wanted to write, and face what kind of friend or husbant
I actually was and see what books or studies I actually wrote (or didn’t
write).
 And I’ve gotta be honest here – it’s never a pretty picture.  I’ve never
gotten to the end of a year and thought, “Man, I aced that one!  What an
incredible year that was!”  I usually say or think, “Wow, look at all that
I didn’t accomplish; look at the character qualities I am still wrestling with;
what a disappointment I am.”

Now part of this is just personality – it’s how I’m wired.  I’m wired to see the lack
rather than the abundance.

What has been left undone rather than what is done. And it’s a place I’ve been
working on, asking God to help me adjust my expectations and my vision.

But as I thought about it this year, I realized what usually devastates me is the
smallness of my story.

I always start the year with plans for such greatness.

 Great parenting.
  Great consistency in my walk with God.
 Great progress in walking out of old patterns of rejection, selfish ambition,
self-pity, basically, anything that begins with the word “self.”
 Great blogging.
 Great writing.
 Great books.

And what I usually end up with is ordinary at best, outright fail at worst.

 Frustrating.
 I’m just so repair small.
 And weak.

And incapable of keeping up with even the best of my intentions.

So when I look back over my year and look ahead to the rest of 2022

here is what I’m good at –

 being small.
 Small steps.
 Small progress.
 Small, daily victories.
 Small writing projects.

Small steps of progress in parenting, marriage, character traits, blogging, loving

people, and the list goes on and on.

The problem is the scale I’ve adopted to measure my life.  It’s a scale that the
world uses to measure success, therefore it’s the scale I most naturally move
towards to measure my success as well.

And it’s a scale that measures in extent.  In bigness.  In platform and size and
ministry.

And doing things well in the small, in the everyday, in the unseen, behind the
scenes, isn’t even recognized as a number on the scale.

But small with the Lord is what it’s all about, for life consists of everyday small
steps of consistent obedience to Him.

Small, everyday steps of staying faithful to reading His Word and allowing His
Spirit to change our hearts.
Small, everyday steps of faithfully administering God’s grace in the lives of those
around you in a day in and day out basis.

Small, everyday steps of loving the Lord out God with all our heart, soul, mind and
strength, and loving our neighbor as ourself

For what good is it, Jesus said, if you take big, grand steps, and gain the whole
world, but lose your soul?  

(Luke 9:25  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit
their very self?

And what I’ve noticed over the years is that I usually find my soul in the small.

In the small moments of stopping to receive God grace’s and presence in me, near
me, with me, in the morning stillness and quiet of scripture reading and prayer
when no one else is near but the Lord,

When God Tests You With Success

We all want to be successful. But often, we forget that God can use our success
to test our true motives.

When we achieve success in our lives, we can either praise God for what he’s
done, or become proud and take the credit ourselves.

We get comfortable and satisfied with success

!" Daniel 4:4"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was enjoying a time of peace and prosperity in my
kingdom and palace. I was taking it easy, without a care in the world

Daniel 4:30"I said to myself 'Just look at this great city of Babylon that I have
created! I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city for my glory. I
built it to show my power, my might, my majesty, and my glory!'"

Proverbs 16:5"The Lord despises pride; You can be sure that the proud will be
punished."
 We don't pay attention to the warning signs

Daniel 4:24-25 . This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the
Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people
and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with
the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the
Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

Because you've been arrogant and you've ignored God, you're about to lose your
kingdom & your sanity

"'Here's what you should do: Repent of your sins and start doing what is right. Then
begin to show merciful kindness to the poor and oppressed. Then perhaps God will
allow you to keep prospering."

Daniel 4:27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce

your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the
oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

We put off doing what we know is right

Daniel 4:28-33 The Dream Is Fulfilled

28 
All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king
was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the
great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the
glory of my majesty?”

31 
Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is
decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from
you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals;
you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you
acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives
them to anyone he wishes.”

33 
Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was
driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the
dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the
claws of a bird.
STEPS TO RECOVERY

1. Look up to God

2. Daniel 4:34"After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven

and my sanity returned."

Choose a time to go for a walk. Use this opportunity to look at the beauty around
you and recognize the wonder and sovereignty of God. Talk to God about things you
are thankful for and give him the glory and praise.

3. Wake up and start worshipping

4. " Daniel 4:34 - My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High
and honored The One who lives forever." We get better when we
replace pride with praise

"Remember how God led you through the wilderness these past forty years . . . He
humbled you by letting you go hungry . . . and he tested you with hardships many
times . . .  to test your character and to see if you will obey whatever he commands
you to do . . . Now God is bringing you into a good land — a land with plenty of water
. . . with bountiful crops . . . orchards full of fruit . . . abundant copper and iron in the
ground. and you will lack nothing!

 So when you are full and satisfied and prospering PRAISE the Lord with
gratitude for all he has given you!

"BUT BE CAREFUL that you do not forget the Lord and that you continue to always obey
every command of God!

Otherwise when you have built your fine houses and your gold and silver have multiplied,
your heart will become PROUD and you will forget that it was God who saved and
delivered you out of your slavery and gave all this to you!
"And when you become successful. do not think 'I did all this by my own strength and I
became rich by my own power.'

Instead remember that it is God, your Lord, who gives you the ability and strength to
produce wealth!

"I warn you: If you ever forget God and begin turning things into idols that you worship,
God will destroy it all and your nation, just as he has destroyed other nations before you
who forgot God."                       
  Deuteronomy 8:2-20 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the
wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart,
whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then
feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man
does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your
clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your
heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

6 
Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. 7 For
the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs
gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig
trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack
nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

10 
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given
you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his
laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied,
when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your
silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and
you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led
you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous
snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the
wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it
might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have
produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is
today.

19 
If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I
testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the LORD destroyed
before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

 Try to get into the habit of a daily quiet time with God.
 Start even with 10 or 15 minutes every day.
 Look at your daily schedule and see where your current priorities are with
your time.
 Schedule your quiet time into your day and try to do it consistently this
week.

TRUTHS ABOUT GOD THAT STABILIZE MY LIFE

  Daniel 4:35, 37"He has the power to do whatever he pleases — among the
angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop him or
challenge him, or even question what he does . . . And those who walk in pride he
is able to humble"

Daniel 4:36"When God restored my sanity, he also gave me back my honor and
kingdom. All my leaders returned to me, and my kingdom became greater than
ever! So now I praise and exalt and glorify the King of Heaven because
everything he does is always right and true and fair."

 God never makes any mistakes

 Tell others how God has saved and changed me

Daniel 4:1-2"King Nebuchadnezzar sent a letter to the people of every race and
nation and language throughout the world: May you prosper! I want to tell you
all about the wonderful miracles that God has done for me!"

GOD’S WORD OFFERS YOU THE MINDSET FOR SUCCESS

Psalm 1:1-3? “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the
law of the lord, and in his law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its
season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

what you need to live a highly successful and prosperous life.

 Firstly, it says the one who wants to be successful doesn’t walk in the counsel of
the ungodly; that means he refuses to note the advice of disrespectful people.

 Secondly, he doesn’t stand “…in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the
scornful;” this implies he doesn’t keep company with the wrong folks, nor does he
ignore the things of God. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he
meditates day and night.”
To be a real success, it’s important that you meditate on the Word.

Meditation conditions your spirit for excellence and gives you the right mentality for
prosperity.

There are people who have been wrongly conditioned, and so they think and act wrongly.

But when you allow the Word of God to influence you, it’ll give you a new way of thinking, a
success-mindset.

You just cannot fail, because there are no “failure files” in your system anymore.

You only run on the “success files” introduced into your spirit through the Word of God.

God’s Word is God’s wisdom. And as you meditate on it, you’re automatically programmed
in the direction of success and piloted by the force of wisdom.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you[a]shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written
in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

1 Timothy 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your
progress may be evident to all.

Pray?‍
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for the divine influence of your Word in my life. As I
meditate on it day-by-day, my mindset is transformed, and I become the person you want
me to be, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

HANDLING SUCCES WITH HUMILITY

Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be
rewarded fully.  

Success is wise stewardship; so do not take it for granted. God has blessed you for a
purpose, and success is part of His purpose for you.
However, if you do not steward wisely and responsibly the blessing of His success,
you may very well lose it.

Success means you have the attention of your lords and others in your industry and
community.

Your success over the years may have even gained the respect of many you have
never met.

 Your family respects you;

 your church respects you;
 your friends respect you;
 your work associates respect you.

But success is not designed to quiet you into uninterested work and lazy living.

Success is meant to drive you to your knees in gratitude to God.

Success is an opportunity to seek God for His wisdom regarding a new set of
problems and opportunities.

Normally, current issues require different answers from those in the past. The
process of solving them may be similar, but the solutions are different.

You have fared well until now without a structured board of directors or advisory
board, but because of your level of success, one or both of these may be necessary, so
you have expert advisors and wise counsel surrounding you.

Accountability and wise counsel are big parts of stewarding success.

Also, use economic limit. It may take you five years instead of two years for you to
reach certain financial milestones. It is better to extend your goals, and avoid
unnecessary leverage.

Even if people want to throw debt at you, reject the flattery and “just say no.” This is
wise stewardship of success.

Now that you have enjoyed some level of success, you do not have to prove yourself.

By God’s grace, you have earned the right to serve in the role of influencer. You can
prayerfully set developments and testing with new processes and products.

But develop these new initiatives from the platform of prayer. Do not take
unnecessary risks. Conserve your successful results and build your organization
from a position of strength. Use success as a springboard for innovation and
excellence. Do one thing well and another thing well and another thing well.

Success can cause you to run ahead of relationships and resources. You can avoid
this trap of over-subscribing to activity by staying regimented with a process that
leads to thorough execution.

You have worked hard for the success you are experiencing; so be even more
accountable in your life and work. Make sure your character keeps up with your
success. You will maintain success if the depth of your character supports the
breadth of your success.

If you, as the leader, do not model this, you will lose. You will lose your best people,
you will lose new opportunities, and you will lose your success.

The stewardship of success is daunting without God’s wisdom and the godly counsel
of others. Slow down and be coachable.

Look into the mirror; ask what needs to be changed, and then change. Do not lose
what you have worked for. His reward is your greatest success.

Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master’s happiness!’” ().

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your favor and for any success you allow me to
enjoy, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

God's Prosperity And Success

Most everyone drawing breath on Planet Earth wants to be successful.  But success comes
in varying degrees.
Make no mistake about this God is looking for people who are obedient to His instructions,
pursuing His promises and passionate about the possibilities for success found in His
Word.
 Here are two scriptures which confirm what I’ve just said.
Job 36:11 “If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout
their lives. All their years will be pleasant.”
Proverbs 3:4-6 “If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good
judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don't ever trust yourself. 
In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with
success.”
Now let’s look a God’s pattern for you to be prosperous and successful.
 First, you must know the will of God for your life.
Have you ever heard someone referring to another person as someone with a strong will?
If so, that can be a spiritual problem or it can be a spiritual blessing.
We’re not put on this earth to fulfill our will or that of a domineering parent or a controlling
spouse or anyone else.
But we are here to have a strong will to do His will no matter what we confront along
the way.
# 1     We’re on planet earth for one reason. . .and that’s to do the will of our Heavenly
Father.
 John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me,
not to do my own will.”
# 2     Your personal growth. . .spiritually, emotionally and in every other area is fed
by and gains strength from doing His will.
 John 4:34 “Then Jesus explained: ‘My nourishment comes from doing the will of
God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.’”
# 3     As you spend time in His Word and His presence. . .you will soon determine
whether a particular choice or direction for your life is His will. . .or yours.
 John 7:17 “Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching
is from God or is merely my own.”
# 4     When you’re fulfilling His will. . .you will have a strong desire to keep His
commandments.

 I John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome.”
# 5     When you begin doing His will. . .you will find your perspective changes. . .your
view of what’s really important. . .undergoes a transformation.  Your greatest desire
becomes what He desires.

 1 Peter 4:2 “You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but
you will be anxious to do the will of God.”
# 6     To be prosperous and successful . . . your goal becomes excellence because the
Lord is watching how you do your job and treat those with earthly authority.
 Ephesians 6:5-7 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear.
Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time,
not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with
all your heart.  Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord
rather than for people.”
# 7     Knowing the perfect will of God for your life can only be received by allowing
God to transform the way you think.
 Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world , but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind , so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good
and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and
acceptable and perfect ”
# 8     Doing the will of God will give you a rich and satisfying life.
 1 John 2:“And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden
cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God
and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.”
These eight keys to knowing, performing and manifesting the will of God in your life are
worth studying if you want to become really successful.
Second, you must become passionate for God … which activates the creative powers
within you to make something out of nothing.
Passion creates the power to sustain you. . .when everything else fails.
 John 2:17 “Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures:
“Passion for God’s house will consume me.”
Do you have a passion for the things of God. . .for His instructions. . .His house?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20:“Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of
the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are
not your own.”
God not only wants you to have the passion for Him. . .but He wants His power manifested in
your life.  Four scriptures point this out.
First, Joshua 1:8:“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is
written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success.”
Second, Ephesians 3:20 :“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at
work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Third, 2 Thessalonians 1:11:“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to
live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your
faith prompts you to do.”
Fourth and finally,
Mark 9:23 “Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person
who believes.”
If you want to be prosperous and successful. . .the passion and power of God will become
self-evident in your life.
Third, you must spend time with your Mentor.
Would you be excited if apostl, john wiseman Daniel were to agree to become your
personal mentor?
If you had unlimited access to their combined wisdom. . .how would you get to know what
they know?
Spend time with them!  The correct answer is easy.
Would you rearrange your schedule to spend time with them?  Of course, you would.
If they wanted to talk with you. . .would you be willing to turn off Survivor or Dancing with
the Stars?  Of course, you would.
Would you do whatever was necessary. . .to maximize your time with them?  Of
course, you would.
Now here’s the question . . .and you may have already guessed it. . .who is the greatest
mentor of all?
Without question, the Holy Spirit is your primary mentor.  The best way for you to get to
know your mentor is for you to spend time focused on His presence.
The great evangelists, pastors and teachers like Charles Spurgeon as well as Smith
Wigglesworth and others often said they never prayed more than five minutes but also
never went more than five minutes without praying.
A person who is or seeks to be prosperous and successful  knows where to turn when
he/she needs help or direction.
 Let’s look at Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to
figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do,
everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.”
Make no mistake about it. . .God will show you the things you need to know.
 Jeremiah 33:2-3:“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty
things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize,
have knowledge of and understand).”
There are times when every prosperous and successful person needs inside
information on what to do.
 Jeremiah 33:3:“… I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could
never figure out on your own.”
You can have confidence in knowing your mentor is always willing to spend time with
you and that He will ALWAYS answer your questions and requests.
 Psalm 86:7 says:“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt
answer me.”

 Jeremiah 29:12-14 “Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to
Me, and I will hear and heed you.   Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and
require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all
your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from
captivity. . .”
That’s what I call a mentor … someone who is available 24/7.
Fourth, you must be properly trained for your assignment.
Instruction for your assignment. . .can basically come from one of four places.
First, divine direction from the Holy Spirit. . .either from His presence, through God’s Word
or from His still, small voice.
Second, reading and listening material, i.e. books, magazines, online articles, CDs and DVDs
that emulate God’s teachings.
Third, personal experience is a great trainer.
Fourth, someone who by their words and actions. . .have proven themselves to be an
effective mentor.
Now here are ten strategies for finding a mentor.
1.      What area do you need mentoring in?
2.      Create a list of possible mentors.
3.      Start with the big dog or top cat and work down.
4.      Write down everything you know about that person
5.      Research.
6.      Who do you know who knows them?
7.      Prepare to contact them.
8.      Make contact.
9.      Follow up with a thank you note.
10.     If at first you don’t succeed, try the next one.
In selecting a mentor. . .here are five things you should consider.
First, does your mentor have the proper spiritual insight to train you?
Second, has your mentor actually experienced the advice they are giving you?
Third, does your mentor have a successful track record in the area in which they’re
advising . . .be it the marketplace or ministry?
Advice that has not been tested, proven and successful is just opinion . . .an experiment …
not experience.
Someone, regardless of how good they sound . . . cannot take you where they haven’t been.
Fourth, always make sure that any advice from your mentor is legal, moral and
ethical.
Finally, no matter how qualified and successful he/she may be. . .if they’re not a
born-again, Holy Spirit filled believer, then you are unequally yoked and you need to
move on to the next person on your list.
Fifth, develop a daily divine “to do” list
The best way to implement your goals is to prepare a daily “to do” list on reflecting each of
the six major areas of your life, i.e. spiritual, family, financial, physical, mental and social.
Your daily “to do” list should be a divine reflection of the things God has called you to
accomplish with your life.
A “to do” list brings your future into your present.
You should create a realistic and functioning “to do” list that is a spiritual and practical
guide to the things that you need to accomplish.
Your divine “to do” list should include these five things keys.
First, your list should only include things that are scripturally acceptable for you to
accomplish.
Second, your “to do” list should reflect daily tasks in accomplishing your goals in the
six major areas of your life.
Third, your “to do” list should ALWAYS include tasks for your personal spiritual
growth and family development.
Fourth, your divine “to do” list should be satisfying because of the things it will allow
you to accomplish and/or eliminate from your priorities and goals.
Fifth and finally, an effective divine “to do” list should make sure that you’re doing
everything decently and in order.
Never go to bed at night before preparing your divine “to do” list for tomorrow.
It’s also important that you review your list frequently during the day and mark off tasks
that have been accomplished and add new ones as they occur to you.

Proverbs 6:4:“Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.”

The most difficult part of any assignment or journey is the first step.  Don’t let the enemy of
your success keep you from organizing your priorities and your life.

Ecclesiastes 11:4:“If you wait for perfect conditions you’ll never get anything done.”

Luke 9:62:“Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's
kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."
I strongly suggest you create an electronic “to do” list.  If you have Microsoft Word, when
you create a new document. . .you have the choice of choosing a “to do” template.  You can
either use an existing template or create one that fits your plans and personality.
Sixth, continually eliminate any unnecessary do's from your list and life.
I could summarize this trait with just one sentence.
If it’s not necessary . . . don’t do it. . .don’t even give it the time of day.
1 Corinthians 10:31:“So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do
all for the honor and glory of God.”
If what you’re doing isn’t bringing glory to God, then don’t do it.
Fulfilling your God-given goals brings Him glory.  So if there’s anything on your divine daily
“to do” list or priority list that doesn’t bring glory and honor to Him. . .then it’s just not
worth doing.
If you have questions about whether or not something should be on your “to do” or priority
list, then Ask God.
James 1:5:“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to
everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given
him.”
Since we can do nothing on our own (John 5:30 -  By myself I can do nothing; I judge only
as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.)

we must make sure we’re not led astray from His purpose and plan (Luke 21:8. He
replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming,
‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. - )
2 Corinthians 11:3:“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s
cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure
devotion to Christ.”
Do not allow the angel of light. . .to blind and led you into useless unproductive activity on a
daily basis.
I fully realize that what I’m about to say will be difficult for many people.  Never say “yes”
to anything that will interfere with fulfilling your priorities and goals. I’m not talking
about family obligations here; I’m talking about time-wasters.
There are people who will waste your time. . .and do so with no regrets.  That’s why you
must learn to say “no.”
I feel prompted to say one other thing. . .don’t tell your spouse you can’t do the grocery
shopping because it’s not on your goal list. . .that is martially stupid and spiritually
incorrect.
First, if your spouse asks you to do something to help out.  DO IT with no questions asked
as developing a dynamic marriage partnership should be one of you strongest goals for
each new year.
Seventh, never take “no” for an answer
For years, I’ve taught people in seminars around the world that “no” doesn’t always mean
“N O”. . .many times it actually means “know.”
The person to whom you’re talking doesn’t “know” enough to say yes because if they
did. . .if they fully understood what you’re asking … they would say “yes” to you.

“Don’t take no for an answer, never submit to failure. Do not be fobbed off with mere
personal success or acceptance. You will make all kinds of mistakes, but as long as
you are generous and true, and also fierce, you cannot hurt the world or even
seriously distress her.”
If you know your cause is right. . .if your efforts line up with the Word of God. . .then you
should never take no for an answer.

P R O S P E R I T Y A N D S U C C E S S C O M E O N LY F R O M G O D

Psalms 118:24-25 This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice
and be glad in it. 25 Save now, we beseech You, O Lord; send now prosperity, O Lord, we
beseech You, and give to us success! 

No one, in their right mind, deliberately wants to be a failure. Every one wants rather to
prosper and be a success.
The one thing every one must recognize is that success in only one area is not true success.

If you make a lot of money and lose your own integrity, have you truly succeeded? If you
reach all your goals and lose your family, what have you truly gained? The first step toward
prosperity and success is to recognize that it comes only from God, not us.

No one can claim to be "self-made." At the very least, there were other people along the
way who helped you achieve your goals.

How much more do we not all need the Lord to help us?

Really, if it is not God who prospers us, we are not prosperous at all. Everything we have is
His and comes from Him!

Ultimate prosperity – true success comes only when every area of your life is well and
blessed: your spirit; your soul; your body; your marriage; your family; your relationships;
your work; your finances. Ask God for your prosperity – look to the Lord for your success!

Deuteronomy 29:9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you
may deal wisely and prosper in all that you do. 

Obedience to God's will and His word are what brings ultimate success and prosperity.
God's wisdom is the source of true prosperity.

Joshua 1:6-8 Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this
people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law
which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the
left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it
day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For
then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have
good success. 

Psalms 1:1-3 , Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who
walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans
and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk,
nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. 2 But his
delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the
instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by
day and by night.

3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready
to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything
he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].
Joshua and David both learned the key to prosperity: keeping God's word in their heart and
mouth every day. They meditated in the word daily and it began to change them from the
inside out.

They became strong and bold as they received revelation from God's word. They trusted
more and more in God and His word. They did nothing without His help and guidance and
God's hand was upon them to succeed and prosper in everything that they did!

Proverbs 1:32-33 - For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the
prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell
safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. 

Prosperity destroys fools! They do not know how to handle it. They use their blessing to
destroy themselves. They become arrogant; they become wasteful; they devalue
relationships; they love money and use people; they trade in their current spouse for a new
one; they believe that they don't need anyone – even God!

Ecclesiastes 7:14 - In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity
consider that God has made the one side by side with the other, so that man may not
find out anything that shall be after him. 

Life is full of ups and downs. When you are walking in prosperity, it is important to
remember to be grateful. Never take the blessing for granted. Always appreciate what you
have right now – no matter how big or small. Tell God how much He means to you. Show
Him how much you appreciate Him and His blessing on your life.

1 Corinthians 16:2 - On the first [day] of each week, let each one of you [personally] put
aside something and save it up as he has prospered [in proportion to what he is given],
so that no collections will need to be taken after I come. 

Give according to the increase. Every week, remember to set aside something, from the
blessing and prosperity that has come in to you, to give back to God. As long as you give
back to God out of what He has given you, you will remember that it is He who gives you
the ability to get wealth and no one else

(Deut 8:18  But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to
produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is
today.) and as long as you continue to obey, serve, and acknowledge Him in your life – He
will continue to prosper and increase you.

.  Job 36:11- If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and
their years in pleasantness and joy
Luke 11:8-9 “But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep
knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your
shameless persistence.  And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you
ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be
opened to you.”
I like the phrase “shameless persistence.”  If I know what I’m doing lines up with the
Word and I feel led by God to do what I’m doing. . .there is no way that I’ll ever give
up.
Sometimes it seems the easiest thing to do is quit.  But I can tell you that you’ll never find
real peace if you throw in the towel on something you know that you are called to do.
Those who never take no for an answer. . .who persist until the mission is completed will
reap a reward. . .immediate and eternal.
Romans 2:7 “To those who by patient persistence in well-doing [springing from piety]
seek [unseen but sure] glory and honor and [the eternal blessedness of] immortality,
He will give eternal life.”

Now that’s what I call a real reward

Choosing to Prosper

You can chose to prosper. Yes, you heard us right.

Success is not accidental, but something that we intentionally set out to do.

 Choosing to Prosper
 Triumphing Over Adversity
 Breaking Out of Comfort Zones
 Achieving Your Life and Money Dreams, is to help you find the inspiration you need
to create the life you want.

To yourshares personal stories of your journey and challenges readers to take a good, hard
look at their own lives to discover what stands between them and the new career, salary
increase or business they desire.

We must learn why prosperity can mean different things for different people.

In life even the smallest action can help you take on challenges you may have otherwise
been avoiding. “
Sometimes, we let our own circumstances deter us when it’s time to pursue our goals.
‘Choosing to Prosper’ is an intentional action you take to succeed, despite what’s happening
in the world.

To be intentional about building your present successful business plan. “People told me my
business wasn’t going to work out because people in the location don’t care using laundry.

But my wife is keenly aware that location issues, intention are only part of the process.

Systemic issues can be obstacles on the path to success for even the most determined. Gaps
in wealth and wages along gender and racial lines can leave us constantly trying to catch
up. “That ties into an investment gap because if we’re not earning enough money, we don’t
have enough to invest,” she said. But but my wife says the key to overcoming those
obstacles is financial literacy and arming ourselves with knowledge we can share with
future generations.

The bright side, according to frieda (my wife), is that Black women are now out earning
previous generations, despite the current wage gap.

Black women are now in the space where we can create our own seats at the table,” she
said. And by earning more, we are in a better position to change the narrative going
forward.”

When it comes to defining prosperity, frieda (my wife).

She says it doesn’t necessarily have to be measured by your income or the size of your
home. “To me, prosperity equals peace of mind,” she said.

Money can help you get there, but there is no definite answer that you must own a
business, have property, two children and a white picket fence.”

She cautions the women she works with not to get caught up in they see on their social
media timeline. “

Because when you think about it, a lot of people are in the pursuit of all of these things, and
along the way, it’s impacting their mental health. If you’re not happy, how is that
prosperous?” she said.
Success is a highly demanding lifestyle.

This is simply a fact that one must accept if one wishes to achieve great things.

As I like to say, “success is easy – just ask any failure.”

Now, that may seem funny at first, but it’s very true nonetheless.

For most of us, work is like a never-ending river of tasks and deadlines. There is no
foreseeable end to what needs to get done in order to stay at the top of the proverbial heap.

And, for highly successful individuals, it’s true. The work at hand is limitless.

To be highly productive we must always be producing – and production requires

tremendous amounts of effort and energy.

The work is literally continuous for the motivated, goal oriented individual.

This can be a daunting reality to face. We can become wildly frustrated by the idea that we
work so hard and never seem to get to the bottom of the “to do” pile. It sometimes feels that
we are generating more heat than results.

As we chip away at the workload, item by item, new responsibilities simultaneously fall like
snow on top of a mountain of obligations and demands.

Therefore, it’s extremely common for high achievers to get fatigued, overwhelmed or burnt
out from time to time.

To help cope with this issue, one has to be certain they are taking proper care of
themselves.

Proper nutrition and sleep are at the bedrock of achieving and maintaining mental clarity.

I believe these guidelines will not only lead to greater clarity of mind but are excellent
suggestions for your health, happiness, and wellness overall.

The “winner’s mentality” requires a clear and powerful mind.

Mastery of the mind requires an understanding of how the mind is structured and how it
functions, which is at the core of what I teach in our church Make Your Own
Damand. Don’t ignore your you.
That said, for the mind to work at optimal capacity, it must be nourished and rested.
If you take good care of yourself, your ability to perform will be greatly enhanced and the
results will reflect your good habits.
What Is The Key To Success In Life?
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men

 Colossians 3:23 ;  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working
for the Lord, not for human masters,

1.Succes is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

2. Success is the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

The idea of success is generally defined above, but what it looks like differs from person to
person.

Attaining success is relative to the aim or purpose of the person striving to achieve it. For
many, success looks like gaining wealth or status. Others perceive success in investing in
people over possessions. Raising a family, caring for loved ones and serving others is a
measure of accomplishment.

There’s nothing wrong with working to achieve personal goals. Having short and long-term
aspirations is healthy.

However, for the believer, our view of success must extend beyond what we’re
looking to accomplish to why we’re looking to accomplish it.

Both Paul and John the Baptist understood this very well. John spent his life devoted to
Jesus and sharing the message of Christ with others so that they could know Him too.

He taught the repentance of sin and baptized many, but his ministry wasn’t centered
around what he did, rather Who he did it for.

Even as his popularity grew, he humbly kept his eyes on Jesus. Though many may have
thought he was the promised Savior, he continued to point to the coming of Jesus.

Paul achieved great religious status and power in his day. At one time, he considered
himself the epitome of success for all his accomplishments. But whatever he gained, he
counted it all as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus.

Knowing Christ and living to make Him known was the standard of success for John the
Baptist and Paul. It must be our standard of success too.
They also knew that not achieving this goal would be their greatest disappointment. We
must realize the same.

In a world that defines success in many ways, may our definition of

accomplishment always be rooted in Jesus.
Today, take a moment to ask God to give you the wisdom and understanding needed to
make Christ the foundation for all your plans.

Lay the aspirations of your heart before Him. After all, our significance is only found in
Jesus and a life lived for Him is the greatest success.

Colossians 3:17;  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

John 1:21-23; They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to
those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the
wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[a]

Understanding the demands of success!

The blessings of the Lord shall reach and overwhelm you in this new month! From
scriptures, we understand that we are in the last days of the Church of Christ and every
redeemed child of God is ordained for unstoppable and ever-growing success

(Isaiah 2:1-3). This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 
In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
3 
Many peoples will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the
temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his
paths.”The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

This is because, as believers, we are redeemed as cities set on hills that cannot be hidden;
thus, we are pacesetter in our fields of endeavours.

 We are the light of the world.

 That means we are assets to this world.
  We are also the salt of the earth
 We are channels of blessings and people of value to be sorted after

(Matthew 5:13-15). You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how
can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out
and trampled underfoot.
14 
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives
light to everyone in the house.

Therefore, success is our birthright and every child of God is ordained for distinction and
unusual success.

But, what is Success?

Success is not just getting results, but getting them in successions, making satisfactory
progress and experiencing a change of levels in our various pursuits. However, we must
know that just as nothing rises to the top and remains there without conquering gravity, no
one succeed without doing anything.

That is why success in life is not a promise, but a covenant and if it is a covenant, that

means until our part is adequately played, God cannot be committed to perform

 (Psalm 89:34; I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.

Deuteronomy 28:1-3  If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his
commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations
on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey
the LORD your God:
3 
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

Luke 5:1-8; One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,  the people [a]

were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the
water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their
nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to
put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and
let down the nets for a catch.”

5 
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught
anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets
began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help
them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me,
Lord; I am a sinful man!”

John 21:5-6 -  He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”“No,” they
answered.6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find
some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large
number of fish.

) 10 Things You Don’t Know Success Demands of Yo

Post by Anthony Iannarino
September 7, 2019
There are likely some things you don’t know about success. In your pursuit of success
(whatever that means to you, and however you define it) it is harmful to your effort to be
ignorant of these things.

The following list of 10 things you don’t know about success will provide you with a more
precise and more certain path to finding it.

It Makes Demands

Success is demanding. It requires that you recognize and meet those demands, many of
which you will find on this page.

It might look like some people have a level of success having met success’s requirements,
but that is an illusion.

It is not a real success, and that success will eventually be revealed to have been a facade,
and the person less successful than you imagined.

Success avoids many because they avoid its demands.

It Requires Payment in Full

Success requires payment in full and in advance. Without making the full payment, success
will avoid you and your attempts to possess it.

It also isn’t willing to allow you to possess it and then pay for it later.

All attempts to cheat success of what it demands only pushes success further away from
you.

It doesn’t acknowledge shortcuts, and it cannot be fooled into giving itself to someone who
tries to steal success by avoiding paying the price.

It Believes You Need to Grow

Success believes you are too small.

It doesn’t think you’re big enough to possess it.

Instead, it thinks you need to grow before you can possess it.

If you were capable of generating the success you want as you are right now, success would
already be yours.

Success is waiting for the future you to show up, and there is no future you if you don’t do
the hard work of transformation, shedding all the limiting beliefs and behaviors and
replacing them with better, stronger ones.

You must outgrow who you are now to become the person that comes after this one, the
person who can create that success.

It Believes You Are Not Trying Hard Enough

Success is an auditor. It measures your results as well as your effort.

Success knows you hit the snooze button three times this morning, preferring 27 more
minutes in your warm, comfortable mountain of blankets and pillows.

Success thinks you are softer than those blankets and pillows.

It is also very well aware of the time you spend on social media sites, playing video games,
or wasting time on things that have nothing to do with what you profess to want.

Success doesn’t acknowledge “wanting.” It only looks for the effort that produces results.

It Avoids You for Being Inconsistent

You did excellent work today, the kind of work that success truly appreciates. But success is
not so easily convinced by a single event, regardless of how well you performed and how
spectacular the results.

It’s looking for the disciplined action consistently exerted over time. When you finally start,
success notices.

But because you stop a day later, success turns its back on you and briskly walks away.

It has seen too many people who are motivated for a few hours, only to go back to their
non-success-producing beliefs and behaviors less than 24 hours later.

You will never have success when you are inconsistent.

It Gives Up on Those Who Give Up

Success gives up on people who give up on themselves.

If you aren’t willing to pursue what you want with an insatiable and unquenchable desire,
success isn’t willing to show itself to you.

Other people may have given up on you in the past, and some may give up on you in the
future.

Success cares nothing about their opinion. It only cares whether or not you give up on
yourself.

As long as you believe in yourself strongly enough to never give up, that is the factor
success will measure.

It Will Continually Test You

You are going to come very close to success, so close in fact, that you will believe you have
obtained it.

When you are near, success will test you. It will give you an obstacle you didn’t expect, and
one you are not prepared to overcome.

It will move the goalpost just out of your reach, testing your will, and challenging your
resolve.

Success may check you by allowing you to come close, only to let you see what it requires of
you.

It may also test you to see what level of success you want and if you are capable of
possessing it. Be sure that success will test you.
It Doesn’t Care About Your Preferences

You may have a particular set of preferences that are out of step with what success
demands.

You might believe that you should be able to have the success you want at work without
having to give yourself over to the work.

You might also think you can have success in your personal life without hustling as hard at
creating the relationships and experience you want for the people you love.

You might prefer some strategy or another because you believe it should bring you success.

Success, however, is utterly unconcerned by what you think you should have to do. It

demands you do what it commands, or it walks.

It Degrades Over Time

Success isn’t an event. It is a level of experience. It requires care and feeding and routine
maintenance.

You have no doubt seen a person capture what looks like success only to implode a short
time later.

Success requires you maintain it. It is demanding, requiring you to keep working for it,
and requiring more of you for every incremental increase.

Success Will Show You Greater Success

When you reach a certain level of success, success will show you a higher level of success.

Like climbing a mountain, the higher your vantage point, the more you can see. Because
you have grown to the point you have a certain level of success, you are now ready to
pursue an even higher level of success.

The process of obtaining success only to see something more is an upward spiral, a
virtuous cycle that allows you to continue to improve throughout your life. And since no
human being is capable of reaching their full potential, this process is one without end.

It may also help to know that your watch is not evidence of success. However, what you do
with your time may be a more accurate indicator.

 .
Again, we must understand that success carries certain demands that we must
subscribe to before our success san become a reality

(Ecclesiastes 10:3-18). Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show
everyone how stupid they are.
4 
If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great
offenses to rest.
5 
There is an evil I have seen under the sun,the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 
Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 
I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.
8 
Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a
snake.
9 
Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be
endangered by them.
10 
If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened more strength is needed, but skill will bring
success.
11 
If a snake bites before it is charmed,the charmer receives no fee.
12 
Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,but fools are consumed by their own
lips.
13 
At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness—
14 
    and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming—who can tell someone else
what will happen after them?
15 
The toil of fools wearies them;  they do not know the way to town.
16 
Woe to the land whose king was a servant[a] and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 
Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper
time—
    for strength and not for drunkenness.
18 
Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. All the successful people you admire
achieved their success by making daily choices. Some of those choices are extraordinary,
but most of them are simple habits that add up, one step, one day at a time.

Highly successful people are self-aware and take their personal development seriously.

They regularly assess their habits and strive for continuous improvement.

How often are you assessing your habits?

How often are you looking not only for ways to improve, but also to celebrate and build on
your wins to generate additional motivation, inspiration, energy and success?
If you want more success in your work and life, start by changing your day.

Take a look at one or all of the habits that might be holding you back from success.

Losing a bad habit and creating a new one is the first step to propel you forward to greater
success, impact and fulfillment.

1. Your morning unchanging is missing.

When you have so much on your plate and everything is urgent, your precious morning
moments are spent in a rush just doing whatever it takes to get out the door and on your
way.

But you’re missing one of the most important opportunities within your control to ensure
success.

You can design a morning routine unique to your life that will prime you physically and
mentally for better performance.

If you allowed even 10 to 15 more minutes to develop a routine that energized you and
brought greater focus, you would have more confidence and be more effective through the
day—instead of beginning it with a sense of overwhelm.

My routine involves a gratitude walk and a bit of reading and writing. I love getting up
before everyone else when the house is quiet.

You forget your strengths when hard things appear.

Often, when we encounter unexpected setbacks, we flounder or are paralyzed like a deer in
the headlights. But if you remind yourself every day of your strengths, it will jumpstart
your path to a solution better and faster than jumping into the spin cycle of self-doubt.

One of my favorite assessments is StrengthsFinder and I look at it every week (sometimes

even daily) to remind myself to tap into my strengths.

3. You major in the minors…

… instead of arranging the most important things that need to be accomplished each day.

This is another way of saying that you will be more productive and happier if you make
incremental changes in how you manage your time.

It could be as simple as deciding each morning the top three things that must be done each
day, or setting a timer to focus on just one thing for 60 minutes without interruptions.

4. You let energy parasites consume your time.

These “parasites” can be time-wasting tasks like checking your email too often, or they can
be people who are not key to achieving your projects and have latched onto you in
conversation because they are avoiding their own work.

With a few small steps, you can take action to manage your schedule, such as putting your
phone on “Do Not Disturb” and setting alarms to achieve your tasks.

The next three are habits born of perfectionism. As a recovering perfectionist, I am quite
familiar with these! The good news is that anyone can continue to make progress in
overcoming these bad habits:

5. You work on tasks that could be given to someone else.

You think that you can do a better job, so you just do it yourself. Or, you constantly correct
or micromanage your team, which drains their motivation and distracts you from doing
what you do best.

6. You spend too much time recovering from a stumble or setback.

Instead of quickly assessing a situation and determining a plan, you get sucked into a spin
cycle that drains your energy and focus.

You may have forgotten that every person you admire has had many failures and setbacks
—some of them are legendary.

My most successful business was down to the last N$33 in our bank account before we
finally got a yes on funding. Within a few years, we grew it to N$200 thousend in annual
revenue! You can develop habits and a mindset to find the many benefits of a setback.

7. You delay.

A lot of what our perfectionism is ties back to delay. Delay can mask a lack of confidence, or
a fear of being wrong or being criticized.

Perfectionism makes us slow to start on a new initiative, or to begin the next stage of an
existing one because we want to be sure that the strategy or plan will be flawless.

Just recognizing when perfectionism is creeping into your thinking and time management
is a big step forward.

8. You avoid difficult conversations.

Over time, I’ve realized that difficult conversations can be pivotal opportunities to gain

clarity, to listen and learn, and to end the conversation having enriched the relationship.
And I’ve learned that avoiding a difficult conversation means that we’re not identifying,
facing or solving problems that, if unaddressed, will fester and get worse.

9. You don’t say thank you.

You won’t succeed alone. Every day, there are many people on your team who deserve to
be thanked—from colleagues up and down the career ladder, to the driver and even the
barista at your coffeehouse.

And while we’re at it, smile more, too! Research shows that it positively benefits you and
those around you.

10. You forget that your inner life determines your outer success.

“The good life sometimes has little to do with outside circumstances. We are happy and
fulfilled mostly by who we are on the inside…. And our internal lives largely contribute to
producing many of our external circumstances.”

For me, an inner life begins with gratitude. Sometimes I simply write down three things I’m
thankful for in the moment (especially in the hardest of times) and it immediately changes
my perspective.

Our inner life grows by taking time to reflect on what is positive and working—and it
energizes us to repeat the process.

It forms the basis, too, for learned optimism. Anyone can learn to be more optimistic.
Winston Churchill said, “

 A worrier sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an visionary sees the opportunity in
every difficulty.”

You will be well on your way to success in work and life if you take the time to recognize
and overcome the daily bad habits that are holding you back. One of such demands in the
school of success is spiritual empowerment.

What is Spiritual Empowerment?

This is what distinguishes the Church of Christ from the common success motivation that
the world teaches.

We can record some level of success by our efforts, skills and capacity, but it would take the
power of God to preserve and expand true success.

For instance, David only became a nation hero, after he was empowered
  1Samuel 16:13, So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the
presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came
powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah. ..

 1 SAMUEL 17:34-57 ;,, But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been
keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a
sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its
mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed
it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised
Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the
living God. 37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw
of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”

38 
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze
helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking
around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them
off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put
them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the
Philistine.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to
41 

David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with
health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you
come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he
said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
45 
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and
javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies
of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and
I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the
Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that
there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or
spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our
hands.”
48 
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line
to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the
Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on
the ground.
 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in
50 

his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from
51 

the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the
men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the
entrance of Gath[a] and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the
Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the
Philistines, they plundered their camp.
54 
David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s
weapons in his own tent.
55 
As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander
of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”

Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”
56 

57 
As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought
him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

Things Successful People Never Do Again

“Never go back.” What does that mean?

From observations of successful people, of

Never Go Back: 10 Things You’ll Never Do Again,

Discovered certain “awakenings” that people have—in life and in business—that once they
have them, they never go back to the old way of doing things. And when that happens, they
are never the same. In short, they got it.

“Years ago, a bad business decision of mine led to an interesting discussion with my
mentor,” “I had learned a valuable lesson the hard way, and he comforted me: ‘The good
thing is once you learn that lesson, you never go back. You never do it again.’
“I wondered, what are the key awakenings that successful people go through that forever
change how they do things, which propel them to succeed in business, relationships, and
life? I began to study these awakenings, researching them over the years.”

Although life and business have many lessons to teach us,

Observe 10 “entrances” of learning that high performers go through, never to return again.

1. Return to what hasn’t worked.

Whether a job, or a broken relationship that was ended for a good reason, we should never
go back to the same thing, expecting different results, without something being different.

2. Do anything that requires them to be someone they are not.

In everything we do, we have to ask ourselves,

 Why am I doing this?

 Am I suited for it?
 Does it fit me?
 Is it sustainable?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, you better have a very good reason to
proceed.

3. Try to change another person.

When you realize that you cannot force someone into doing something, you give him or her
freedom and allow them to experience the consequences. In doing so, you find your own
freedom as well.

4. Believe they can please everyone.

Once you get that it truly is impossible to please everyone, you begin to live purposefully,
trying to please the right people.

5. Choose short-term comfort over long-term benefit.

Once successful people know they want something that requires a painful, time-limited
step, they do not mind the painful step because it gets them to a long-term benefit.

Living out this principle is one of the most fundamental differences between successful and
unsuccessful people, both personally and professionally.

6. Trust someone or something that appears flawless.

It’s natural for us to be drawn to things and people that appear “incredible.” We love
excellence and should always be looking for it.

We should pursue people who are great at what they do, employees who are high
performers, dates who are exceptional people, friends who have stellar character and
companies that excel.

But when someone or something looks too good to be true, he, she or it is. The world is
imperfect. Period.

No one and no thing is without flaw, and if they appear that way, hit pause.

7. Take their eyes off the big picture.

We function better emotionally and perform better in our lives when we can see the big
picture. For successful people, no one event is ever the whole story. Winners remember
that—each and every day.

8. Neglect to do unpaid production.

No matter how good something looks on the outside, it is only by taking a deeper, diligent
and honest look that we will find out what we truly need to know: the reality that we owe
ourselves.

9. Fail to ask why they are where they find themselves.

One of the biggest differences between successful people and others is that in love and in
life, in relationships and in business, successful people always ask themselves,

What part am I playing in this situation?

Said another way, they do not see themselves as victims, even when they are.

10. Forget that their internal life determines their external success.

The good life sometimes has little to do with outside circumstances. We are happy and
fulfilled mostly by who we are on the inside.

Research validates that. And our internal lives largely contribute to producing many of our
external circumstances.

And, the converse is true: People who are still trying to find success in various areas of life
can almost always point to one or more of these patterns as a reason they are repeating the
same mistakes.
Everyone makes mistakes… even the most successful people out there. But, what achievers
do better than others is recognize the patterns that are causing those mistakes and never
repeat them again. In short, they learn from pain—their own and the pain of others.

A good thing to remember is this: Pain is unavoidable, but repeating the same pain twice,
when we could choose to learn and do something different, is certainly avoidable.

I like to say, “We don’t need new ways to fail… the old ones are working just fine!” Our task,
in business and in life, is to observe what they are, and never go back to doing them again

Spiritual Steps to Being Successful

What is success?

 For some, success means owning a big house, driving a fancy car and going on
colorful vacations.
 For some, success may look like having inner peace, an abundance of love and
happiness, and living a life of integrity.
 And for others, success can be a combination of both! In any case, success is
whatever you make it mean.

Here are the six steps to being successful.

1. Deepen your spiritual connection. Success begins with you.

 Strengthening your connection with your Source, (God, Universe, Spirit) is

the most important step to knowing who you are at the core.

 When you know who you are, you can be who you are. And when you can be
who you are, without fear, then anything and everything is possible.
2. Take full ownership of who you are.

 Taking ownership means not making excuses, not blaming others, and not
using your past or circumstances as reasons why you can’t be successful.

 When you know who you are and can still love all of you, both your light and
darkness, you can own who you are.
 Taking ownership and being responsible for what you think, what you say,
and what you do is crucial to truly being successful. Remember success starts
and begins with you.
3. Understanding that your purpose is who you are, not what you do.

 People often ask me, “How do I find my purpose?”

 Here is my answer. Your purpose is not hiding under a rock.

 You don’t need to search for it because it has always been with you.

 You were born with a specific purpose the day you were created.

 I have found that I am the most alive when I am helping others deepen their
awareness about themselves.

If you are on the quest to “finding” your purpose, think of your most recent memory
where you felt the most alive and happy.

 What were you doing?

 Who were you being?

Begin with the understanding that your purpose is a state of being.

4. Commit to realizing, redefining, and realigning your vision.

 Your vision can be as big or small as you want it to be.

 The important thing here is to have your vision and purpose be aligned.
 Once you uncover your purpose and who you are being in the world, the next
step would be to ask yourself, “Well, if this is who I am in the world, then
what would I be doing?
 Your vision is the reason you wake up every day. It’s what I like to call your
“big juicy goal.”
 What’s the legacy that you want to leave behind?
5. Being a conscious creator.

 To be a conscious creator of your world means you need to be taking

committed action.
 It means that you are awake in your life, aware of your purpose, and
your vision and are willing to do whatever it takes to have the life that you
want.
  Josua says, “Action is the answer to despair.” So true.
 If you are feeling stuck in an area of your life, GET MOVING and take action.
 If you aren’t happy with a situation in your life then DO SOMETHING about it.
6. Be responsible for the energy in your space.

 Everything is energy. Money, love, fear, God, the Universe, your thoughts,
words, and actions- all of it is energy.
 I once sent  a message my wife that is now hanging in her office that read,
“Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”
 This simple piece of wisdom can be life changing if you apply it to not only to
the energy that you are allowing in, but also to the energy that you are
putting out into the money .
 Notice how you are showing up in your life.
 What kind of thoughts do you wake up with?
 When something goes unexpected do you usually blame yourself or someone
else?

Remember that your thoughts, words, and actions, when united, will produce unbelievable
success in your life.

 Being the S.O.U.R.C.E. of Your Success is liberating.

 To simply know that you have the power within you to be, do, and create anything
in your life, is giving yourself permission to be the bright, radiant, wonderful divine
soul you were meant to be.

Why do we need Spiritual Empowerment?

It is the gateway to supernatural exploits: Jesus was born of the Holy Ghost; yet, had no
expression until He returned in the power of the Spirit.

How must more we, who are born of human spirit?

When Jesus returned, the Bible says, His fame went round about all the region. What this
means is that until we are empowered, our mission cannot find expression
  (Matthew 4:24, . News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to
him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the
demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed
them.

 Matthew 9:31;  But they went out and spread the news about him all over that
region...

To be in command of what others need: We are in the era of global impact and exploits, and
God’s children are ordained to be in command.

Furthermore, the saints are not only influencing the church, but also impacting the world
around them

(Joel 2:23-32; Be glad, people of Zion,

    rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains  because he is
faithful He sends you abundant showers,both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 
The threshing floors will be filled with grain;  the vats will overflow with new
wine and oil.
25 
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young
locust,  the other locusts and the locust swarm[a]—my great army that I sent among
you.
26 
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of
the LORD your God,  who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be
shamed.
27 
Then you will know that I am in Israel,  that I am the LORD your God, and that there is
no other; never again will my people be shamed.
28 
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will
prophesy,your old men will dream dreams,  your young men will see visions.
29 
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 
I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of
smoke.
31 
The sun will be turned to darkness  and the moon to blood before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the LORD.

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;for on Mount Zion and
32 

in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors
whom the LORD calls.[b]
Matthew 5:13-15). You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how
can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out
and trampled underfoot.
14 
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives
light to everyone in the house.

The adversaries will only bow to power, not to grammar, skill or efforts: God has ordained
us for exploits and success, but we have to be empowered to contend with the devil and
take possession of what rightfully belongs to us.

Otherwise, though God has given it to us, we would not posses it

 (Luke 9:1; When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and
authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases

 1Corinthians 16:9;  because a great door for effective work has opened to
me, and there are many who oppose me.

 Deuteronomy 2:24; Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given
into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to
take possession of it and engage him in battle.

Zechariah 1:17-21). Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘My towns
will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and
choose Jerusalem.’”
18 
Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. 19 I asked the angel who was
speaking to me, “What are these?”

He answered me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are these coming to do?”
20 

He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their
head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the
nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”[a]

That is why spiritual empowerment has no substitute.

However, we must understand that no one ever gets empowered without a thirst or
desperation.

For the Bible says, God will only pure water upon him that is thirsty. Again, we understand
that prayer and fasting, among others, are platforms for spiritual empowerment.

For instance, Jesus prayed and fasted, and He returned in the power of the Spirit.
Thereafter, His fame went through the regions round about. In other words, until Jesus was
empowered, His destiny remained hidden.

Therefore, we must desperately seek for empowerment for our next levels

 (Luke 4:14; Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about
him spread through the whole countryside.

 Isaiah 41:17; . The poor and needy search for water,  but there is none; their
tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them;  I, the God of
Israel, will not forsake them..

 Isaih 4: 3-4). Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called
holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash
away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from
Jerusalem by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit[b] of fire. 

Friend, empowerment is the birthright of every believer. However, until you confess your
sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, empowerment will remain a daydream.

If you want to accept Jesus Christ, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today.
I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious blood. Today, I
accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am
born again!”

,we understand that every blessing of God comes via a process.

You need spiritual capacity to take full charge of your life physically.

Spiritual resistance is what determines your level of your possession on the earth.

You are limited as your spiritual capacity. It is your spirituality that set limit to your
breakthrough.

The demand of discipline

The fulfilment of every destiny is at the mercy of discipline. Life without discipline is life
without order. Without discipline, destiny will end in destruction.

Without discipline, there no future no matter how bright your future may look like. Great
men trade with discipline to acquire greatness.

What is discipline?

Discipline is self denial. It is ability to deny yourself. You may call it self control.

To every mobility, there is what we call brake.

No matter how great a vehicle is,if it does not have a brake,it will soon crash. Without
brake,there will be breakdown of destiny.
No one will ever enter a vehicle that has no brake. So,no matter how great a destiny is,if it
has no control or discipline, it will soon crash

What is discipline?

It is the ability to manage yourself, ability to set limit over your life; the things you must
never do in your life.

Discipline is doing what is right against what you like.

There are people that say,i can do what I like but I tell you, you may end up where you
don't like.

Those who do what they like may end up where they don't like.
Discipline means doing what is right even when you don't like it.

You may not like to wake up early in the morning because you want to sleep more but
discipline says wake up if you want to be great.

What is discipline?

Discipline is responding to life as demanded not as convenient.

Convenience is burial grave of giants. Nothing good ever happened in the time of
convenience.

Every great success is achieved in a moment of inconvenient. You need to inconvenient

yourself to succeed.

Discipline is the ability to say No.

One thing that most people find difficult to do is to say No.

Most people are yes yes.
Will you follow me,yes,
will you eat, yes.
Will you marry me,yes,everything yes.

He doesn't know how to say No.

THOSE WHO DONT KNOW HOW TO SAY NO CAN NEVER BE KNOWN.

You must grow to a point where you are not easily influence by circumstances and people
around you.
The ability to resist influences of people around you is discipline.
If you don't know how to say No,you are the most indiscipline, you are the most immature.

Those who keep bending will soon end blending and when you blend,you lose your
identity. Don't bend again,stand as a woman and a man of your own.
That is discipline
You will never become a man or woman of relevance bending and blending. You must
stand alone to become outstanding

What is discipline? It is possessing a sense of mission in the pursuit of any task.

You need to be a man of mission,a man of purpose.

1 Corth.9 :16; For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is
laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
So,discipline is doing the necessary not just doing anything.
In verse 27;But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Discipline means subjecting yourself to the demand of your task.

Discipline means becoming a law to yourself in a bid to acquire a desire goal.

No one will ever be more successful than he is disciplined.

Joseph became prime minister through discipline, he refused to sleep with Portiphar's wife.
Discipline means refusing to do what is wrong.

what are the area of indiscipline?

SLEEP : Oversleep. I have never see any one who matter sleeping all through the night.

THOSE WHO SLEEP ALL NIGHT ARE PREPARED FOR FAILURE ALL DAY.

Serious minded people don't sleep all night. They either sleep late in the night or wake up
in the middle of the night or wake up very early in the morning to arrange their life.
THINGS WILL SLEEP OUT OF YOUR LIFE IF YOU KEEP SLEEPING.

Opportunities will sleep out of your hands if you keep sleeping.

Prov.6:6-10; 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.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

There is no award in sleeping. Mature people stay awake to their task. Most people who
matter in life have moderated sleep. You cannot be sleeping and become great.

Prov. 19:15. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.

IF YOUR HANDS ARE NOT DIRTY AT DAY TIME THERE WILL BE NO GOOD FOR YOU
TO EAT AT THE NIGHT.

PLEASURE (SPENDING) :

A lot are indiscipline in spending,they don't have budget.

They buy by impulse. The things they don't need they buy in other to catch up with the
fashion of the age..

Prov.21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil
will never be rich.

PROV 21;20. The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

If you are a spender and not an investor,you are a waster. There is no glory in spending.

Many even buy dresses, jewelries they have not fully paid for. If you have not paid, is not
bangle it is handcuff, it is not necklace, it is a shackle on your neck.
Somebody has said ; People are very funny,they borrow the money they don't have to buy
what they don't need to impress people that don't like them.

Don't spend your money any how, set a limit, make a budget.
God doesn't bless because of your giving alone, God blesses because of your discipline. Your
hands are leaking that is why God doesn't bless you.

EYES:

Prov 27:20; Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

You need to set control over your eyes. The things you watch,things you look at.
There a lot of dangerous channels on tv,your children are watching bad things and you
can't stop them,you are setting a trap on your destiny.

You are looking at a woman who is not your wife carelessly that is why God bless you with
eye lid so that you can close your eyes at anytime.
It is not everything you can afford to look at. There are dangerous things you cannot afford
to look at,if you look at them,you will get trapped.
Most people fall into fornication and adultery today with their eyes looking at a woman
beyond necessary.

There is nothing you see in another woman that is not in your wife and there is nothing you
see in another man that is not in your woman.
Is all biological issue.
Control your eyes to control your destiny.

If you are seeing something that is tempting your eye,close your eyes. When Samson
refused to close his eyes,they plucked out his eyes.
It is better to close your eyes than to have your eyes plucked out.

Don't look at a car that is not your own Anything you don't have now,you don't need it now.

How do you live a discipline life?

BE FOCUSED : Be purposeful. Dan 1:8. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the
royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself
this way. 

Be a man of purpose. Prov. 4:25. Let your eyes look straight ahead;  fix your gaze
directly before you.
Be a straight looking man and woman. Matt 6:22. The eye is the lamp of the body. If
your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body will be full of light.

CHOOSE YOUR COMPANY :

Choose the people you relate with. Dan 1:8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself
with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile
himself this way

,20.  In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned
them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his
whole kingdom.

Daniel had a company of shadrach and Co to be successful.

Dan.2:49.  Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained
at the royal court

Keep a healthy company. Prov.13:20. Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Success Demands Sacrifice

Unless you're born lucky or a prince, the road to success is filled with many obstacles.
Success doesn't come overnight.
Look at any successful person in this world, you'll see they all have worked hard.
They have failed at times. But they did not give up.
Not only does success require focus, continuity and patience, it also demands sacrifice.

Let's define success

Before we examine into the discussion, let's try to understand the meaning of success.
The meaning of success differs from person to person.
Some common examples include being wealthy, winning a title and running a profitable
business.
A common definition of success is being rich and famous.
At least, this is what most of people think. If someone is rich and famous, we say, he or she
is successful.
We usually forget what it took for the successful people to be where they are.

 What is your definition of success?

 Is it being rich and famous?
 Is it running a successful company?
 Is it having six-pack abs?
 Is it helping poor people and serving the community?
 Or is it just being happy?
You must find what your meaning of success is.

Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence but we forget how much effort the
neighbors have put in.

Forget security and comfort

 Are you ready to sacrifice your sleep?

 Are you willing to cut down on your entertainment? Success may just demand
that.
 Are you willing to give up the security and comfort of a paycheck?

I meet so many to-be-entrepreneurs with good jobs and have an idea but don't want to give
up their salary and expect their startup to become an overnight success.

“It took me a while to realize I have to give up my high salary to focus on my startup”

Here is a perfect example from my own life. I have two friends. Both working as consultants
were making more than N$250K a year salary.
One quit his job and started his own company. After struggling for the first couple of years,
today he runs a N$20 million company.
My other friend did not want to take a risk and tried part-time without leaving his job and
he is still working as a consultant.
Personally, it took me a while to realize I need to give up my salary and focus on my
startup.
It is very difficult.
You may need to give up your income and focus on your startup. Focus is the key to
success.

Can't have social life

If you want to be successful, you may not have time to hang out with friends and socialize.
You might need to end some of your close friendships. You may not have a social life at all.
Let's say, you have a startup. Your startup is like your baby now. Your baby needs full-time
attention. If you're not dedicated and focused, your startup will not go far.

Must control your desires

Everyone has a different definition of success.

 For some, success means being rich.
 For some, success means being popular and
 for some it may just be getting in shape.
At the end of the day, it comes to your passion and your desires. Are you passionate
enough to overcome your desires?

Engaging the Demand of Discipline for Success!

We recognise from scriptures that every child of God is redeemed to be a success.

Also, God has made a Master Plan of success for us in all aspects of life.

(Jeremiah 29:11). This is why the Bible says: I know the thoughts that I think toward
you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end

However, like any other scriptural promises, there are always conditions that enable us to
inherit what God has provided for us in redemption.
In order words, there is always what to do to get what we want. Jesus’ mother validated
this during the wedding in Cana when she told the servants:
John 2:5).…whatsoever he saith unto you, do it

As we all know, success always comes with a price.

This is why we can never find a successful believer who did not pay the price for success.
Let us recognise also that God’s success plan is not a promise, but a covenant; therefore,
until our part is adequately played, God is not committed to deliver.
Therefore, we must be conscious of our responsibility in the covenant of success.
For instance, we understand from scriptures that when we diligently hearken to Biblical
instructions and observe to do all that God commands, supernatural breakthrough is
usually the outcome.
When the covenant is broken, breakthrough becomes impossible

(Deuteronomy 28:1-2). If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his
commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations
on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey
the LORD your God:
However, there are certain demands that qualify us for our birthright of success, and one
of such is discipline.
BUT, WHAT IS DISCIPLINE?
Discipline is simply operating as demanded not as convenient.
No one ever gets distinguished in any field of human endeavour without the virtue of
discipline.
In actual fact, it is discipline that begets distinction. If we must be distinguished, then we
must be disciplined.
We must recognise that discipline is not a gift, but a lifestyle of choice we design and
submit to.
This is because no one will ever be more distinguished in his pursuit, than he is disciplined.
Moreover, nothing triggers the potential within us like self-discipline

(Genesis 39:9,  No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld
nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a
wicked thing and sin against God?”

GENESIS 41:15-44;  Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret
it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he
16 

desires.”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the
17 

Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed
among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and
lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate
up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could
tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

“In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single
22 

stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by
the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this
to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has
25 

revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years,
and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The
seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven
worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
28 
“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to
do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but
seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be
forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be
remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the
dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by
God, and God will do it soon.

“And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of
33 

the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of
the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the
food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of
Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the
country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that
the country may not be ruined by the famine.”
37 
The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them,
“Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God[a]?”
39 
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no
one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my
people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater
than you.”
41 
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of
Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s
finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He
had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,[b] and people shouted before him,
“Make way[c]!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift
44 

hand or foot in all Egypt.”

Daniel 1:8, 17-20, To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of
all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams
of all kinds.

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official
18 

presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none
equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In
every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he
found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole
kingdom.

DANIEL 6:10-28;  Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he
went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three
times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he
had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and
asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree:
“Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any
god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and
Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no
13 

attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three
times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined
to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your
15 

Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the
king issues can be changed.”
16 
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’
den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
17 
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with
his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not
be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without
eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he
came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the
living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the
lions?”
21 
Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the
mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his
sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel
23 

was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and
24 

thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they
reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 
Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the
earth:“May you prosper greatly!
26 
“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the
God of Daniel.“For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be
destroyed,his dominion will never end.
 He rescues and he saves;he performs signs and wonders  in the heavens and on the
27 

earth.He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

28 
So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus [a] the Persian.

Discipline is obviously a fundamental requirement for exploits and the following

scriptural examples validate this claim:

Joseph: He was a highly disciplined man and he demonstrated this when he refused to
yield to the demands of his master’s wife.
He said: How can I do this wicked thing and sin against God?
As a result, he became a distinguished man of exploits. For instance, he became the
breadwinner of nations and the core preserver of Israel.
There were no legitimate charges against him, thus he could be trusted with the entire
estate of Potiphar, his master

(Genesis 39:9,  No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld
nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a
wicked thing and sin against God?”
21- the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes
of the prison warden.

GENESIS41:15-16, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret
it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he
16 

desires.”

GENESIS 38-44). So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is
the spirit of God[a]?”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so
39 

discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to
submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph in Charge of Egypt

 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of
41 

Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s
finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He
had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,[b] and people shouted before him,
“Make way[c]!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44 
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift
hand or foot in all Egypt.”

Daniel: According to Bible history, Daniel determined not to defile himself with the
sumptuous delicacies on the king’s table. Thus, he prospered in leadership for 65 years and
he remained a revered consultant to every subsequent leader of that nation (Daniel 1:8).

Nehemiah: He was a man sold-out to his task and the well-being of the people of God. As
an exemplary leader, he led a revolutionary army that embarked on the rebuilding of the
walls of Jerusalem.
As a result, he was promoted from a cupbearer to the governor of the nation. We must,
therefore, note that our dignity is a function of our discipline

(Nehemiah 1:1-10, The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in
the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers,
came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish
remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in
3 

great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have
been burned with fire.”
4 
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and
fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:

“LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of
love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive
and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and
night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including
myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very
wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave
your servant Moses.
8 
“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful,
I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands,
then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from
there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great
10 

strength and your mighty hand.

NEHEMIAH 4:15-16,).  When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and
that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
16 
From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped
with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the
people of Judah

Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes;
23 

each had his weapon, even when he went for water

1 Corinthians 10: Paul the Apostle: He determined to subscribe to what was profitable.
He said: All things are allowed unto me, but all things are not beneficial:

1 Corinthians 6:12 all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the
power of any

Acts 14:11). It was said of him, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men.”

ACT19:14-15 .. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the
evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”

Therefore, discipline enhances our productivity and it is the highway to distinction in the
pursuit of any task

1Corinthians 9:24-26).  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only
one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in
the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we
do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone
running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
Remember, it is our task that determines the kind of approach we put into it. For instance,
Nehemiah and the people never took off their clothes except for washing. Nehemiah 4:23

They were on duty as demanded by that task. Also, Daniel and his companions purposed in
their hearts not to defile themselves with the king’s rich food. Therefore, we cannot make
the most of any task that does not make specific demands on our lives (; Daniel 1:8).
We need to understand that highly disciplined people are “sweatlessly” distinguished.
Therefore, the more disciplined we are, the more distinguished we become. From these
scriptural examples, it is abundantly clear that it takes discipline to pay the extra price for
extraordinary accomplishments in the race of life and be distinguished.

In conclusion, there is no aspect in life where indiscipline pays, whether in       ministry,

industry or politics. This is because, without discipline, life slips off, opportunities are lost
and destinies are destroyed. You shall not end as a victim.

Success Demands General Sacrifice.

What Are You Willing to Give Up?

It's easy to sacrifice everything for that goal. But you need to be smart and deliberate about
what you're sacrificing.

Most of us have figured out that building a successful business requires some sacrifice.

In fact, anything you want to be successful at — whether it's mastering a sport, learning a
new skill, getting in shape or having an awesome relationship — requires some kind of
sacrifice.

The key is to make sure that you're not making dumb sacrifices for your success, but smart
ones.

Running just about any business, especially in the beginning, demands a lot of time
and energy.

It involves taking some risk and, for most of us, a heck of a lot of personal and professional
growth.

You quickly learn that you have to give up something to give your business what it
demands from you if you want to succeed.

And that's where the sacrifice comes in.

it's easy to sacrifice everything for that goal without hardly noticing. You get so covered up
in your vision and making it a reality that you sacrifice many of the things that are really
important in life.
Unfortunately, I've seen way too many people who have sacrificed everything, achieved
great success and then are totally miserable. To me, that's not true success.

You need to choose the sacrifices you make consciously.

Of course, it's great if you can do this from the start. But even if you've been an
entrepreneur for periods, I invite to check yourself out to see if the sacrifices you're making
today are dumb or smart.

Start with your values

Ignore your business for a moment and think about everything else you really value in life.

These are the things that give your life meaning, that make it all worthwhile. At the end of
the day, if you lost these things, you would be filled with regret (one of the absolute worst
emotions to feel).

 It might be your health, your family,

 your ethics, your spirituality
 your contribution to your community.
 It might be listening to great music or appreciating amazing art.
 It might be your connections with friends or staying politically active

Honestly, unless we've really stayed tuned in to our values, most of us end up scoring
somewhere in the middle or on the lower end of the scale.

Time and energy

Did you steal that extra time you need for your business from something that is really
important to you?

And don't kid yourself that you'll devote more time and energy to those things when you
become successful. Some things you truly value, like your kids or your health, may not be
around by then.

So, if you aren't spending enough time and energy on what you value, where could you get
it?

Personally, I figured out I could get up an hour earlier to get my exercise in. My family is
also a priority, so I end my day by 5 p.m. every evening so I can make dinner for them.

To be able to do that, I have to make sure that I am user-efficient and productive during the
day.
A trainer I know travels a lot. So, when he is home, he gets up and makes breakfast for his
kids, drives them to school and picks them up in the afternoon.

He only works while they're in school and is totally focused on them when they come
home. Because of that, his kids don't resent the time that he'sACRIFICE

Preplan your sacrifice

WHAT IS SACRIFICE?

* It is the act of giving up a thing for something we believe is worth more: when this is
done, the reward of sacrifice attends to us.

* It is surrendering something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable:

For instance, we understand from from scriptures that David offered a sacrifice unto God
and the plague in the land ceased.

Also, King Solomon offered hundreds of oxen as sacrifice to God and in return, God gave
him wisdom and he became wiser than all men in his days

(2 Samuel 24:24-25;  But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I
will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels [a] of silver for
them. 25 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and
fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the
plague on Israel was stopped.

1 Kings 3:4-5). The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most
important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that
altar. 5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God
said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

* Sacrifice is also denying ourselves of certain comfort and pleasure, for the success of an
assignment or a goal

(Matthew 16:24). Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple

must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
* Furthermore, it is going beyond one’s best to achieve a given task: We must understand
that doing our best in the pursuit of a particular goal is diligence; but going beyond our best
is sacrifice.

This is because there is nothing extraordinary on its own; it is man’s extraordinary input
that makes it so

(2Corinthians 6:3-10). We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our

ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in
every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings,
imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity,
understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in
truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right
hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report;
genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet
we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet
making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

The key is to preplan your sacrifices rather than sacrifice parts of your life by default.

Look at your normal schedule and think about where you could find the extra time and
energy for your business, without sacrificing the things you value most in life.

 Maybe you decide to stay up later after the kids are in bed to get work done.
 Maybe you stop binge-watching on Hulu so you could get to the gym.
 Maybe you give up that second round of golf each week to spend more time with
your spouse.
 Maybe you leave the office for a couple of hours to catch your kid's soccer game and
come back later.
 Maybe you sacrifice some money to get extra help in for the business.
 Maybe you stop micro-managing everything in your business and actually delegate
more responsibility to others.

We all have areas in where we spend our time that we can tweak. You just have to decide
what's right for you.

You'll always have to sacrifice something to build a business or accomplish anything

extraordinary in life. But giving up what you value most is not a good trade-off.

Make sure you're making smart sacrifices by giving up what doesn't matter for things that
do
Success Needs Skills

Being an effective communicator is not just about how articulate you are, though that's
important - it's also about how well you connect with people and the relationships you can
form.

Fortunately, "being good with people" is a skill you can learn (and need to learn) if you
want to be successful.

One of the most important skills you can learn to be successful as an entrepreneur is how
to be a "people person."

You cannot become massively successful all on your own, even if you consider yourself
a solopreneur.

You need the support of the right mentors, clients, customers, personnel, contractors,
family and friends to succeed.

You need to be able to inspire and persuade the people around you, and communicate your
passion and vision.

Being an effective communicator is not just about how articulate you are, though that’s
important — it’s also about how well you connect with people and the relationships you
can form.

I’m fortunate because I’ve always loved people and loved working with them. But I know
being a people person is not natural to many entrepreneurs, and attracting the right people
may not come easy either. Fortunately, “being good with people” is a skill you can learn
(and need to learn) if you want to be successful. Here are some people skills you might
want to improve:

Effective listening

As entrepreneurs, we’re often so filled with our own ideas, goals, visions and excitement
that we end up talking a lot more than listening. But "Nobody learned anything by hearing
themselves speak.”

When we truly listen, we gain new perspectives from others who’ve had different life
experiences and see the world differently than we do.
We need to listen to truly hear as opposed to listen to respond. Listening to customers or
our customer service representatives can give us insight into what’s working and what’s
not.

Listening to our employees or contractors can help us improve our systems and tweak our
strategies.

People who are not great listeners often focus their attention on forming the response they
plan to make, rather than focusing on what the other person is trying to say.

 Great listeners focus on trying to fully understand the message. They ask questions
rather than immediately giving their reaction to what was said.
 They let the other person fully express whatever they’re saying rather than cutting
them off.
 They don’t multitask while someone is speaking, and instead show sincere interest
in what the other person is saying.

This kind of listening takes a little time and patience, but it’s well worth it.

Assume the best

In school settings and work settings, the research consistently finds that if you have low
expectations of someone — assuming that they’re not smart, insincere or incompetent —
they will perform poorly.

But if you have high expectations, they will typically perform much better, even if they have
the same aptitude as those who performed poorly.

 By assuming the best in them, your employees and contractors will be motivated to
work their best.
 When you assume your customers will love what you have to offer, they tend to feel
more positive about it.
 If you assume that a client or employee is sincere when they present a problem, it so
much easier to find a resolution than it is if you assume they’re just whining.
 Assuming the best of people is the highest form of respect, and everyone wants to
feel respected.

These skills apply to everyone around you: your children, your spouse, your investors, your
customers and the team you work with.
Practice using them in all areas of your life and you’ll find that everyone around you will be
eager to support you on your road to massive success.

Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset

The world is always rich in opportunities, but only for those who can see and seize them.

.
Succeeding requires that we engage in the process of our own personal growth.

It can be incredibly hard to remain forever open to being wrong and changing direction.

It is natural to become overly attached to what we think works and to what is familiar.

To develop a growth mindset, we must train ourselves not to view "deficit" as a deficiency
in our ability, but rather, as a deficiency in our own learning or experience.

Since, we are all capable of learning and experiencing, these two constructs can be easily
fulfilled.

The only way we can stop succeeding is if we choose to close our minds to change, to
learning and to further developing the depth of our knowledge and insight.

1. Continual learning

We must not look for others to approve, we must look to others to help us improve.

If we avoid facing obstacles, we cannot maximize upon our current gifts and talents or
develop new skills.

Challenge always provides us an opportunity to learn. The more we learn, the more
knowledge we develop, the more skill we acquire and the more value we offer to our
employees, friends and family. This willingness to expand and grow places us in an upward
spiral of increasing our income and our emotional well-being.

Continuous learning means we're keeping the "raw material pile" of our brain freshly
stocked, enabling us to come up with new and better ideas, which every business needs.

New ideas and solutions are one of the primary ways to add value to our job, and increase
our success.
2. Determination

Feelings of frustration can single-handedly drive us to quit long before we should.

We cannot forget that we are designed to thrive.

We must train ourselves not to focus on what happens to us, but to focus on what is
happening for us.

We must discipline ourselves to look at what our challenges add to us, rather than on what
they take away.

Because we are built to accommodate an adapt, there is no obstacle too great for us to
overcome.

We must learn to turn our obstacles upside down by acting with a reverse clause, so there
is always a way out or another route to get to where we need to go.

This help us not to view setbacks as permanent situations set to impede our progress.
When we believe setbacks are temporary we can use them to strengthen and empower us.

3. Embrace challenge

Challenge is going to come. In fact, challenge is an integral part of any worthwhile

endeavor.

We must learn to embrace it. It is always during our more painful times that we develop the
depth of our character.

Meeting our challenges head-on builds our resiliency to face even greater challenges to
come in our future.

Confronting our challenges makes for a smaller ego and brings the humility of realizing
there are some things we still need to learn.

When we take action in the face of challenge, we develop a sense of personal responsibility,
instead of looking to others as a source of blame or help.

The confidence and pride of accomplishing difficult tasks frees up our mind and spirit to be
kind, thoughtful, and generous to others, letting compassion rule.

4. Embrace failure

We cannot avoid failure and view this as success. Failure is truly a matter of perspective.
It is almost impossible to go through life without experiencing some kind of failure.

For this reason, there is no benefit in living a cautious or paranoid life. Doors are going to
open and doors are going to close, and we will all likely make some extremely poor
decisions.

But, we must think of all the opportunities we would miss if we allow our fears to stop us.

Failure is a master teacher. It teaches us things about ourselves we could have never
learned otherwise.

Often, our most usable, practical and valuable insights come only after a failure.

Accepting and learning from those insights is the key to our success.

5. Open to feedback

The more open we are to receiving feedback, the more we increase our chances at success.

Effective and timely feedback is a critical component of our success, and should be used in
conjunction with setting goals. Effective feedback illuminates our progress.

This type of feedback helps us determine where we need to improve and the areas where
we are doing great.

There is nothing more helpful than understanding what is working for us and what isn't.

The sole purpose of receiving feedback is to help us improve our performance. How can
this not be positive?

When we refuse to receive feedback, we are stubbornly communicating we are not open or
willing to change, be wrong or grow.

We cannot put off this vibe and become the success we desire to be.

6. Celebrate others

To make the climb to success an enjoyable one, we cannot live jealous and intimidated by
others.
We must commit to being genuinely happy for the success others have achieved.
It is only in committing to this that we cure the envy which can too easily sabotage our own
success.
There is nothing appealing about a "hater."
How we handle other people's success, especially when things may not be going so well for
us, is an indicator of our own maturity and belief about ourselves.
We must seize every chance presented to us to sincerely congratulate others. This helps
create an atmosphere for others to want to celebrate our successes with us as we reach
them.
The next time someone we know receives great news, don't hate -- celebrate with them.
Remember, we reap what we sow.
We only set ourselves up for more joy in our own lives as we celebrate the successes of
others.

How to climbing the ladder, of successful leaders

 How to people to climb the ladder?

 What are the authorities and convictions?

00:20
16:27

If you want to be on top , you’ve got to climb that ladder.

No one’s going to just take you from the bottom rung and say, ‘Hey, you should be CEO.’

So you’ve got to do that climb. And if you’re going to do it, then you need to be intentional
about it.

I think there are three ways of climbing a ladder.

1. The first and most obvious is to push everybody else off the ladder as you
climb.

 Now you might say, ‘Oh, nobody does that in this day and age,’ and I’d say just look
at the world around you. People do this. And it still works in some places.
 The problem with pushing everybody off the ladder is that you create a team of
people who have a powerful encouragement to pull you down at any opportunity if
they possibly can.

2. The second way of climbing the ladder is to just use your strength to get there.

 You’ve got skills — that’s why you’re in the role — so you just keep climbing.
 You do your thing.
  You’re not pushing other people off the ladder, but you’re ignoring them.
 You’re getting there, you hope, simply on the strength of your capabilities.
 The downside of that is that you really don’t create a team of people who want to
force you to the top.
 They have no vested interest in your success.

3. The third is to lift as you climb, to work with people,

 to realize that there’s space on the ladder
 to take people with you,
 to reach a helping hand where possible.

 I’m not talking about running a charitable organization — we’re running a money-
making, high-performing organization — it’s just a different attitude.

 Climbing together doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of the organization. In fact,

having strong teams creates stronger organizations.

 And when you stumble — I don’t mean if you stumble, I mean when you stumble —

there’s a set of people willing to tell you why you stumbled and willing to hold your
hand and put you back on that ladder and push you forward.

 They know you did the same for them or they know or feel that you would.

That’s how to climbing the ladder and why I believe lifting as you climb is not only the best,
it’s the most effective way.

Climbing the ladder means you go on top and if you go on top you are leading , leader is the
one who are is on top.

Building on climbing the ladder is a step by step to where you want to go and what you
want to achieve in life that is a quality I see in the best leaders:

humility.

 They leave their ego at the door and lead through influence not through their
positional power.
 You’ve said humility can only come from a platform of strength.

What does that mean?

  When you rise to the role of leader ship , you get smart enough to realize how much
you can’t possibly know.

 If people show up every day with decisions you have to make, you can’t ever
pretend like you know everything.

 I realized that there are such incredibly talented people around who know more
than I do about what I am leading or teaching.

So then you might say, ‘If everybody knows more about everything than you do, why
are you in the chair?

Well, you’re in the chair because you have the ability to lead,

 to pull all of these experts together,

 to create an environment where people want to collaborate and give their opinion,
who want to compromise for the betterment of the organization.
 You have to know that you have that strength.
 You have to know that you might not know the answer to the difficult cloud
question, but you have to know that you have the skill set to get the answer out of
people, or to provide the environment where the answers will flow.

And that’s why I think it has to come from a position of strength.

 You have to have confidence in your abilities.

 You have to know your team.
 You have to understand your leadership capabilities.
 You don’t have to know everything, and the moment you think you do, you’re on a
real rocket ship to disaster.

Another quality of the most successful leaders is their ability to anticipate what’s
around the corner.

That’s something you’ve certainly been known for in your career.

What’s your advice to other leaders about becoming better “original anticipators”?

 I do agree that, as part of my career, I could sense things coming.

 I could see around some of the corners. But it’s not enough.

There are times when, as leaders, we get so loving of our ability to see around the corner,
yet there are other people on the team who know those corners better than you do, or at
least some of those corners better than you do.
It’s about creating a team. It’s about creating a values where people are willing to do that
and bring it to your attention and the team’s attention.

If you are the only person looking around corners because you believe that’s your
superpower — there are more corners than you can look around.

So, yes, looking around the corner has to be a superpower, but enabling people to look
around more corners than you possibly could gets you a way better result.

How do you bring new ideas to end in large, complex, fast-moving organizations?

With great difficulty!

 It requires resolve.
 Remember, the inadvertent goal of the organization is to press new ideas.
 It doesn’t know it’s doing it, but you’ll hear, ‘We don’t have time.
 We don’t have money.
 The budget was set months ago.
 We don’t have the staff.
 They’re busy doing other things.’

Whatever the reason is, it’s almost as if the goal of the organization is to crush it.

So, first, ideas need to become team ideas. We try never to make it a rich and prospered
leader idea.

You’ll get credit — don’t worry about it. People know what you’re doing, people know what
you bring to the table.

Spread the wealth so that it’s not just you carrying this idea, so that it becomes supported
by a number of people.

And getting that support requires giving up some of that credit for it.

Second, you’ve got to go test it, and not just test it with people who love you.

You’ve got to test it with people who are not so sure that you are the right person for that
job.

You’ve got to go into the lion’s den and say, ‘

 What do you think?

 How will this work with your business?’
And you’ve got to listen to what they’re saying, not just with an eye towards getting out of
their office and checking the box, but putting yourself in their shoes and saying, ‘I wonder
why they responded that way. Let me think about their business.’

Sometimes they’re just wrong, and you’ve got to come back and explain in their words how
you heard what they said and how you’ve moderated that.

In other cases, they just needed a reason to support you, and now you get to come back and
give them a reason: I pulled my model.

I can now use this idea with your business to generate X for you. Because when the team
first had the idea, we didn’t actually do enough to get your support.

Now we’re back with a better model to deserve your support.

I believe that ideas have to deserve support. You can’t just demand it; just like leaders have
to deserve to be followed.

 And then you’ve got to be insistent.

 You’ve got to go through the ups and downs.
 You’ve got to follow it through the data and keep coming back

People are just going to try and blow you off. You’ve got to keep coming back. There’s a
stick-to-it-iveness that just has to happen to make work.

And when it does work, and when it is successful, and it’s gone from the back of a duster —
or, more likely, PowerPoint slides edited 19 times — to completion, it wasn’t your idea; it
was the team’s idea.

And then you’ve got to have a party

 to thank them for executing it,

 thank them for staying with you,
 thank them for making it happen, and just let them know how proud you are.

PRAYER POINTS:

MORNING
  gates of brass and bars of iron working against me, be broken, in the name of Jesus.
 Anything deposited in my life by household witchcraft, come out now, in the name of
Jesus.
 The wicked shall be grieved and his desires shall perish, in Jesus’ name.

EVENING

 Let the rivers of my enemies be turned into wilderness, in Jesus’ name.

 I come against every form of barrenness in my life, in Jesus’ name.
 Through God, I shall do valiantly, for it is He that shall tread down my enemies, in
the name of Jesus.
 Let all those who consult darkness against me, be disgraced, in the name of Jesus.

Spiritual Success - 1 Peter 2

No matter who we are, we will make some mistakes along the way.

I have learned that the real difference between a successful life and a failed life is not in the
ability of the person.

It is the desire in the person.

Maybe you have heard the old Southern statement, "it's not the size of the dog in the fight,
but the size of the fight in the dog."

The secret of a successful Christian life is not in victories or perfection, but in the desire,
drive, and determination of the believer.

I. The diet of a holy people

Peter starts his definition of the successful Christian life by looking at our diet. He points
out foods to remove from our diet, and foods to introduce. In the removal of bad food, Peter
lists wickedness, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. In dietary terms, these are junk
foods, loaded with empty calories and no nutritional value.

You have no doubt heard about the Atkins diet or the South Beach diet. Both diets attempt
to remove many of the carbohydrates in our meals and replace them with protein. In those
diets, "carbs" are bad. In Peter's diet there is a list of what we are not to eat.

Now we can spend a great deal of time discussing each one of these items and why Peter
urges us to rid ourselves of them, but I think we all know why. It is obvious that each item
is opposite of the nature of Christ and would lead us into a life that would prevent the Fruit
of the Spirit from growing in us.

There was a Christian comedian several years ago who said that he thought the Bible was a
book of don'ts. But after he got saved he said found all the do's. His philosophy was if we
focused on the do's we wouldn't have time to do the don'ts. Rather than focusing on what
we are not to do, let's focus on what we are to do.

We are to have a diet of unadulterated spiritual milk. Peter uses two terms to describe the
spiritual food we are to feast on. One is unadulterated. This word means to dilute, lessen,
taint, pollute, or weaken. We have pasteurized milk, homogenized milk, skim milk, whole
milk, 2-percent milk, and who know how many other kinds. In country terms, Peter is
talking about milk straight from the udder. Nothing has been added to it, nothing has been
taken away, and it has not been altered.

The second word Peter uses is milk. Milk is associated with a baby's diet. My son recently
turned one year old, and his doctor moved him to whole milk. He explained that he was
now moving into a stage where we needed to grow bones and teeth. Milk also helps with
vitamins and immunities. Our spiritual diet should build strength and fight immunities.

So what is the milk that Peter says we should be drinking?

Scripture. Just a few verses back in 1:25 we read, "But the word of the Lord endures
forever. And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you." Peter urges us to
drink from the pure and nutritious Word of God, the Bible.

There is an epidemic in churches across AFRICA: Most people who regularly attend church
are Biblically illiterate.

In his book, The Habits of Highly Effective Churches, , argues that growing and effective
churches have an intentional, systematic Biblical education process. He states that his
research indicates that less than 10 percent of all born-again Christians have a Biblical
worldview that shapes their thinking . That means that more than 90 percent of Christians
don't have enough Scriptural knowledge to build a Biblical worldview.

Some may argue that they have the knowledge but they are not using it. I would argue that
in Scripture part of what it means to be a Christian is to live in accordance with them. I
don't think it is an application problem. I think it is a knowledge problem.

Have you seen the TV commercials and shows with pictures of malnourished children from
third-world countries?

Their skeletons are visible beneath their skin, their bellies are bloated, and their eyes are
glassy from a lack of strength and energy. Unfortunately that is the spiritual picture of most
churches in AFRICA.
We are spiritually malnourished and not feasting on the rich, pure milk of God's Word. How
much time do you spend in Bible reading, verses watching TV?

Are you a part of a Bible study group, or are you too busy to give your time to it?

How many this morning brought a Bible, or will read it some time this week outside of
church?

Peter wants to build the strong skeleton that will support our spiritual bodies. To do that,
we have to quit eating the junk foods - foods that are full of empty calories and have no
nutritional value - and begin eating the pure, rich, milk of God's Word.

II. The desire of a holy people (vv. 4-5)

The diet of a holy people is important to spiritual success, but so also is the design of a holy
people. Peter moves from the internal issue of what we eat, to the external nature of how
we are built. As with food, there is something to reject and something to embrace.

Peter says that we come to a living stone, one rejected by men and accepted by God. He tells
us that when we come to that stone, we become living stones as well, stones which are used
to build a spiritual house for a holy priesthood. What a great passage.

First all of Peter describes Jesus as a living stone. You remember that it was Peter who
made the great confessions that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus
told Peter, "upon this rock I will build my church." So Christ is the living stone.

But Jesus was also rejected by men. When Jesus was on the earth, the religious leaders of
the day opposed him continually, and eventually convinced others to join them in
crucifying Jesus. Jesus experienced a great deal of rejection and opposition during his
ministry on earth.

Finally, God used the death of Jesus on the cross as the cornerstone of what would be the
church. The one thing that unifies all believers everywhere into one body is that we believe
in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, God's only Son.

But Peter goes on to say we are living stones. How is possible for Christ to be the living
stone and for us to be declared living stones?

Because, when we accept Christ, He comes to live within us. That also means that we
identify with His life. Paul writes in

Philippians 3:10, "My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the
fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."

Oftentimes we go straight to the power. We want to know the power of His resurrection.
And that is great, and we can know that, but look at the path that leads to that power. Do
we want to know the fellowship of His sufferings, or be conformed to His death? Jesus,
though rejected by men, was focused on doing God's will. The path for us is the same. To
find the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must be willing to endure the rejection of
the world, be focused on the will of God, and die to an old nature.

When I was a teenager, someone gave me a Petra tape. On it was a song called "God
pleaser." The message of the song was very simple: Do you want to be a man pleaser or a
God pleaser? It was clear that you could not do both.

To be a great spiritual house, and have spiritual success, we have to decide who we are
building our lives for. If we want to please the world, then we will build for money,
position, prestige, comfort, and ease. We will build in selfish ways. But if we build for God,
then we must start with His cornerstone, Jesus. Everything in the building lines up with
that one living stone. And as we follow God's leading we will begin to see a spiritual success
build in our lives.

That does not mean it will always be easy. We, too, will face our share of rejection and
opposition from the world. Will we conduct our business in fair and just ways. Will we
remain faithful to our spouse and children?

Will we give up some of the so-called "luxuries" of life, so serve Christ and His kingdom?

There are some hard decisions down this road, but to be a God pleaser is to build life God's
way.

III. The destination of a holy people (vv. 6-7)

Peter has pointed us to success by looking inward at our diet, by looking outward the life
we are building and now he points us forward, by stressing the finish line of our faith. Like
earlier there is a word of rejection and acceptance here.

Peter tell us that those who put their faith in Jesus as their cornerstone will not be rejected
and put to shame. In fact he says that God will honor us. This honor or rejection will take
place in the final judgment in the future. But Peter is telling us what we decide now will
determine honor or shame. So how does one know if they will be honored by God or
rejected in shame by Him?

In the FAITH evangelism strategy, there is the key question, "In your personal opinion,
what you understand that it takes for a person to get to heaven?

Time and time again I am shocked by the number of people who begin to talk about
something they have done. Most people have the idea that God has a big scale in heaven.
When you arrive, He will take all the good stuff you have ever done and put it on one side of
the scale, and all the bad stuff on the other side.
Then if there is more good than bad, you get to go into heaven. That is not at all what the
Bible teaches.

The ultimate decision on God's acceptance or rejection of a person is tied to their

acceptance or rejection of Jesus. It is not our works that will save us, but our relationship
with God's Son. Those who know Jesus as their Savior and Lord will be welcomed into
heaven.

But what about this honor from God Peter mentions?

Oftentimes I am invited to attend a banquet or a dinner in honor of a person. Usually at

some point in the program several people talk about the character and achievements of the
individual. In this way they are honoring them.

James 2:17 tells us "faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself."

Now this work has nothing to do with salvation, it has to do with the power of the Holy
Spirit in our lives.

Think of it this way: preparation leads to production. When we build our lives around the
cornerstone, Jesus Christ, we will desire the diet and design of God.

Once Jesus becomes the central focus of our life, we will loose our taste for junk food and
desire the rich, pure milk of God's Word.

When we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we will care less about what the world thinks
and more about what pleases God.

When the cornerstone is laid, it points to the destination of the building. If the cornerstone
is self, then a selfish life will be produced.

If the cornerstone is Jesus, then the life of Christ will begin to be grafted into our life. If we
prepare ourselves through diet and desire, we can expect the power of the Holy Sprit to
produce spiritual success in our lives.

 For spiritual success to be our destination we must pay attention to our diet, and
desire. What is your spiritual destination right now?
 Are you on a path to rejection and shame, or acceptance and honor?

You can change your destination. You can move from rejection to acceptance if you will
accept Jesus.

 Will you make Him your cornerstone?

 What about your diet?
  Are you filling your spiritual life full of junk food or are you feasting on the rich,
pure milk of God's Word?
 What about your desires?
 Are you a man pleaser or a God pleaser?

Spiritual success is tied to a secure destination, a strong diet, and a sincere desire to please
God.

 How successful is your spiritual life?

Prayers for Success and Prosperity in Business

These strong prayers for success and prosperity in business will provide you with a helping
hand from the Lord.

Business Success Prayer

 Heavenly Father, thank you that your word enlightens my eyes, purifies my soul and
preserves me for eternal life.
 Your word says that I can do all things through you who strengthens me.
 Please give me the strength I need to succeed in business.
 Bless my work with prosperity for my good and for your glory.
 May the love of the Father, the tenderness of the Son, and the presence of the Spirit,
gladden my heart and bring peace to my soul, today and for all days.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Successful Plans Prayer


Lord, Jesus Christ, thank you that every good and perfect gift comes from you, the
King of kings and Lord of lords.
 You have promised that, if I commit whatever I do to you, then you will cause my
plans to succeed.
 My success will come from aligning my plans with your will.
 Let me hear your voice clearly as you give me wisdom and guidance.
 Remind me that success is not found in the world but is found in you.
 Now may you, the Lord of all, give me success at all times and in every way.
 In your mighty name, Amen.
Prosperity Prayer

 King of kings, Lord of lords, thank you that your work is perfect, your ways are
just, you are a God of faithfulness.
 The Bible says that, if I walk in your ways and observe your commands, that I
will prosper in all I do and wherever I go.
 Give me assurance that, as I seek your will, you will bless me with prosperity.
 May the love of the Father, the tenderness of the Son, and the presence of the
Spirit, gladden my heart and bring joy to my soul, today and for all days.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Strengthen Me Prayer


 Faithful Father, thank you that you are perfectly faithful; you never forget, never fail
and never take back a promise.
 You have said that I do not need to fear, for you are with me; I do not need to be
dismayed, for you will strengthen and help me.
 When I am daunted by the pressures of business, increase my faith that I may
depend on your strength for my success.
 May God the Father prepare my journey, Jesus the Son guide my footsteps and the
Holy Spirit watch over me, on every path that I follow.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.


Source of Prosperity Prayer



 Mighty God, thank you that your promises are sure, you are faithful, I can rely on
you.
 Your word says that it is you who gives me the ability to produce wealth. I commit
my business into your hands Lord as I know that you are the source of success and
prosperity.
 Give me the strength to resist the temptations of wealth and glorify you in every
aspect of my business.
 May the peace of God enfold me, the love of God uphold me and the wisdom of God
control me.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Bless My Work Prayer



 O Lord, my God, thank you that you are infinitely, consistently and perfectly wise.
 I ask that you open up your hand and give me success in my business. Bless all the
work of my hands and cause me to prosper.
 May my work glorify you.
  Hear my prayer, O Lord.
 Let the majesty of the Father be the light that guides me, the compassion of the Son
be the love that inspires me and the presence of the Spirit be the strength that
empowers me.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Business Prosperity Prayer



 Lord, my Rock and Redeemer, thank you that you made all things, and in you all
things hold together.
 You have said that you have plans and a purpose for me, plans to prosper me not to
harm me.
 Let me trust you with my business.
 May the word of Christ dwell in me richly, teaching me in all wisdom.
 May I work with thankfulness in my heart to God.
 Whatever I do, in word or deed, may I do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Successful Paths Prayer


 Creator God, thank you that you have plans for me that are for my good and your
glory.
 Your word says that you will make all things work together for my good.
 Please watch over my business, protect me from danger and lead me on the path to
prosperity and success.
 May Christ dwell in my heart through faith so that I, being rooted and grounded in
love, may have the strength to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
 May I be filled with all the fullness of God.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Secure Future Prayer


Loving Father, thank you that you know my every need.
 You have promised that I do not need to be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, I should present my requests to God.
 When I am anxious about my business, please give me your peace. Remind me that,
although I may make mistakes and fail, my future is secure in you.
 May you, the God of all grace, who has called me into eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
make me holy, strong and filled with peace.
 To you be glory and honor, forever and ever.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Successful Life Prayer

 
Generous Father, thank you that you are my creator, you know me better than
anyone else.
 The Bible says that you, who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for
me, will freely give me all things?
 Give me assurance that you are constantly working all things for my success.
 You are the God of peace.
 May you sanctify me completely, and may my whole spirit and soul and body be
kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 You, who called me, are faithful to the end.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Blessing Prayer


 All-Knowing God, thank you that you make known your love and that your purposes
will stand, your plans will not fail.
 Your word says that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for
it.
 Protect me from going down the path of painful toil for no benefit, and bring success
to my business.
 Hear my prayer, Lord.
 You are able to do far more abundantly than all that I ask or imagine, according to
the power at work within me.
 To you be glory throughout all generations, forever and ever.
 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Wealth and Honor Come from You Prayer



 Lord Almighty, yours is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the
majesty.
 Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, and this business belongs to you.
 I adore you as the one who is over all things, including my financial endeavors.
 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and
might are in your hand, and at your discretion, people are made great and given
strength.
 I ask now that you make this business succeed to your glory.
 Amen.

I Will Lack No Good Thing Prayer



 Father, Giver of all good things, I praise you for the promises of your word.
 You have promised that those who trust in you will lack no good thing.
  I will taste and see that you are good! I give you my reverence, for those who fear
you have all they need.
 I will boast in your name, for I trust you to grow my business and make it well-
known and prosperous.
 I will use my success to tell of your greatness and as a testimony of your
lovingkindness.
 Amen.

Following God’s Plan Prayer



 My Lord and my God, your word gives me instructions for how to live a long and
prosperous life.
 You have said that I must keep my tongue from speaking evil and my lips from
telling lies.
 You said to turn away from evil and do good, to search for peace, and work to
maintain it.
 Lord, I know that when I conduct my personal life and my business with integrity
and kindness, I can expect your blessings to chase after me.
 I thank you now for victory in my business’s finances.
 Amen.
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Prayer for a Better Way
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 O my God, who provides more than enough, I know that you have a better way.
 I know that trusting in myself or following the world’s system is simply a recipe for
disaster.
 I realize that my life is not my own, and that I am not able to make successful plans
without your gracious help.
 I thank you that there’s a better way to run my business, and that is your way.
 I will remember to give you the honor and praise, for you are the one who gives me
the power to make this business rise to the top.
 Amen.

Ability for Wealth Prayer

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  God of countless blessings, I acknowledge you as the one who gives me the power to
get wealth.
 You give me the ability for success – the knowledge, the plans, the understanding,
the resources, and the important contacts.
 I know I must work hard and follow your guidelines and use good business sense.
But, ultimately, you are the source of my prosperity.
 May my flourishing business be a testimony of how you work through those who
live for you.
 Bless my company and help me use my God-given abilities well.
 Amen.

Prayer for Economic Opportunities

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 Lord and Provider, I thank you that you have given me talents and giftings that will
help me to succeed in my business endeavors.
 I thank you for providing me with economic opportunities, so I can use my
knowledge and your gifts to their fullest.
 Help me to continue to grow and develop my skills and my understanding, so that
my business will thrive.
 I give you my praise and adoration, for you are able to achieve far more than my
wildest imaginings.
 Amen.

Anoint My Business Prayer

 Faithful Father, I ask you to anoint my business with financial abundance. Enable me
to prosper and produce wealth.
 I thank you for the assets that you have given me – most importantly, your favor. I
rely on you as my one and only source of all things.
 I thank you for giving me energy, and keen business sense, and a good product.
 I thank you that the hopes of the godly will be fulfilled.
 Help me to live wisely and apply sensible principles in my business dealings.
 Amen.

Wealth Without Sorrow Prayer

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Good and gracious God, I know there are people out there who prosper without
trusting you or even knowing you.
 And yet, their success often destroys their lives.
 They deal with stress, health issues, and problems in their marriage and with their
children.
 Their wealth has cost them dearly.
  I thank you that your word teaches me that the blessing of the Lord makes a person
rich, and you add no sorrow with it.
 May I prosper your way, not just in my business, but in my family and in my spirit
and body.
 Amen.

Steps to Prosperity Prayer

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 Lord of abundance, please lead me in the steps to prosperity.

 I know the first step is to recognize that I am a steward of your finances. It’s not my
money.
 It’s yours! Help me shift my mindset from the way the world views finances. Help
me understand that I don’t own what I have – it’s yours, and I am the steward.
 I am the caretaker of what you have entrusted me with.
 You have given me what I have now, so I can learn to trust you with my resources.
 I thank you that when I do that, you will cause me to prosper.
 Amen.

God Will Supply Prayer

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Lord of the ages, I thank you for taking care of me.
 I thank you for supplying all my needs from your glorious riches, which have been
given to me in Christ Jesus.
 And you don’t just provide for my needs, but you give in overflowing abundance.
 I am blessed to have you as my source of all things.
 I know my business is not affected by the world’s economy and recessions, but by
the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
 I praise you for your power and provision. Amen.
Supernatural Abundance and Peace Prayer
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 All-powerful Lord, I ask you for a supernatural abundance accompanied by a peace

that the people of the world don’t have.
 I thank you for that heavenly calm that comes from entrusting my business to you.
 I thank you for allowing me to handle the resources with which you’ve blessed me.
 I know I am accountable to you for how I use what you have given me. Help me to
invest it wisely and reap a good profit, not only for my own security, but to be able
to give to your work and further your kingdom.
 Amen.
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Help Me Be Faithful Prayer
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Lord of wisdom, you taught that if we are faithful in little things, we will be faithful
in large ones.
  You said if we’re dishonest in little things, we won’t be honest with greater
responsibilities.
 Lord, help me not be untrustworthy with worldly wealth. Help me be faithful to
others and to you.
 Bless me as I am honest and responsible with my clients.
 Empower me to develop my faith regarding finances.
 And may I use the blessings you pour out on my business to be a blessing to others.
 Amen.

A Slave of God Not Money Prayer

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 Lord God, you have taught that no one can serve two masters, for we will be devoted
to one and despise the other.
 Father, I desire to have wealth and a successful business, but I don’t want it to own
me.
 I don’t want to be a slave to my business or to money.
 I want to serve You and be devoted to you.
 Please guard me against slipping into bad thinking or bad habits with my priorities
when it comes to finances.
 Keep me true to you.
 Amen.

A Harvest of Generosity Prayer

 Eternal God, help me to plant seeds for your kingdom with the finances
you’ve given me.
 Enrich me in every way so that I can always be generous. I know you love a
person who gives cheerfully.
 And I thank you for providing all I need.
 I thank you that when I honor you from my abundance, I have plenty left
over to share with others.
 Your word says that those who share freely and give generously to the poor
will be remembered.
 Please provide and increase my resources and produce a great harvest of
generosity in me.
 Amen.