We don’t live in a business culture today where people are willing to be patient and wait on God’s work, on his time frame. God has a reason when He doesn’t move as quickly as you want Him to move on that big contract. There’s a reason why He doesn’t move as rapidly as you want him to move on that new hire. That waiting in the Lord is a good thing for us entrepreneurs accustomed to taking things into our own hands. The waiting keeps that hope and that expectation in God, the Chairman of your Board of Directors, looking for Him to work that contract, and staying abound and connected to Him. See, the issue with us grinders and hustlers and go-getters is that we're prone to forgetting God is at the wheel guiding things. Instead, we take matters into our own hands because that's the leader in us. However, there are two types of leaders: - Those who patiently wait on the Lord - Those who don't trust in God's timing and promises and take matters into their own hands. From experience, taking action when you should have waited makes your situation even worse than what it already was. As a God-First business owner, waiting patiently means that: I'm going to have an attitude of hope and expectation along my entrepreneurial pilgrimage. I’m determined to stay connected to the Lord. I'm not going to backslide. I’m not going to get tired of waiting for that client to pay me. I’m not going to cuss God out when a launch doesn't go as planned. I’m not going to walk away from the business partnership that God brought together in the first place. I’m not going to quit on my calling. I’m not going to grow weary when I don't see a change in my industry. I’m not going to get frustrated when my partner isn't pulling his weight. I’m just going to buckle down and sit right here because I’m expecting God to move. I'm expecting God to do something. I’m not going to quit. I’m expecting him to work it out. Proverbs 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. Christian entrepreneurs, listen. We are like patients in a hospital, calling the doctor for advice. What do you do as a patient when you call the doctor? You’re not telling the doctor what to do. You’re waiting on the doctor to tell you what to do, right? #WaitingOnGod

The wisest thing business owners can do to start every day is to get connected with almighty God. The wisest thing we entrepreneurs can do is decide that from this point on, before getting out of bed, we're going to connect with the President of our board of directors. Monday through Friday, every morning, we're going to pray something like: "Lord, I thank you that you have a plan for my business today. I thank you, Lord, that your timing is perfect. I thank you that you're bringing whatever you need to bring. You’ll protect me. You’ll guide me. You’ll lead me. If I go through any kind of suffering and hurt and disappointment and all the rest, I’ll trust you to bring me through that. Lord, I want to thank you that today I’m going to walk obediently before you. I’m going to trust the Holy Spirit to do the speaking in me to give me guidance and direction and give me your timing. Whatever you have for me and my business, I’m available to wait. I know that waiting will grow me, strengthen me, prepare me for what you have in my marketplace. I want to thank you for this day, and Lord, let my business be fruitful all day long." When you begin the business day that way, all of a sudden, even on the darkest of days you’ve ever seen on your entrepreneurial journey, the sun’s going to be brilliant. You know why? Because you are connecting with the owner and financier of your business, God will answer every single prayer that I mentioned. It’s His timing. It’s His way. It’s His plan. The Bible says: But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands." As a business owner, you can say, "the future of my business is in your hands. (Psalms 31 14:15) Have you ever prayed like that about your business? You might want to memorize that verse and pray it every morning before you get up and begin the hustle and grind. You can pray something like: “I trust you, Lord, you’re my God, and my times are in your hands. God, I have more to-do's today than I have time to get done. I have so many appointments there’s no way I get it all done. Help me sort it all out, do what matters most in my business, and not worry about the rest. My calendar is in your hand. I surrender my schedule. I surrender my agenda. I give you my marketing plans. My times are in your hands, and that means I’m not going to fear. I’m going to trust you." If I ask you today whose business schedule do you live by, you’ll probably say, “well, by my own." And that's natural because, as entrepreneurs, we are self-employed, self-starting, and self-motivated. However, in your daily agenda or monthly marketing calendar, where is God in all that? Do you ever stop to ask him, "God, what you think about Thursday? What do you want in Quarter 3?" When you get up in the morning and get yourself dressed, get into your mode of transportation, and head to your office, do you ever stop asking God what His plan is for the business today? Do you ever stop to ask the question, "what would you have me do with my next 8 hours?" And when you're checked out from the business and on your way back to your family for the evening, do you ever ask: "Lord, how would you want me to spend this evening?" As impossible as that might seem, being that entrepreneurship feels like a 24/7 job, it's imperative that we God-First business owners stop and think, “How do you want to work in my family life this evening?" Most business owners will get up, do their little morning routine, and take off and never say anything to God until they get that first order cancellation or the first encounter with an irritating employee. The day starts to get overwhelming and stressful, and then there's the first connection, the first cry out to God for help. That is not what He intended. God intended that when you wake up in the morning, you get connected. It's not some 20-step ritualistic routine to bog you down. You simply start talking to Him with statements similar to these: Father, thank you for a good night’s rest; you know what lies ahead of me today in my business. Lord, I want to run my entrepreneurial race in your timing; don't let me get ahead, don’t let me linger behind, don’t let me step out of your calling over me. God, let me lead my company wisely today in your will so that tonight I’ll be able to look back and thank you for all that you’ve done. Every morning when I wake up, I remind myself that my marketplace is a 24/7 mission field. No matter what I'm doing - if I’m on a zoom call with my team, if I’m at a client's office, if I’m filming a marketing piece for my branding agency - I’m on a mission for Jesus. Listen, Godpreneurs, customers who meet you should meet Jesus. It doesn’t mean you look like him; it means the spirit within you is the same spirit of Jesus Christ. Remind yourself every day that God, the creator of the universe, loves you, and He has his eyes on your business dealings. You are His chosen representative in your industry, and He has called you to provide great services and products in the marketplace. When we all make it a daily morning habit to think about what God has done for our entrepreneurial journey, it’s going to bring joy, meaning, and purpose into our business lives and marketplaces worldwide. #WheretoStartFirst

GodpreneurMethod and insert business terms using (parentheses) within the verses so the chapter becomes personal To learn more about the #GodpreneurMethod of personalizing Bible verses to amplify their meaning for

God wants you to have bold faith in your entrepreneurial walk. Bold faith is having no doubt in the power of Jesus in all your business dealings. God can do the impossible, Godpreneurs just have to be bold enough to believe. God commands us Kingdom builders to be fearless and to be strong and courageous in our respective marketplaces and industries. #GainConfidence

There’s a song I dedicated to my wife before we were married.  It’s a beautiful song that captured my emotions at the time I dedicated it. Later on, I took her to the concert and the band played "our song."  That song eventually became our wedding song. I also played our song on the car ride home from the hospital with our new baby boy.  It brought us both to tears. What's the song? It's called "Two is Better Than One" by Boys Like Girls. I love the song because it's a reminder of my commitment to her. Sometimes I’ll play it when I’m mad at her because I know it brings my heart back in alignment. Dedicating that song to her was powerful and has helped me in good times and bad. I think we all know the power of dedication because we’ve experienced this in the past. Whether it was a dedication to your wife or a song dedicated to someone that hurt you, hearing the song brings up strong emotions for us. We have the ability to have similar emotions in our businesses by dedicating our businesses to God.  We dedicate things so that we create a bond between the two subjects. How amazing would it be to dedicate your business to God so that there is an eternal bond and a higher sense of purpose and passion as you continue building? The Bible shows us what that looks like as we read the final chapters of Nehemiah. Nehemiah 12:27-30 reads "At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall." What´s going to happen now when people walk past the wall of Jerusalem? They will think of the time they dedicated it to God and the songs of praise and thanksgiving.  It will be a good memory impressed in their minds. Dedicating your business to God will add protection and align your heart with God’s.  It will give you a crutch to lean on during bad times. Similarly, it will give you a podium to speak from during the good times. When we dedicate something to God, we give it all to him. We hold nothing back. It is given in full and joyful surrender. It is all for God’s pleasure, all for his use, all for his glory. God’s desire is for us Godpreneurs to be like him…holy! (1 Peter 1.14-16). If we want to restore our businesses, we must first ask God to help us walk in holiness. Then, we will become “living stones being used to build a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2.5). How would you plan a dedication of your business to God? What elements would be included? What would such a celebration look like? A PRAYER OF BUSINESS DEDICATION God, we want to uplift your name among the people. Help us to dedicate ourselves and our businesses for your glory. Give us the encouragement we need, and remind us that you are always with us. I'm praying for you, too! All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com Want to learn the book of Nehemiah from an Entrepreneur's point of view? In this business Bible study, we parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Check it out here: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #EnhanceFocus #IncreaseEnergy

And nothing is more important to a daily routine than the personal development we do in the morning. My rule is that personal development must be the priority so that the rest of the day flows with the And as Christian entrepreneurs, we also have a lot of personal development we want to do in our daily These important personal development tasks involve spirituality, health, relationships, and business Our personal development is more important than our business operations.

Ever feel like it's never enough? Like no matter how big the client or number of employees, you're never satisfied with your business? The bigger problem might be that we're replacing Godly satisfaction with cheap earthly offerings. We have to learn to become satisfied TODAY or we will live lives of daily regret and discontentment. How can we do this? Morning time with God is especially important for us ambitious entrepreneurs because it's where we hone in on the skill of setting aside what is fleeting, and spending time to be transformed by the eternal. “BECAUSE OF THE LORD’S GREAT LOVE WE ARE NOT CONSUMED,FOR HIS COMPASSIONS NEVER FAIL. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS”. (LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His lovingkindness is all we need. Let's surrender our desire for worldly attention to center on God because He is sufficient! That's what God is working on ME on right now. Anyone else going through this too?. #ArticulatingMyIdeas #WheretoStartFirst

you, plans to give you hope and future” But in addition to that, He wants that as Godpreneurs, we can develop We have developed a prayer page where you can send us your request regarding different topics such as

I love starting new projects. I believe the reason I'm in branding and not marketing is that branding is the "start" of a business. And my multiple businesses is even more evidence of my love for starting things However, I'd be kidding myself if I told you that I didn't feel overwhelmed sometimes when launching a new project. A lot of the work I do is so spiritually charged and will have a major impact on my life and the lives of others that the pressure can be immense. Oftentimes, right at the beginning of a project, the enemy starts to plant seeds of doubt in my mind; I feel alone and I'm tempted to back out. However, we God-first business owners know that God is always there at our side, ready to give His blessing that will strengthen us. The Bible says: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 121:1-2) God wants to help you, but you have to lift your eyes up to Him and ask for help in your business. God wants us to acknowledge that whatever project we are launching - whether it’s a new business, a marketing initiative, or a new blog series - can only be accomplished through His power. The prayer below will help us orient our minds and hearts toward God and give him the wheel for our next major business project. It may feel weird, but if we get in this habit, we'll be guided every step of the way, thus assuring that the outcome is God's will. Father, I come before you, and through the power of Jesus Christ, I take on this new project. Consecrate this endeavor through your hands to your glory. I call on the Holy Spirit to help me execute this new initiative in a manner that honors you and puts a smile on your face. You know that I can't do anything without you; I'm powerless except through Christ who strengthens me. Lord, give me the necessary assistance to accomplish your will in the marketplace. Search me, Lord, and remove anything that would not have me observing your faithful laws of justice. Keep me free from sin throughout the execution of this project. Father, take charge of all the plans. Give me wisdom beyond my years, power beyond my own strength, and bless me with the joy of being able to serve you, once again, through the gift of entrepreneurship. You are good, you are holy, you are eternal, and my life's work is for you. Amen. #WheretoStartFirst #EnhanceFocus

When God created us, entrepreneurs, He put a dream in our hearts. Most of us start our businesses off with that dream. We have some kind of dream, plan, or project that we want to do with our business life, our vision. I’ve read comments and talked to hundreds of Godpreneurs over the years, and I discovered while everybody tends to start early in business with a vision, as days and months and years go by, people give up on the dream before it’s accomplished. Most people give up on their business vision and goals because it doesn’t happen fast enough. Some of you have had your dream battered or bruised. Some of you have had your dream broken, and out of discouragement and disappointment, you have buried your entrepreneurial dreams. You’ve given up. But God doesn't want you to do that. The Bible says For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3 ESV) If God gave you that dream for your business life, it's going to happen in His timetable, not in yours. He has a will for your business life from the beginning to the end. He knows your past; He knows why you’re where you are, and he is willing to help still. He is going to pick you up right where you are, and He’ll give your company a whole new beginning. That’s what grace in business is all about! Are there second chances in business? We have a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth… I mean, praise God that we can keep on launching and relaunching! He doesn’t just cut us off because we missed it somewhere. God has a plan for your business life. That plan is fantastic, it’s perfect, and it’s perfectly suited for you! Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever is going on in your bank account, His business plan is the best. It brings him glory and honor and is fulfilling to you and me. Now get up and go! #WheretoStartFirst #GainConfidence

If you call yourself a: Christian entrepreneur Kingdom-minded business owner A God-first brand And you walk hand-in-hand with God, following His purpose for you, you have no reason to be anxious for anything…for an extended period of time. The reason you make God your CEO, the reason we metaphorically "walk" with God and the reason Jesus died for us on the cross has to do with a transferring of our worries, stress, sins, concerns, and anxiety over to God so we can think clearly and remain in our zone of genius to keep pushing our companies forward. The Bible says: do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) The key to overcoming anxiety in business is simply to not let yourself be caught in a state of PERPETUAL anxiety. You can't remove anxiety, but you can TRANSFER the anxiety to Him so you don't have to carry it. When we do this, the apostle Paul continues with "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. " (Philippians 4:7) Jesus takes our anxiety so we can be free to move about the marketplaces doing what we were born to do. Godpreneurs, it’s impossible to lead a life free of anxiety, but we can discover a life that is void of perpetual anxiety. #GodpreneurRule: Anxiety comes with business, but doesn't have to dominate us in our businesses.

It’s 3 in the morning and you can't sleep. You toss and turn, rolling from one side to the other; nothing helps. Everyone else is sleeping, but not you. It's now 3:30 am and you're staring at the ceiling. Your anxiety has taken complete control. The clock on the wall keeps ticking; you cover your head with the pillow to not hear it. You feel like crying. You're depressed, alone, scared, and stressed. What a mess you and your business plans are in. What does all this anxiety mean to a business owner? All this trepidation, all this insecurity, all this worry, all this restlessness. What's the meaning of it all? Well, anxiety in business means simply this: YOU ARE AN ENTREPRENEUR 💪 You’re not dumb, you’re not emotionally underdeveloped, you’re not incompetent or too green to own a business, your parents didn’t fail you; it doesn’t mean you failed them, and, this is important, it does not mean you are not a Christian. Christian entrepreneurs battle anxiety. Jesus did. In the garden of Gethsemane, on the night before his crucifixion, He prayed for the cup of suffering to be taken away from Him. In fact, He prayed with such ferocity, the capillaries burst and rivulets of crimson rolled down His face. Jesus battled anxiety. He faced fears, but He fought through His fears, surrendered them to God, and fulfilled his mission. Anxiety did not win, and this is God's plan for you too! The Bible says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) Anxiety comes with entrepreneurship but it doesn’t have to dominate your business life. God's plan for you is not an entrepreneurial journey that is drenched in anxiety. It's God's will that you and I learn to run an operation that is characterized by peace and not panic; by calmness and not chaos. Yeah but Alex, I'm drowning in my business - like I’m still showing up, but barely keeping it together. I’m making it, and I’m smiling, but nobody knows what’s really behind this smile - the things I think about some days on my way home. I just want to run away from it all. I want to suggest something to you Godpreneurs today about the storms of anxiety in your business life, and about the waves and the winds that are tossing you and your plans around. Listen, those winds will keep blowing, and the waves will break and they will crush you, no doubt about it. However, you have a choice of who accompanies you through those storms. Will you invite misery or God? Will you invite death or life? Will you invite loneliness or the God that will never leave you or forsake you? There are things happening in your business that you’re afraid of that makes no sense if you're truly inviting God to walk this entrepreneurial journey with you. There are people that are causing you to shut down. There are circumstances that are senselessly paralyzing you. However, when you put those things in the context of who the God is that is walking by your side, and what you mean to Him, you begin to train your heart to be anxious for nothing.

Are you struggling to see clearly and make decisions in your business? It could be because you can’t understand or see God's purpose or plan for you and your entrepreneurial walk. First, we have to choose to believe that God does have a plan, and it's a plan that He expects us to discover and walk-in. The Bible says “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.” (Psalms 57:2 ESV) By design, God set up prayer in supplication as the key to understanding God’s plans. God has numbered the days of your business and will fulfill every purpose He has for you. Imagine if we all earnestly and dependently looked to God alone for the power and possibility of the future of our businesses. Start by praying this prayer for understanding God's purpose and plans for your entrepreneurial walk. **** BEGIN PRAYER **** Father God, I confess it's been difficult to fully let go of my anxieties as an entrepreneur and in my business when I can’t see evidence of all that you’re doing – when I can’t understand or see your purpose or plan - what I was born to do. Today, I pause and remind myself of my dependency on you. I know in my heart that my circumstances and plans are touched by your hands. Isaiah 55:8 reminds me that my thoughts are not your thoughts – and that my ways in business are not your ways. When I am struggling to see my calling clearly and decide which direction I should take, I'm not alone, and that inner peace is something only you can supply. So today, Lord, I purposefully, even urgently, say again that I choose to believe in you and that through the Holy Spirit, I will be revealed what I was born to do in business. I know that it’s often in the most cloudy, confusing, and challenging times you are most at work. Thank you for being the one who gives me the strength to help and serve others in the marketplace and to see distinctly the choices I face. As I scan my horizons, I know that I also must look to you alone for the power and possibility that is the future of my business. I ask for your guidance so that I might pilgrimage fully in your entrepreneurial path – a path that you have blessed. I also ask for your face to shine on me – individually and on my team and partners. Please bring to fulfillment all that you have given me to do in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Give me a heart of wisdom to hear your voice, and then make my footsteps firm. Please make me strong through your favor and grace. #TrustOnGod #PrayForYourBusiness

If you're just staying out on developing a DAILY routine, then start with a practical activity that I I pray you'll consider my examples and that will encourage you to develop a daily Bible reading habit More important than the the "how" is that our minds begin to develop the DAILY habit of depending on

Can a personal brand really excel if we are upfront and obvious about our faith in Jesus Christ? So, can a person in this day and age really excel when branded with Christianity? Will you work to better display God through your personal brand to the world? P.S. you launch a God-first personal brand that will help you strategically, financially, and personally. Developing your personal brand starts with launching something new and completely different from what