Purpose and Faith both have their meaning independently from one another. However, knowing my purpose without exercising my Faith, I found it useless. More so, it had me going in circles as I tried to pursue it BUT in my own strength. When I was a baby in the Lord, I had this burning desire to tell the whole world about Him. But what I didn’t know then was how important my faith would be to fulfill this calling. It was not until my second attempt to fulfill my purpose in my strength and under my own rules that I genuinely surrendered to the Lord. As Christian Entrepreneurs, we struggle with Learning how to wait on God; I know I do, and we want to believe that we can help speed up the process and take action immediately. But what we don’t realize is that when we get involved and get in God’s way, we merely prolong our growth process, prolonging further the fulfillment of his promises. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Throughout, the Bible tells us that patience is a virtue, and those who learn to wait on the Lord are victorious through Jesus. Here is what I’ve learned as I practice patience and letting go of my control, to trust in God to fulfill His purpose in me: When we surrender our will to the Lord, we are not giving up on our dreams - this was huge for me; offering my will and control to the Lord only meant that I was willing to do things His way. Nothing under God’s supervision is wasted time. I didn’t know it, but God did. During my five years working in the mortgage space as a Business Developer, Manager, and Brand Strategist, not only did He put my skills to practice, but he was also setting up my audience for the work He has planned. Today He has allowed me to run a business that focuses on helping women entrepreneurs in real estate to build a brand for themselves while also pursuing my purpose for his Kingdom as an evangelist and brand ambassador of Jesus. What is God calling you to surrender? Where is he asking you to have faith so that he can clear the way for you to walk in your purpose? Daily exercising our faith is crucial as we seek to fulfill our hearts’ desires fueled by God’s love, putting each of us on the right path to fulfilling our purpose and calling as children of God. Are you taking a step on faith? #FindingMyCalling

I’ve read research that says it takes anywhere between six to eight touches in sales before a prospect will become interested in a product or service. This means that in my marketing, I can’t count on the first email to make the sale. I need a persistent and consistent flow of touches going out to see a result potentially. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve sometime quit too soon because I didn’t see any results. I ignored the “6 – 8 touches” rule, squashed the campaign, chucked it as a loss, and moved on to something new. I get impatient, I want to see results, and I figure if it’s not producing right away, it wasn’t meant to be. But what if I was just one more touch away from the floodgates opening up? What if just one more email would have tipped the entire campaign in my favor? We can do this sometimes in our business and marriage. When things look bad, divorce is knocking, the bills are piling up, the marriage retreat didn’t work, or the product launch didn’t produce the results we wanted, we throw in the towel and call it quits. What if we’re just one touch away? We entrepreneurs want to see the fruits right away. We want to plant the seeds and cash in on the crops ASAP! But are we willing to be persistent and keep praying even though we’re in a drought and the situation looks dead around us? Just because it looks like God isn’t moving in our business and marriage, doesn’t mean He isn’t up to something. The Bible says: “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” (1 Kings 18:43‭-‬44 NIV) I love this story of persistence, faith, and hope. Elijah believed God was going to come through and end the drought. He kept praying and sending his men back to check to see if there were any rain clouds. His people must have thought he was nuts! We can learn a lot from Elijah, especially if we’re looking for breakthroughs in our business and marriage. Elijah learned to be completely dependent on God, he prayed boldly for God-sized miracles, and he prayed fervently until God came through. Like Elijah, you need to need to be crazy in your persistence and prayers. If you want to see the breakthroughs in your business and marriage, you have to pray for life into your dead situations, trust God, and keep praying again and again. You have to trust God will stay faithful to His promise that God wants to do big things through your business and marriage! Don’t take “no” for an answer. I’ve been taught in sales that “no” really means “not right now.” I like that attitude because it sets my mind on hope in a future sale. God’s looking around for the faithful and hopeful. Miracles, good luck, and favor seem always to follow those who are hopeful. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I think they are simply following God’s universal law of persistently praying that God will come through with His promises. We all had given up too easily in the past when our spouses said “no,” when the contact didn’t go through, or when we’re having a bad day. Here are 3 action keys to remember when situations look dead in our business and marriage. He’s shown us in the bible (memorize Bible verses) He’s done it for you in the past (remember past victories), and although we may not see progress, He’s arranging things around our business and marriage for our favor (have faith and trust He’s working). Godpreneur, whatever area we gave up on in our business and marriage is just ONE TOUCH away from victory. Remember the 6-8 touch rule not only for making sales but now also for experiencing breakthroughs in our lives. Godpreneur Rule – Godpreneurs stand strong knowing God is working on our behalf in our business and marriage. #MarriedEntrepreneurs #BusinessBibleStudy 21 Days of Breakthroughs in Business and Marriage This course provides needed strength and faith, in the truth of God’s holy Word, for breakthroughs in both your business and marriage. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

I own a web and graphic design company. There are so many ways to make money in this business. There are tons of markets I can focus on and hundreds of niches I can specialize in. But which one focuses on my entrepreneurial purpose? When someone asks me in my business “How are you guys doing?”, I say I’m busy. I’m balancing different clients, services, vendors, employees, on top of my personal life. When I focus on these things, and I’m not laser-focused on my entrepreneurial focus, all of this does seem BUSY. But what I’ve been learning lately is that if I were to stay focused on my entrepreneurial purpose, life wouldn’t seem busy, it would seem rewarding. See, my purpose is tied to my obedience to God and what He created me for as an entrepreneur. So focusing on my purpose really gives everything an eternal perspective, not a day-to-day view. Day to day we are busy bees. But eternally, we can rest in the fact that we are living our purpose. Our business is in vain if it is not focused on the Lord. Let your business actions today be a reflection of your true entrepreneurial purpose on earth. To read more articles about purpose, click here. #FindingMyPurpose #EnhanceFocus

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

How did I even start caring about the concept of Identity? When I started attending church again in 2008, I was introduced to a whole network of people that were also looking for purpose and meaning in their lives. It didn’t take long for me to start getting involved in helping grow the church by inviting friends and even doing their website! Where I grew the most was when I started attending growth groups. Some call them Bible studies. Essentially they are ‘masterminds’ within the church. In 2012 I decided to lead a growth group called Chazown. In this group, we were discovering God’s vision for our lives. It was during and through that group where I realized my calling was to help others discover and bring to life God’s entrepreneurial plan and purpose in their lives. All of a sudden, owning a logo and website company made sense! But I didn’t immediately drop everything to pursue this path. My identity was so wrapped in the nightlife and agency world that there was no way I could pursue this new calling over me. Instead, I tried to just slowly introduce it, talking about it only when certain people were around, not fully embracing it. I guess I tried to create the perfect mix between a nightlife authority and someone who cares about people’s passions and purpose…but who was I kidding? There is no such thing as a perfect identity for entrepreneurs. If you always try to be someone that others will like, you’ll end up not having peace in your life. To have peace in our business lives, we must listen to God and get comfortable being who He wants us to be. We’re meant to rely on Him, to know His purpose for us, and trust that God shows us our identity…what we were born to do. Part of living a godly life is having a group of friends who support you in your relationship with Him. Being a part of a godly community is vital in not forgetting that who we are is defined by God and not others. The Bible says: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4:9‭-‬10 NIV I was able to see a glimpse of my real identity when I started to lead my own growth groups. But before that, I attended growth groups. And before that, I decided I was going to go back to church. Having a community is what led me down the path of finding my identity. Now I totally rely on my church and the community of friends I’ve built. We are all there to support and water each other’s identity. We go on marriage retreats, vacations, dinners and mission trips together.  Without them, I’m not sure who would support my identity in Christ. Which of your friends and family help support you in your relationship with Christ? Gopreneur Rule #74:  Godpreneurs surround themselves by friends and family that support their spiritual growth. #GainConfidence #SharpenLeadership

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

I have a big struggle when it comes to hiring employees and delegating work to them. Let’s get one thing straight. I’m good at what I do. I know I was gifted with the abilities I have to brand and launch businesses. Are there others that can do what I do? Yes, of course. But I’m very talented at it, so it’s very difficult for me to let it go… We entrepreneurs always struggle with this tug of war of letting go more and more of the company in order to grow. But how do we balance this out? When have we let go too much? Just how much is too much? God provided me some insight today and I’ve been struggling with this. In the book of John, Jesus is in the middle of the parable of the good shepherd and his sheep. Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. (John 10:11‭-‬13 NIV) Here’s the reality. Nobody is going to care as much about my business as me (and a business partner if I have one). My role in the company is to be like Jesus and be a shepherd to the people I’m bringing on board. That’s the ultimate role and responsibility as a Godpreneur. That’s our primary calling: leading people like Christ would so they can see Christ in and through us. I may be a genius at my gifting, but the reality is that someone else is better than me. My job is to find that person and help mold and shape him or her. Like Jesus, I’m the Shepherd, and that’s what I’ve been called to do as an entrepreneur. #SharpenLeadership #BusinessBibleStudy

Do you have a big goal of helping thousands of entrepreneurs find their purpose-focused calling in business but get frustrated because it's not happening as fast as you want? We all want to leave a big mark in the world. We want to show off for God. We know He's called us to help more, but sometimes our business goals seem so out of reach—they are beyond our education, beyond our age, abilities, resources, and our networks. The key is to start small. God wants us to figure out how to help ONE person and then gives us the knowledge and desire to scale our gifting to serve more people. When I get frustrated that I don't see how I'm going to help 10,000 entrepreneurs find their calling, I have to remind myself that “It’s one business owner at a time.” When I do this, my mindset shifts from frustration to obedience, and in some weird way, the next call I'm on happens to be with someone who feels lost, confused, and in search of direction in their life. I shine God's light on that person. I let my spirit take over to change that one entrepreneur. Then I do it again and again. I don't need a magical marketing campaign or a fancy funnel to change someone's life. I need to change my mindset to care. Christian brand strategists must recognize that telling ONE entrepreneur that God has a calling over their life is our only duty today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Today, serving one person is our ultimate devotion and source of joy and happiness. But if our mind is always focused on how we're going to get to 10,000 entrepreneurs helped, we're going to miss out on God's duty for us TODAY. The Psalmist wrote Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalms 90:12 NIV) God gives even more wisdom when the focus is on the PRESENT opportunities to serve others. Your true love for serving others with your gift as a purpose finder is the mark of your true love for others. It's the most charitable and merciful act you can contribute to a business owner's life. We all know the business marketplace is fast-paced and always changing. God calls us to redeem the time and make every conversation count. Don't limit your talks about God to only your church friends. Start today with the next vendor, employee, client, and even the prospect that you encounter. This obedience gets BLESSED! Imagine if we all focused on serving over selling. In a world filled with pride, ego, greed, and selfishness, having a servant’s heart puts us directly on the front lines to be used by God to astound the world. Reflection What person comes to mind that you're supposed to call RIGHT NOW to serve them with your gifting? Who in your business needs the life-changing knowledge and power of a God-inspired word right now? Where's your mission field to serve others with your calling to call the called? To read more articles about sales, click here. #MakingMoreSales #AttractMoreClients #BrandStrategist

On a recent weekly prayer call with my staff, I was asked to pray for all of our Godpreneur Christian business leaders. I thought to myself, "man, Alex, you need to be praying moreover your own leadership and those of your followers." I didn't beat myself up over it. Instead, I got to work and started creating a prayer for leading our businesses better. The Bible gives examples of people who prayed for their leaders. The New Testament church and Old Testament prophets were specifically prayed for. In fact, the Bible also gives us specific commands to pray for our leaders. First Timothy 2:1–4 says, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." All of us leaders can benefit from receiving prayer, praying for other leaders, and praying on our own, and asking God to help us lead our businesses better. When we pray, we can ask God to grant us wisdom, direction, and discernment (James 1:5). Praying for our ability to lead better brings glory to God. It helps us understand and be grateful for the sacrifices and the responsibility we bear in leading God-first businesses in a fallen world. Prayer also acknowledges that God is the ultimate authority in our businesses. When we pray for ourselves and other Kingdom-driven business leaders, we are asking God to equip the men and women He has placed in marketplace ministry to carry out His purposes. Pray the prayer below for yourself and other Christian business owners. (Begin prayer) Amazing and gracious Father, I thank you for all the business leaders of Daily Godpreneur. Lord, help us recognize that you are our provider and that you did not give us the gift of entrepreneurship to take us away from our relationship with you but to bring us CLOSER to you. Remind us that our businesses and the talents we bring to our marketplaces are simply YOUR gifts to us to deliver YOUR provision. Give us the faith to believe this and the ability to trust YOU. Allow all of us Godpreneurs to become a channel of your blessings. Father, draw us kingdom-driven leaders closer to you and let us have a deeper, more personal walk with YOU. We want to hear your voice in all of our business plans and truly let you guide them as You promised. Also, Father, give us businesses that suit us to have resources to support our families, our employees, our churches, and those who depend on us. Lord God, we pray that you would help us understand Your eternal perspective regarding our vocational calling in this life and help us see the responsibility to steward our working lives well and use it for Your glory. Father, help our God-first business leaders recognize that the calling to lead a business is just as sacred as the pastor’s role and missionaries. Make our business leaders become good soil for your Word and not become greedy as you continue to prosper them. May they support other leaders, Pastors, and missionaries whom you've called for full-time ministries so that the worries of this life and the lure of wealth and desire for things will not prevent them from following you. May you bless and prosper Godpreneurs that support your global ministry. Lord, help us recognize that business is about meeting needs and serving others with humility, respect, and efficiency. Doing work as unto the Lord is worthy of virtuous profit. Help us, Lord, to never use people to build our business, but rather help us get better and become wiser at using our businesses to BUILD PEOPLE, helping them grow into all you intend for them. Father, we want Daily Godpreneur to change the world by bringing the Kingdom of God to the marketplace, so help our business leaders! We declare that all of them will run their businesses and lives so that you will say to them ... 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master.' Almighty God, bless and prosper the business leaders who've been faithful to you, who've been faithful in supporting your people and your ministries. Multiply their ventures to continue to support and honor you, Father. For this, we pray in the most precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen! #SharpenLeadership #FindingMyCalling #PrayForYourBusiness ALEX MIRANDA

I love the beginning of the month in my business because it brings new blessings. I get to start over on some goals while using momentum to take other initiatives to new levels. Each new month also allows me to reflect back on the previous month and count my blessings from God and pray for the next month. Every wise Christian entrepreneur should always begin the month with prayers. As the leader of our organizations, God wants us to speak into our new month as we enter into it. When we develop the habit of praying for each new month, we will never be victims of our circumstances for any month. Instead, we experience victory each new month. God always has something new for us Godpreneurs every new month. The Bible says: Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18) The enemy wants to keep us thinking about our past mistakes, ruminating on how things could have been better. But God has set us up with great things for every new month. God has made ways where there was no way, and He wants us to pray our way into them. Every month, you have the choice to carry life or death, success or failure, and blessings and curses into your business. Through prayer, you get to choose the best for every new month in your company. As Godpreneurs, our prayers enforce good over our business lives. Through prayer, we reject every evil that comes with every month, and we get to partner with the Holy Spirit is calling forth all the success that God has planned for the business. I believe every declaration we makeover our business on the altar of prayers every new month becomes our portion all through that month, in Jesus’ name! Imagine if we all secured each new month in prayer. Below is a powerful, God-inspired prayer for your new business month. This prayer will guide you to God's plan for your company in every new month. Prayed earnestly, I believe you will hear the voice of God. Let's pray. Dear Lord, as I enter this new month, I ask that you use my business to draw me closer to you than I knew possible. Please lead and guide me. Please go before my team and me and make the rough roads smooth. Help me order my days, run my business to the fullest, and take nothing for granted. Thank you for knowing my business's needs before I ask and for being by my side in everything I will face. I want to be a blessing to other business owners and point the way to you. I love you, Lord, and I commit this day and month to your hands. Father, I thank you for granting me the grace to see this new month. Thank you for your mercies and your grace in my business life. I declare that all through this month, no weapon formed against me shall prosper, in Jesus name. I declare that all my business encounters this month shall be safe. I declare that opportunities shall favor me this month. Lord, every evil arrow targeted against me and my business this month, I command you to return to the sender. Every evil plan of the devil against my company this month shall fail in Jesus' name. In this new month, I will celebrate my blessings more than ever. And everything I couldn't achieve last month, I shall achieve them this month. Lord, cause me to be at the right place at the right time this new month. You alone, God of new beginnings, open fresh doors of prosperity for my business. O Lord, give me anointed sales and marketing ideas and lead me to new paths of blessings this month. Let any wasted time and efforts last month be restored to multiple blessings this month. My business finances will not enter into the clutches of financial hunger this month. I reject every spirit of financial embarrassment. Father God, bring honey out of the rock for me and let my entrepreneurial spirit find the way where men say there is no way. I declare null and void all the evil words I have spoken against my choice to be an entrepreneur. This year, I will not give up at the edge of my business miracles. Let every architect of hatred, hostility, and conflict in my business be paralyzed. I command every limitation to my health, finances, and business growth to be removed. Let all inherited limitations to obtaining good things for my organization depart, in the name of Jesus. O Father God, arise and disgrace every power challenging my entrepreneurial progress this month - I refuse to eat the bread of sorrow. I destroy every spiritual opposition in my business to make way for you to do something new through my company in this prayer session that will change my business life for good, in the name of Jesus! Lord, deliver me and my business from all evil in this new month. I will not beg for money or anything else this month. Instead, I will draw closer to you than ever before. Thank you for answering my prayers. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. NEED MORE PRAYER? At Daily Godpreneur, we believe that for a Christian business owner to be successful in the marketplace, he/she must be given the Word of God and prayers. The business prayers on our website are topical, so it's easy to pray for a specific need or season. Our prayer team desires to improve your prayer life over your business. We care about our members, and we want to see the hand of God rest upon you and your business as you pray. CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL PRAYERS Click here to submit a prayer request. #TrustOnGod #PrayForYourBusiness

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

My former business partner and I used to get into huge fights. Tempers start flaring over a project, tensions rise over the direction we’re headed in, and anger boils over from past missteps. Anger feels good for 15 seconds and then it fades into guilt. At least for me, it does. As I’ve matured in Business leadership, I know that clear and effective communication is important. And when I get angry in business (it’s rare now), I realize it communicates a lack of self-control and frustration. I see it frequently through other entrepreneurs. I used to see it a lot with irate clients. I had this one client that was the angry screamer. This is essentially a lot of yelling and intimidation but very little, if any, actual progress on the project. I wasn’t a screamer. I was a leaker. I would just treat you terribly, rush a project, avoid calls, and not follow up after projects were complete. My biggest secret to controlling anger is avoiding the fight from the start. I try to look at the good before the bad. I give the benefit of the doubt. I put myself in people’s shoes. The Bible says: "Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling." Proverbs 20:3 NLT But I’ve controlled anger now because I’ve learned a lot through experience, through the word of God, and through God’s coaching. Think about how God works as your coach. He gives us the information through His Word, shows us how to do it by the many examples in history and through leaders, and then He lets us go out and try it. Consequently, there is a lot of failure among Godpreneurs. I expect Christian business leaders around me to fail—don’t you? That tells me they are learning and trying new things. So when we fail in business, God is not angry. He just helps us get back on our feet and lets us try again—sometimes without learning our lesson because that is up to us. He can only create the opportunity for us to learn—He does not control how we will process it. When any entrepreneur lets anger get out of control, he can lose credibility. So if you are angry, watch out! It can have some serious consequences and can actually cause a project or entire business to fail. I never met a successful entrepreneur who could not control his temper. Uncontrolled anger is a sign of weakness—not leadership. A Godpreneur’s uncontrolled anger may give us a moment of satisfaction but a lifetime of regret. #BecomeDisciplined #StrengthenIntegrity

Maybe some of you like your periodic meetings with your accountant. I didn’t particularly care for them. But I know they are 100% necessary, and the more often they are, the better. Accounting meetings always represented stress because from very early on in my business we had struggled to be profitable. Typical for starting businesses, but after 5 years you should have your stuff together, right? But inevitably, you have bad weeks. You have times when you made some mistakes, sales were low, lose a contract, payout too much, or get behind on bills. TRY THIS: The next time you get the bad news or see the numbers are not good, SMILE. Tell your accountant it’s going to be all good. Of course, fix the problems that are happening, but don’t let that circumstance stress you out to making bad decisions. Make smart decisions led by the spirit. It's these stressful moments when we need to call on God to give us an inner strength and faith that allows us to be patient and calm. Great leaders of their businesses NEED to have this skill. When we have faith in God, circumstances will no longer dictate our peace and contentment in our business. We are able to be patient and wait on God’s timing instead of forcing our own agenda…especially when we know we were called to be entrepreneurs!. If you often find yourself overwhelmed and frightened as you lead your business, consider where you are putting your trust. Few of us will be challenged to obey in as dramatic a fashion as Joseph, but we can let his faithful example inspire us to lead your business in calmness and faith. #AccountingHelp #DebtFreedom #MakeMoreMoney

Entrepreneurs do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Entrepreneurs take on one day at a time, excelling in the day’s goals, knowing that tomorrow will bring a new set of challenges that you’ll get to tomorrow. I love Proverbs 31 because excellence in entrepreneurship is seen through the eyes of the woman described here. "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life". Proverbs 31:10‭-‬12 NLT What is the value of excellence in entrepreneurship? Excellence inspires trust, loyalty, and respect, it also establishes a personal brand reputation that will follow you wherever you go and as long as you live an entrepreneurial career. I see the woman in these verses leading the family like I would lead a business. She did it with excellence. My “family” I’m being called to lead is my business and my tribe. God desires excellence from me, no matter what my situation. I’ve been at the entrepreneur lifestyle almost my whole life. I still haven’t sold a company for millions of dollars I’ve felt the pain of my financial situation constantly. At times I was full of sorrow and angry with God for the burdens He had placed on me. Then I realized that this is who I was and where I was. Could the valleys of my entrepreneurial life be seen as a gift and actually be vital for the mature Christian business leader God intended me to become? I asked God to begin to show me how to live out my life in my situation, and this was a major turning point for me. And when I saw entrepreneurs coming and going from the career path, I realized that my own story was going to inspire others so long as I continued to do things with excellence. Proverbs 31 also says: "Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” (Proverbs 31:28‭-‬29 NLT) Today I get people saying things like “I don’t know how you do it man, but I admire your energy and you inspire me.” I get this because I’ve taken on the attitude of excellence in entrepreneurship. The woman of Proverbs 31 excelled in whatever she was given to do each day. God gives her to us by way of Scripture to show us excellence, strength, and beauty in entrepreneurship. It is a perfect picture of what God wants from Godpreneurs of all ages and industries; be the business owner He created you to be and excel regardless of your situation. Godpreneur Rule: Celebrate excellence in entrepreneurship and discover God’s world of opportunities for your business. #NewEntrepreneurs #LaunchingMyBusiness

I don’t know about you, but when someone loans me something, I treat it better than my own stuff! For example, if someone lets me stay at their apartment when I’m on a trip, I’ll walk around more carefully, always have the dishes done, and I’ll leave the place cleaner when I leave than when I got there. I guess I’m like this because I want to continue to be trusted in the future in case I want to stay there again. I want my friend to know that he made the right decision in lending me his apartment. The people that work as money managers on Wall Street have the same view about money. They know you’re lending it to them, so they want to take care of it, grow it, and have you come back and continue investing in them. In both of these cases, the attitude toward the “borrowed” possession was the same: it’s not mine, I’m simply watching out for it, and I want to treat it especially well so I can be trusted again. So if we believe that all money belongs to God, then logically, we’re simply stewards of that money while we’re here. The question is: are we treating it as our own possession or as a trusted loan from God, watching out for it doing good with it? How come when it comes to money, we aren’t recognizing that it’s all a loan from God? We have this possessive attitude towards money like it’s our property to use at our disposal and defend at any extreme. Is it possible that we could worry less about money, and focus more on our calling? I love the story of the master who left his servants in charge of his possessions because it echoes my point. “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey". (Matthew 25:14‭-‬15 NIV) This master entrusted his wealth to the servants. It wasn’t theirs, they were being called to steward it. Steward means “manager” in old English. Every dollar that comes into your company is God’s. You’re only the manager of it right now. There were many managers before you, there are many around you competing to manage it better, and there will be many after you to manage it. You might say “But wait, I hustled hard for that money. I ground this business out. I closed the deal. It was my sweat and tears that built this business.” Yes, you labored, but God provided you your body, your mind, the opportunities, and the vision and passion within you to pursue your dreams. It’s all His. It’s all a gift from God, you don’t own it, it’s all on loan. We Godpreneurs are called to be money managers for the 60 or so years of our entrepreneurial careers. Just like we manage the bodies we are in, the relationships we have, and our various business opportunities, we must also have the attitude of managing money correctly. True possession is actually taking on the attitude that God possesses everything and everything we have is on loan. Then God will trust us with MORE, thus we will possess more of His money to manage. In the story of the master and his servants, the servant that managed the money the best got more money to manage. I know that I’ve forgotten this important rule when I worry about money. When I’m feeling pressured and stressed, and I leave to work earlier and get home later and sacrifice time with my family, I know I’ve got myself in a possessive attitude and I need to stop and pray. This is a pressure God didn’t intend for us to have. The enemy is at work and wants to convince us that it’s ours and we can solve this by working more to make more money. Listen, money management is a spiritual battle, therefore it’s a discipline we must study and master. If the enemy can use it against us with divorce and taking us from what we were born to do, then we need to educate ourselves even more in this area. God is watching us and our ability to handle his money and to see what more he can trust with us, both here and in Heaven. It’s also pressure, but it’s a positive pressure and something amazing to look forward to! Godpreneur Money Management Rule #2: Godpreneurs remember that God is the owner of the money and we are the managers. #BusinessBibleStudy #EnhanceFocus #MakeMoreMoney The 19 Rules of Money Management for Christian Entrepreneurs This course will help you develop a better sense of money management in God’s way. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account