Welcome to day 4 of 21 Days of Prayer! There comes a time when we must be firm about who we are and what God has called and equipped us to do. If you don't plan your schedule, someone else will. And when it comes to setting goals for change in our lives, keeping a handle on our personal and professional schedule is critical. The plans of the diligent lead only to plenty, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty (Galatians 5:1). Planning is an essential part of effective time management and successful outcomes. Wasting time leads to a lack of productivity, a lack of prosperity, and wealth of poverty.
“Time is your most precious gift, because you only have a set amount of it.” Rick Warren
A lack of planning, organization or a sense of obligation that many of us allow by someone or something other than ourselves leads to poor time management. To change this behavior, you need an effective plan but the plan is only effective if you put it into effect. It's time for you to take charge of your time. To do so, you need a plan of action.
PLAN of ACTION
THE ELIMINATION PHASE
Let's start with Phase 1, the ELIMINATION PHASE. Schedule some uninterrupted time to do the following:
GET THE NOISE OUT OF YOUR HEAD. Turn off ALL electronics. Spend some quiet time with God to clear your mind and get direction.
WRITE IT DOWN. Write down everything you think you need to do (use pencil and paper). This should be a long list.
ELIMINATE THE TIME BANDITS. As you spend time with God, cross out the things on the list that are taking you away from what you really should be doing. Be honest.
REWRITE. Now, rewrite the list. This should be a shorter list.
PRAY FOR STRENGTH. Ask God for the strength to detach from things that are stealing your time to do what you really should be doing because time is your most precious gift.
THE TAKE CHARGE PHASE
Now, you're ready for Phase 2, the TAKE CHARGE PHASE. You will need some uninterrupted time to complete this phase, too. Allow God to guide you by his Holy Spirit.
Plan (Jeremiah 29:11)
Prioritize (put first things first)
Set Goals (Example of Goal: To lose 20 pounds in 2017. How? Exercise 5 times per week, eat meat & green, and drink 64 ounces of water each day). You must write down your goals.
Take Action! (Get up! Get up! Get up and never give up!)
Evaluate. Review, reconsider, and revise as needed but always take action.
Don't Sweep Success Under the Rug
Now, these steps take hard work. Not doing the hard work of getting focused and the personal determination of staying focused is like sweeping your success under the rug for another 12 months. It does you no good. Take charge of 2017. What has God equipped you to do with your life? Today in your prayers give that some serious thought. Take charge of your schedule. With grace and wisdom, you can take charge and stop letting others dictate what you do and manipulate how you spend your time. Doing that does not require you to rebel and wreak havoc all around you. It means you should choose to live the way God has called and equipped you to live. You were made for a purpose. Now go pursue it with all your might!
Our Prayer Today
Father in heaven, today I choose to take charge of my schedule. As You show me how to plan, prioritize, set goals, and take action in my life, give me the presence of mind to guard my time to accomplish those goals. Show me the walk of wisdom and grace with others as I prepare myself to be a blessing to others. Give me the words to speak in response to people and circumstances that hinder, interrupt, distract and barricade me from my purpose. You have promised in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." In the name of Jesus, Amen!
~Inspiring Hope and Seasoning Faith, Pastor Sean & Dr. Regina Daigre
Dr. Regina M. Daigre, Prayer Firewall Blog Founder | Editorial Director