In the changes I have made in my personal life regarding prayer, it is bleeding over into my business life.
I am not ashamed. I am not concerned what my clients think. I, in reality, don't care. It is apart of my life and I am not going to leave it out of my business life!
A few months ago (June or July), I got the team of one of my clients together, asked them to pull their chairs in a circle in the middle of the room, asked them to join in hands, and then shared my heart, looking at each one of them I said, I can't share with you details of what is going on, but I need you in my life. The challenges I am facing on a business level are beyond what I can deal with. I need your prayers. I want us to pray together. I am going to start, if you want to join, I would love you to join me and add your prayer. If you don't feel you can, I respect that. I don't want you to feel pressure, but I know you are woman of faith and I want you to be apart of my life.
I prayed. For wisdom, for strength, for courage, for hope, for answers, for relief, for understanding, for help, for a positive outcome, for a positive team spirit, for my client to see the work we were doing, for protection from any more bad things, etc.
It wasn't long, but it wasn't short either.
Nobody prayed after me. This didn't surprise me. It was the first time we did that.
However, I didn't expect each one to come to me privately at a later point in time and tell me how much that meant to them. This blew me away.
A month ago, when a client was leaving the office, I asked the client what I could do to help him/her further, he/she looked me straight in the eyes without wavering and said, "Please pray as if your life depends on it, I need it Misty." He/She never, never, never has talked to me like this. I looked him/her straight in the eyes and without any hesitation said, "My life does depend on it and you have got to believe I am and I am not going to quit."
My heart swelled. He/She knew how deep my faith meant to me. Why? Because he/she saw the results of it. I was praising God that he/she would ask me to pray and would bring it up. A win in my book with God!
Then I did something with another client recently. Having a weekly consulting session with the board, before I left, I said I want to do something. Being short on time and the agenda full, the client said what's that, I said, I want us to pray before I leave. Taken a bit back, the client said okay, but don't make it long. I was perturbed that he/she would say that, but I didn't let it stop me. I prayed for strength, courage, wisdom in what we are working with, help for the time frame and deadlines presenting themselves, hope to be able to achieve what we need done, and guidance for me to help my client. I didn't make it long, not just because of the clients statement, but because my message and prayer was concise. This client added a prayer at the end of mine. It was probably half the length of mine, but it made my day!
As I went to leave, the client said, "Misty I am so glad you did that. You amaze me. We need to do that more." I responded, "Anytime you want, I am on board."
Prayer is powerful. Fervent prayer is meaningful. Prayer changes things.
Don't doubt it.
