By Rick Boxx – Dr. Richard Blackaby was talking with a group of business and professional leaders in Iowa about a time when his father, Henry, was invited to speak to a group of Fortune 500 CEOs. It was amazing for him to see a gathering of such high-ranking corporate executives in one place, especially considering the scope of their responsibilities and influence.
Well-known for his Experiencing God books and Bible studies, the elder Dr. Blackaby was direct in his challenge to these individuals. He admonished each of them to intentionally schedule and plan for what he called “unhurried time with God,” both in terms of Bible study and prayer.
You can imagine how many of them reacted. One CEO, after listening to the proposal, interjected his thoughts: “Henry, doing that is not likely. You have no idea how busy we are.” Dr. Blackaby responded, “Well, you have no idea who you would be meeting with. If you did, you would make time.”
Three months later, the same CEO communicated back with Dr. Blackaby about the challenge. He said that after resolving to spend unhurried time with God daily, he discovered that his days were far more fruitful than ever before!
This executive was hardly the first person to learn about the positive, even tangible benefits of devoting consistent time with God in studying the Scriptures and praying. The famous theologian Martin Luther, a man faced with many demands himself, said, “the less I pray, the harder it gets; the more I pray, the better it goes.” Another time Luther made this honest but paradoxical observation: “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer”!
Psalm 138:4 declares, “All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of Your mouth.” God is worthy of our sincere, unhurried time, no matter what our status may be at work. In addition, there are practical benefits we can receive from this. Here are just a few of them:
We can gain a proper perspective. Faced with many pressures, deadlines and demands, along with conflicting messages coming from our culture, it is easy to lose focus on what is right and proper. Spending unhurried time with God, especially at the start of the day, reminds us of what is important and who we ultimately are striving to serve through our work. “My heart says of You, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).
We can acquire the wisdom we need. Many of the problems we confront during the course of a day, especially those we did not anticipate, require not only knowledge but also wisdom to handle properly. We can get what we will need from God. “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).
We can appropriate God’s strength. It is easy to charge into a day in our own power, confident we can handle any situation. Often, however, we can’t. But through time with God, we can receive His strength and direction. “I can do everything through Jesus Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
Copyright 2023, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments”, a commentary on faith at work issues. Visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a faith at work ministry serving the international small business community.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
- How would you respond if someone approached you and asked if you regularly spend “unhurried time with God”? What does this even mean to you, and how easy – or difficult – do you think it is to accomplish on a consistent basis?
- What do you think of Martin Luther’s two statements indicating the more and harder he prayed, the better each day would go for him? Does it seem foolhardy to say that when faced with great demands, the need for time with God is even greater? Explain your answer.
- Thinking about resolving to spend unhurried time with God, what are some of the challenges or difficulties you have encountered in attempting to do this?
- In what ways do you think spending unhurried time with God can give us a better perspective on the opportunities and obstacles we confront during a typical day in the workplace?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 1:7; 3:13-15; 12:8; 16:21; Colossians 3:17; 3:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Challenge
Good intentions are of little value if we do not follow up on them and strive to put them into practice. Sometimes the best way to ensure following through on what we intend to do – such as spending unhurried time with God – is by having an accountability partner. This is someone you trust and know cares about you who will remind you and encourage you to fulfill your good intentions. Do you have such a person right now that you can go to and rely on to hold you accountable? If so, share this desire with that person. If not, expectantly pray and ask God to send someone to assist you in an accountability role.
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