DAY 1 - DILIGENCE
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage... - Proverbs 21:15 (AMP)
Read Joshua 1:1-10
Key scriptures
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. 8 Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out.
Ecclesiastes 7:7-8
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” In other words: Avoid risk, avoid disaster, by diversifying your income!
Ecclesiastes 11:2
When I initially embarked on this journey the Holy Spirit said to me, “Diligence is going to be the key to unlock the door.” The word diligence means to be conscientious, tenacious, dedicated, hard-working, committed, and persistent. It means to do things consistently well.
This year is going to take all the energy you can rally up, but the payoff is going to be substantial. Proverbs 10:4 (Complete Jewish Bible’) says, “Idle hands bring poverty; diligent hands bring wealth.” Diligence is one of the internal mechanisms that will help you accomplish all that God has laid before you through faith. Romans 40:20-21 (KJV) says, concerning Abraham and God’s promise to him, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
Imagine the diligence it took for Moses to lead over one million people or more through the desert for 40 years. Most of us would have quit 20 years prior. There was something in Moses that so desperately wanted to please God and possess the promise that nothing in him would give up. So, imagine yourself standing at the brink of possessing everything that God has promised you. Imagine the rush, the excitement, and the exhiliration; Everything you have believed God for is becoming a reality.
You already understand this is a supernatural journey, but there are things you can do in the natural to help you remain diligent. The following time-proven principles will help you.
REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS
Distractions can come in many forms. It is anything that will hinder you from giving the assignment the full attention that it needs. Proverbs 4:25 (Complete Jewish Bible), “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.”
KEEP YOURSELF ORGANIZED
When Jesus went to feed the 5,000 in the book of Mark, He was not moved by the crowd of hungry people. Instead, He was already working on an effective strategy to help Him complete His task in a minimal amount of time.
In Mark 6:40 He told His disciples “Organize the people in groups of 100 and 50.”
He knew breaking the crowd down into smaller groups would change the disciple’s frame of reference. Many times, we can’t move forward because our perspective is skewed. What we are looking at is a daunting task, but if you break it down into manageable portions, you will be amazed at what you can get done quickly.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is the discipline of using your time skillfully. Unfortunately, for many of us, procrastination is a real issue. It is essential to understand procrastination is not a disease but a pattern. It is intentional and habitual, but any habit can be broken. The root of it, many times, is fear. Psalm 90:12 (Complete Jewish Bible) says “So teach us to count our days, so that we will become wise.”
PROPHETIC INSTRUCTIONS
The question I asked you when we started this journey was, “What do you have in your hand?” Identify what projects or assignments are incomplete and ask the Holy Spirit which one(s) you are supposed to be working on this year.
If you are like me, there are several projects that the Lord has given you. Most of them are interrelated and interdependent. Meaning, if you finish one, it will have a domino effect, because your other projects are contingent on you finishing the first one.
I also want you to add tentative dates and a budget. If you don’t add dates, you will never start or finish. If you don’t have a budget, you cannot adequately project what resources you need to complete the project.
Project Name:
Start Date:
End Date:
Tentative Budget:
What scriptures are you committing to declare over your life?
What has God already spoken to you?
This is amazing! I am going to share this with my team tonight during our leadership call. Thanks Woman of God for the wisdom you carry, and the blessing you are!