“Pastor, everyone I spoke to about my business last week didn’t patronize me. What can I do differently this week?” 

It is scripturally true that a man’s gift gives him an opportunity to meet great people, but as I’ve always said, just because your gift gives you opportunity to meet great people doesn’t mean these great people will give you favour.

Naturally speaking, gifts and skills will always give you an opportunity to meet people. As long as you have something that can be beneficial to someone else, then meeting people becomes easy. If you want to meet the president, start doing something that presidents need. It’s only a matter of time before you’d be called.

However, just because you were called doesn’t mean you’d be given favour. As a matter of thoughts, the reason why many business owners are frustrated is because their hopes have continually been shattered by prospective clients. These prospects gave them audience, but even though their presentation was up-to-par, they didn’t consider them worthy of a deal.

So, I totally understand your situation. And since you asked, let me show you a scripture that will help you secure clients this week:

Acts 2:

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

That’s right! Ensure that God’s name is praised in your business. And as you do that, the bible says “you’d be having favour with all the people” – literally, all the people you speak to about your product or service. And as long as you have favour with them, the Lord will add to you daily clients that need your products or service. This means that you’d have a minimum of 5 new clients by the weekend.

I know you probably know what it means to praise God; that joyful sound you make as you dance unto Him for His greatness towards you and His creation, that’s praise, except that praise is not limited to singing and dancing to glorify God. Praising God also means publishing the name of the Lord in all that you do.

Many Christians praise God at home but hide Him in their business. While you sing and dance and hallow His name at home, you’re expected to continue His praise by publishing or telling of His wondrous works in your daily activities, which includes your business. God cannot be in anything you hide Him from. So if you want Him to be in your business, then you must be ready to extend His praises to your business. Don’t be ashamed to tell prospects how God helps you in your business.

Some people think that talking about God’s help in a business conversation will make them look unprofessional, if only they know that the foolishness of God is wiser than man. Think about it, if acting foolish will get me a client, what’s the use of my professional composure?

I used to work with a man who would tell me not to bring the name of God into our business meetings. Painfully, it wasn’t long before he developed a brain problem, and the last time I checked, he had insanity. The company had to shutdown since there was no one to run it in his stead.

When a prospect asks you how you’re doing, don’t just say “Very well, thank you!”, say “I’m very well, thanks be to God, and thank you for asking”. That way, you’ve introduced your God to your prospect. Use every opportunity you have in that conversation to publish the name of God. That’s how to praise Him in your business.

I love how Dr. James P. Gills tries to integrate Jesus Christ into everything he does. As a super-wealthy ophthalmologist in 1983, he realized that he needed help managing his multiple assets, so he formed a company called “Jireh, Inc.”. He runs a billboard company called “Nissi”. He established a publishing company which he named “Love Press”. He also owns “St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute”, the world’s largest outpatient eye clinic, treating more than 100,000 patients yearly. This man has succeeded in putting God’s name in everything he does. Why wouldn’t he be wealthy?

Can God be seen anywhere in your business? When Covenant University was going to be dedicated, Bishop David Oyedepo said he laid down on the ground, in the presence of the pioneering students and various dignitaries, just to reverence God as the doer. Today, Covenant University is ranking among the top universities around the world. If you reside in Nigeria, then you must be conversant with “God Is Good Motors”. Anyone who observes their service will agree that indeed, God is good. As long as God’s name is clearly seen in anything you do, then expect it to prosper.

When God told the people of Israel that He wasn’t going to go with them to the promised land because He may get angry at them and destroy them in the process, they told God they won’t go any further because they’d have no name on them, nobody would believe their report. They knew they could not achieve their purpose or reach their future without God.

As I conclude, create a system that praises God in your business and even your job this week. As you do, you’d have favour with people, and God will add to you daily – people who need your product or services.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

• Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!

#EmekaAnslem