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"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps". Proverbs 16:9

After Day 4 of the Prayer and Preparation Period, I set aside two days for review and pause to provide time and space for those needing time to catch up. I hope you were able to take advantage of that opportunity. I informed my readers a few days ago that I would be introducing the first seven days of the Prayer and Preparation Period. Additionally, I will offer sessions to anyone in need of a Life Coach specializing in Performance and Spiritual Growth. 

I look forward to being your Performance and Spiritual Coach for many reasons, but most importantly, because I want you to understand that the Prayer and Preparation Period is more than setting goals and objectives or dedicating time to develop personal mission and vision statements for the future. Achieving such things by God's direction involves dedicated prayer, spiritual guidance, and more. As Proverbs 16:9 clearly teaches us, people make plans all the time, but the LORD establishes their steps. Taking full advantage of the Prayer and Preparation Period will empower and equip you to make godly plans and make room for God to establish your steps. For Day 6 of the Prayer and Preparation Period, I would like to share my story about its inception. 

I will never forget the first time God led me to develop what I call today my Prayer and Preparation Period. At that time, I was pastoring my second church and had just completed my first two years as senior pastor. What an exciting season it was. At the start of my pastorate, the church had thirty-eight members, who were mostly seniors. A few years before my installation, the church went through an unfortunate split, resulting in sixty to seventy percent of the membership leaving with the pastor who resigned. You can say I had to pick up the pieces of a church that was shattered spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally. 

The first two years of my pastorate were seasons of growth. During that season, the Lord added close to one hundred and twenty-five new members. Many of those members were middle-aged and below. We went from averaging approximately thirty members each Sunday morning to approximately one hundred and ten. The Lord blessed the church with new life and new opportunities. As senior pastor, I had to determine the best way to harness that growth and develop potential that was not just numerical, but spiritual as well. As a result, the Prayer and Preparation Period was installed by me during the second year (2015) of my pastorate. The Prayer and Preparation Period not only provided hope for the future, but it also helped many people heal from wounds of the past. 

As you prepare for what life has in store for you today, prayerfully consider ways in which I can help you embrace hope for the future and healing from wounds of the past.   

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