Pray Better than a Billionaire and Earn Eternal Spiritual Joy

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

Before getting into the substance of this post, let me remind you of my teaching plans for this month in the Boston area:

In Brookline, Massachusetts (617-730-2700)

Raising Capital for Your New Business on September 20 and 27 (this is the expanded version of my popular course on starting a small business and can save you a fortune in capital costs!)

Franchising Opportunities to Start a New Business on September 21 and 28 (this is a new course to help you find the right franchise operation for you)

In Newton, Massachusetts (617-559-6999)

The 2,000 Percent Solution (creating ways to accomplish 20 times as much with the same time and resources: it's like cloning yourself 20 times! -- see www.2000percentsolution.com for background)

Call now for information and to enroll!

I also offer on-line tutorials in these subjects throughout the year.

I'm going to address this question from a Christian point of view. If that perspective doesn't interest you, perhaps another of my blog posts will be more helpful to you.

I couldn't find any books or articles about how billionaires pray. My guess would be that most billionaires do pray . . . most people do. I also assume that most billionaires who do pray do so as Christians. After all, a high percentage of billionaires are from countries where most people are Christians.

Clearly, anyone who prays as a Christian has a big edge over those who don't pray, whether they be billionaires or not.

If you simply say the Lord's Prayer once a day, you have accomplished that. Just to remind you of the prayer, here's the version that I say:

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever. Amen."

How else can you pray?

Let me share some ideas that seem to be supported by Scripture as I read the Bible.

1. You can pray for forgiveness as soon as you sin and for the strength to avoid that sin in the future.

God will forgive us, but many of us don't humble ourselves to ask for forgiveness. If you are like me, sinful acts and thoughts slip out before they become part of my consciousness. The only thing to do is acknowledge the sin and move on better equipped to deal with the same circumstance in the future.

2. When you are tempted to sin, ask for God's help to avoid the temptation.

Sometimes the sin is one that you wrestle with for some time before sinning. Let God help you to avoid the sin before you do it!

3. Pray for God's help to do His will.

To some people, God is a little like their idea of Santa Claus. If you want something swell, you just keep asking until you get it. A wealth-focused billionaire might make this mistake. God wants you to put Him first in your life instead.

4. Pray for God to give you capacities to serve Him.

In the entire Old Testament, few people were as blessed by God as Solomon. As we read those parts of the Bible, God specifically says how pleased He was that Solomon prayed for wisdom, rather than riches. Solomon knew that he would have to judge the Hebrews and wanted to do a good job of it from God's point of view. Solomon enjoyed both wisdom and riches . . . while usually basking in God's favor.

5. Pray for Faith.

As Jesus often said, Faith is the key. Some people in the New Testament performed miracles simply because they had Faith. God will help us build our Faith, if only we ask.

6. Pray to God all the time.

The more you keep your focus on God, the better will you perform as His servant. God wants to hear from you. Share your needs and happiness with him as often as you want!

7. Pray to God to thank and praise Him!

Most of us have so many blessings that we cannot begin to remember what they all are. Show your gratitude with prayers of Thanksgiving. It's a wonderful feeling to realize how much God has given you.

8. Pray for increased awareness of ways you can use your special talents.

God has a unique purpose for you that's different from his purposes for anyone else. If you listen to the Holy Spirit within you, you will more often be in tune with that Holy purpose. Ask God to amplify the Holy Spirit's message.

9. Trust God to deliver what you've already prayed for.

Only God knows when the right time is. Many of us are like substitutes on the bench for His spiritual team. At the right time, He will put us into the game. If something you want hasn't happened yet, pray for other resources that will make it more possible. Avoid simply repeating the same prayer request.

10. Pray in new and inspiring places.

The fresher your spirit, the stronger your prayer's influence will have on you. Finding new places to pray can strengthen you spirit in wonderful ways. For example, I find God's natural world more inspiring than any house of worship I've visited. I like to look for new places to seek Him in His cathedral.

Please let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the updated table of contents entry that I posted on September 7. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.

August 31 was the most frequently read blog entry to date. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many tens of thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it. E-mailing your favorite post to them is a great idea. My post on saving money on heating costs this winter is a good choice. You can find it at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_30_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html/.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog.

If you are visiting today because someone invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

Remember to check out

Live Spiritually Better than a Billionaire at http://livespirituallybetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Be More Successful than a Billionaire at http://bemoresuccessfulthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Football Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoyfootballbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/ and

Be a World Hero Better than a Billionaire at http://beaworldherobetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell