Time management is a well-documented and studied arena. Countless books, Ted Talks, and studies revolve around this aspect of life and work. Managing our time and priorities is fundamental to being effective each day. Both Daniel and Jesus understood this and modeled what to prioritize each day.
Daniel
Daniel 6:10 He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Daniel 6 is within the context of Daniel being appointed as one of the highest ranking administrators in the kingdom. Due to his success, the other high officials became jealous and tried to find fault with, and ultimately kill Daniel. When they couldn’t find fault, they schemed how to use his faith and routine of prayer against him. They knew it was so consistent, three times every single day, that they could lay a trap and dispose of him. This habit is a powerful example for us to model. We know he was one of the wisest men in the Old Testament with vast amounts of insight and understanding and he knew how vital it was to orientate each part of his day towards God. Daniel was not a leisure scholar with an abundance of free time to pray, but a busy man overseeing the entire kingdom. I imagine he had more demanding days than you or me and yet nothing came between him and prayer. He intentionally refocused on God three times a day because he understood that being the most effective ruler possible required a constant dependence on Him. As entrepreneurs, we introduce discipline and routine in so many areas, but we often neglect our relationship with God. How many times do we orient ourselves to Him each day? Do we make Him a priority in the midst of the distractions? Daniel did. He prioritized God each and every day because he knew that was the most important piece.
Jesus
Mark 1:35-36 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you”.
This small glimpse into Jesus’ day shows a similar priority placed on prayer. The whole city had gathered to see Jesus, but instead of teaching the people, He slipped away to ensure he had time with His Father. This is similar to a CEO who has her entire company looking to her for direction and yet slips away to pray. Through these passages, we see the priority Daniel and Jesus placed on prayer and their time with God. Daniel was not so consumed by running the kingdom that he forgot to prioritize his prayer life and Jesus did not let the pressure of the crowds distract him from his time in communion with God. They both understood that being the most effective version of themselves meant time with God in prayer…no exceptions.
Share with us in the comments below how you keep your time with God a top priority. What have you found to be the most effective way to do this?