Working Smarter in the Spirit

If 5787 is a season to plow and sow, we need to ask a practical question: Are we doing what this season requires, or simply doing more of what we already know how to do?

Recently, I met with pastors from Pakistan who asked what I sensed God was saying concerning their nation. I told them that, instead of arranging many more evangelistic outreach programs, they should gather people to pray. They were surprised. Prayer meetings may appear less impressive than large events, and they may attract less financial support. But I sensed that prayer was the work needed to prepare the ground.

I was not telling them to abandon evangelism or service to people in need. I was asking them to consider the order of the work. Hosea 10:12 connects breaking up fallow ground with seeking the Lord. If the ground needs plowing, another event alone may leave the underlying condition untouched. Intercession helps us discern where resistance lies, what people need, and how God wants us to sow.

This is what I mean by working smarter in the Spirit. It is not a shortcut or a promise of effortless results. It is the willingness to stop, listen, and let God direct our labour. Sometimes His direction will be to pray together before launching an outreach. At another time it may be to go, teach, serve, or speak. Understanding the times helps us know which step comes next.

Apply this beyond church programs. In your work, are you adding hours when you need a better decision? In your finances, are you repeating a pattern you have never paused to examine? In your marriage, family, or ministry team, are you planning another activity when an honest conversation and prayer are needed first? Ask God what lies beneath the difficulty. Then let His answer shape your next action.