Doing Business with God: The Round Table Meeting that May Change Your Life

I love spending intimate time with the LORD. Time in His presence is very special and it’s something I cherish. The reality is I don’t often have the luxury of doing that on a regular basis. Does that mean that my relationship with the LORD has to suffer? No, it does not. I’ve discovered throughout the years that we all enter into seasons of life that demand more from us than others. Those demands can affect all our relationships – including our relationship with the LORD.

If you are discouraged about your personal time with God, and feel like you just can’t quite make it happen the way you want to or feel you should, I’d like to take some weight off you. Our relationship with the LORD is like any other. It fluctuates and flows. No day is the same. And if you have been one to tell yourself that everyday with the LORD will be the same, or if you have expectations of yourself toward prayer and bible reading that you find hard to fulfill, then you’re going to live a  very frustrated spiritual life. It won’t take long at all to figure out that’s not how life rolls. As good as those disciplines are, they may be inconsistent at times.

In this post I’m going to talk a bit about how to do business with God in a productive way. It doesn’t always mean you’re going to be in your bedroom on your knees. Guess what? You’ll be in your car, at the dentist, in the grocery store, and even in the restaurant. The wonderful thing about knowing the LORD and having Him reside in you as a believer is that your communion with Him remains intact and  unbroken. It can happen anywhere at any time. Jesus modeled that for us perfectly in the Gospels. He did business with His Father spot on – and many times those moments were, by all definitions, inconvenient, unplanned, and spontaneous. And you know what? Business got done.

Jesus knew how to do business with His Father. Let’s take a lesson from the Master.

The Busy Life

I don’t have time to languish in the presence of the LORD the way I always want. Listen – moments like that for me can be rare. My relationship with Him is many times one of constant checking in, instant messaging, and short but heartfelt prayers throughout the day. Walking in His Spirit is part of learning how to live the Christian life. Because it’s constant. It never stops. In Him you live, breath, and have your being. When moments come and you need to know what to say or do, you need to have a relationship with Him established so that you can ask Him right then – and get a solid answer. You don’t need an intercessory team that lays hands on you. What you need is a tight relationship with Christ. You will not always be able to skip away to your personal retreat. It’s just not possible. The good news is, Jesus Christ lives inside you. Your heart and soul are His tabernacle.

He’s right there.

I love it when He slept on the boat. He was exhausted. And I get it – He was just a bit miffed when the disciples woke Him up because they truly thought they were going to perish! You know what? Business got done, right? I love the moments when Jesus Christ spoke to His Father in public and His Father answered in an audible voice. His baptism? Bam! His transfiguration on the mount? Bam! That was relationship! Jesus made it clear that He only did what He saw His Father doing, and He only said what He heard His Father say. His sole agenda was to fulfill the will and pleasure of His Father here on earth as it is in Heaven. And He accomplished that. And you know what? He’s called you and I to this same relationship. This is not a shrouded mystery. So, how did He do it?

He did business with God. And it only happened through relationship.

When we look at Christ’s life outside of His miracles, truly it was very ordinary. There was nothing glamorous about it. He slept. He ate. And He served people. He was probably dirty much of the time. He even said that He had nowhere to lay His head. His focus was intense, and He never allowed the demands of the moment to divert Him away from His ultimate purpose and mission. That’s the key for us. I believe we get far too distracted from the obligations in life. The reality is, our obligations aren’t going away. So we need to learn how to function. A busy life does not negate God’s presence within it. We need to be responsible with our time, yes. But the bigger lesson is this:  We must learn to live life by living in Christ and allowing Him to live in and through us at any given moment. That means taking up our cross and following Him.

If you’re in a busy season, you’re not alone. 99.9% of us feel that way. So, I beg you to read on.

The truth is, that kind of Christian life takes time and maturity to develop. It requires depth. And that doesn’t happen overnight or by accident. A deep relationship with Christ is like any other: You have to invest in it if you want it. Just know this: that relationship is available for every single believer. It’s there for you. And those who have that depth or intimacy are not special people. They’re just invested people.

Setting the Appointment

I want to preface the rest of this post by saying that I am, in no way, discounting intimate times of worship, intercession and the like. These are all very valuable and needed. So please don’t misunderstand the purpose of this post.

With that said, I’ve set many formal appointments with God. Yes, they are on my calendar, and I meet with Him like I would anyone else. He’s my LORD. He’s the one to whom I report. He’s the one to whom I’m ultimately accountable. In these meetings I am free to address anything I choose, and He also brings topics to the table. Many times I’m surprised by Him.

When I find myself pressed and I need to deal with things, whatever they may be, I have found it truly beneficial to conduct a meeting with God very much like those in a formal business setting. I have an agenda. I know what needs to be addressed. I come prepared, and I present it to Him openly and in order. We talk. We have a heart to heart. And I take very careful notes (journal).

The Round Table Meeting

God has also initiated appointments with me. He does this on a regular basis. He calls me apart to Himself where He can have my undivided attention, and He addresses things. Sometimes that happens at a restaurant. At other times He calls me away to a retreat. He’s even cornered me in my bathtub. So yes, I’ve had the LORD make appointments with me. We have dates. When we meet He always amazes me with His wisdom, mercy, love, and His beautiful tender presence. Many times He’s meeting with me to reveal things I would have never known otherwise. So when the LORD grabs you, know that it’s for a reason. It’s not for kicks and giggles. If He’s nudging you – you need to pay attention and find out from Him what is going on! Don’t ignore His call or appointment. They are opportunities you absolutely can’t afford to miss.

If you have an issue that needs to be addressed, please don’t delay in meeting with God. Conduct official business. Put it on the table. Leave no stone un-turned. Talk about it. Hash it out. This is where things get real, key decisions are made, resolutions are reached, and even miracles happen. It’s extremely productive. Not every encounter with the LORD is going to be spent in intercession, worship, or warfare. If that’s what you’re expecting for business to get done, don’t be surprised if God leads you via another route – directly to His round table.

Believe me, God has round table meetings. Trust me – He does. And when you can sit and talk with Him frankly about things, business gets done. There are many times I’ve made deliberate statements to Him that were carefully pondered. They were honest and forthright, and He’s always honored me in that. Don’t be afraid to approach Him in this manner.

Getting It Done

Every encounter with the LORD is different. If you haven’t experienced the round table meeting I’m talking about, don’t be afraid to try. I remember many times when I did business with God for different reasons.

In one particular instance I felt moved to approach Him as the Judge with my issue of concern. I knew that He was just, righteous, and true in all His judgments. And to put it simply, I was hung. God had called me back to school to become a nurse, and I was financially cornered by no fault of my own. I had a deadline to meet or I was going to miss my boat. My nursing program started in three months and I was on the top of the waiting list. Bottom line: I needed money for tuition – and I was upside down in a house that I could neither sell, rent, nor support any longer if I was going back to school.  After four years of intense struggle, I presented Him all the evidence. I had utilized every possible resource and carefully examined every possible avenue, yet nothing changed. No door opened. In fact, the more time that went by, the more upside down I became. It had become utterly impossible, and I knew I had come to my end. Finally in desperation I took it to the LORD in prayer. I carefully presented my case to Him line by line. I needed a miracle.

I heard nothing. But I knew He heard me, because I felt Him listening intently. I knew I had His divine attention.

The result? In less than a week He performed a miracle on my behalf. A young single father who attended my bible study walked into my house with a bluster and said, “God spoke to me in the shower and told me to give this to you for ‘the trip’, and I gotta’ go before I change my mind and disobey God!” That single young father of two children who worked three jobs came in and laid down a check for hundreds of dollars which was the precise amount I had prayed for and needed in that particular situation. And he left immediately. I have not heard from him since.

I’ve never in my life, before or since, had anything like that happen to me.

I cannot convey to you the awe and fear of God that swept through me that night. I stood there and stared at that check and I was so acutely aware of His presence in my life that it cut me to the quick. I was appalled, humbled, and I knew my Father had heard me. I was in shock. Everyone at the bible study was left speechless having witnessed this. And no one knew what to say, and no one even knew why he did it. Only I knew. It was between me and God. I’ve never forgotten that day, and because of that moment – I’m here writing you this testimony. And believe me – it has been a trip indeed!

And you know what? His call was proven to me. God got me out of that house in two months and I went back to nursing school within three – completely debt free. That was more than ten years ago now. I guess you could say business got done.

Am I special? NO. Did I give or sow money to get something back? Absolutely not. We do not manipulate God with our giving. Christ made it clear that our left hand should not even know what our right hand is doing.

All I did was hold a round table meeting with God. 

When it’s time to address issues, make some key decisions, and discuss some deep stuff – I set an appointment. He and I conduct official meetings. Don’t be afraid to do the same. It’s not always about intercession and warfare. Simply set the date and make the appointment. Hold that round table meeting with Him. It just may change your life.

He’s the Master, and He’s the only One who can get business done – and get it done right.

Cheers & Shalom,