Pray or Proceed? How to Discern When to Pause and When to Take Action As A Christian Practice Owner
To pray or not to pray? That is the question.
Sometimes, as practice owners, it can be hard to know when it’s time to pause and pray, and when it’s time to take action. Both are essential, but each has its season, and learning to discern the difference is part of stewarding our practices well.
Questions like When do I hire another therapist? When should I expand? Is it time to scale back, rest, or shift direction? come up often. And as Christian therapists, we know God is at the center of every decision, big or small. But how do we know when God is calling us to wait on Him in prayer… and when He’s prompting us to move forward in faith?
We don’t want to stay still longer than we’re meant to, and we also don’t want to rush ahead without consulting the ultimate business owner, which is God Himself.
Recognizing which step is right for you in this moment is key. Let’s explore how to discern that together.
When Prayer Might Be the Wrong Move for Your Practice
One day, my business coach said, “Whitney, sometimes you wrestle too long with something you just need to act on.” His comment stopped me. I’ve always seen myself as quick to move. Yet, he pointed out that when I don’t want to decide, I find reasons to delay. I have always thought of myself as quick to action, especially in business. And, yes, sometimes I am. But, other times, I might just not want to make a decision or take a step forward, so I come up with excuses as to why I am not doing anything.
Here are some of my reasons:
Explain why it “won’t work.”
“I don’t have the finances.”
“It is a big time commitment.”
But, there is one more. And this one happens often for Christian practice owners:
I need to pray about it.
Prayer is essential, but it’s not a pause button. Sometimes we wait for ‘enough’ prayer time. For example, we believe if we haven’t prayed for at least a few days or weeks, then we haven’t waited long enough for God to move. Another misconception is that we believe we need a perfect sign, such as a friend’s confirmation, an unexpected deposit, or a verse that jumps off the page.
It is nice when God confirms a decision with a sign, or we have hours to pray. But it doesn’t always work like that. God is not limited to moving in these ways. Christians often use prayer as their excuse not to take steps forward. We are the ones overcomplicating the process. We are missing out on moving forward in faith by being paralyzed by prayer.
Christian private practice owners often say they need to pray about a decision. In fact, I know some who have been praying about the same decision for literally over a year! They question why God isn’t doing more or why their practice is stagnant.
We know God’s heart in Scripture: serve the brokenhearted, do good, unconditionally love, and help the hurting. If a decision moves you toward that, you can pray and move.
I now understand what my business coach meant when he said I wrestle too long. God isn’t waiting for perfect prayers but for faithful movement.
What decisions are you praying about in your practice? In what ways is God asking you to take a faith-driven step forward?
When We Pray Too Little
While there may be times we use prayer as an excuse to not move forward, there are other times we do not pray enough.
Over the past few weeks, I have found myself exhausted, not just physically, but on a deeper level. I have a number of projects I am working on– more to come on this– but it has taken much of my energy. When this happens, I often lose my way, distracted by many tasks and activities, jumping from one thing to another. I confuse business with faithfulness. I lose my identity in what I do rather than who I am. And the busier I become, the worse this gets.
Some of us don’t pause long enough to pray
We don’t truly make God a part of what we do, though we put up a facade as if we are. We are moving quickly, telling ourselves that everything is important, and losing sight of how God actually wants us to spend our time and energy.
We believe the lies: “I have to do it all,” “there is no time to slow down,” and “my practice needs me.” We rely on our own strength rather than His.
Day by day, the exhaustion creeps in. We spend less and less time in the Word and prayer because we have other items that need our attention. We find ourselves becoming cranky, less kind, and overly emotional, or possibly apathetic. We become burned-out practice owners, not leading well, and not happy.
There is a place in the middle where we don’t become stagnant with prayer for too long, but we also slow down enough to pray. We must create a rhythm of alignment with our prayer life and business ownership.
When we find space for prayer and intentionality, we become leaders who are rooted in Him, making His decisions and not our own.
We listen to His voice rather than the voice of others. We find our energy and passion in Christ, which is a deep well rather than our own strength, which quickly runs dry.
But how do we maintain a healthy rhythm in our practice? In what ways do we remind ourselves of slowing down and finding God?
The goal is not to completely change our lifestyle, but to find small steps to improve our spiritual connection throughout the day.
Some practical tips for improving your spiritual alignment:
Centering Prayer - Start and end your day in prayer. This could be longer morning devotions or a short prayer before getting out of your car. Maybe you choose to start a staff meeting with a one-minute prayer, giving space for God to direct your meeting rather than yourself.
Slow Down - Place more white space in your schedule. Review your calendar each morning and remove unnecessary meetings. Delegate tasks that someone else on your team could accomplish.
Use your Mission and Values as a Filter - When reviewing your projects and tasks, use your mission and values as ways to evaluate what you should and should not be doing. If it doesn’t align with your mission, don’t do it. Say “no” to items that are not in agreement with your values.
Daily Prayer or Liturgy - Consider creating a regular routine, inviting God into your space and centering your thoughts on Him. This could be a liturgy used throughout the day. If you don’t have one, consider checking out the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer. I like to light a candle when I arrive in my office as a prayer and a reminder of God’s presence, directing my day.
Weekend Rest - When the week ends, don’t pack your weekend with activity or too much work. Give yourself space to engage with others and God. In those moments, not only will He revive you, but He will also speak to you and provide you with the guidance you need in your life and work. The Sabbath was created for us (Mark 2:27); use it.
Where do you find yourself? Do you tend to pray often and not act? Or do you act too often and forget to pray? What changes might God be inviting you to make?
God has great plans for you and your practice. He wants to walk the walk with you, guiding you each step of the way. It is a beautiful love story; you and God leading the practice.
Your practice will become not just a place you run but a place where you walk with Him.
Reflection
Now, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on where you are in your practice. Is it time for you to pray? Is it time for you to take action? Have you been waiting for an answer for years? Is God calling you to trust Him deeper in a certain area?
We’re all on different paths, so the most important thing is for you to discern what’s right for you in this season. Spend some time reflecting on what God has already told you. Go do that thing; whether it be prayer or taking a leap of faith, trust that what God is telling you is ultimately working out for your good.
