By Nelson Semanu BOANDOH-KORKOR & Elizabeth BOANDOH-KORKOR
Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God. 2 He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.
3 He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon; “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word I will lower the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear.
7 So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” ~LUKE 5:1-8 NET
In the afore-mentioned story, Jesus was teaching by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on Him. He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon Peter, and asked him to push it out a little from the shore. Jesus then sat down and taught the people from the boat.
After speaking, Jesus instructed Simon to put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Despite having worked hard all night without catching anything, Simon agreed to follow Jesus’ instruction. When he did so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signalled their partners in the other boat to help them, and both boats were filled with so many fish that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw the miraculous catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” He was astonished, as were all who were with him. The prophetic direction Jesus provided brought a great transformation to the business of Peter and his friends. Without divine intervention, they could have faced significant devastation.
Prophetic insight and business strategy often feel like uncharted territory; it is a path for the brave-hearted who see beyond the natural and dare to venture into the spiritual. As Christian business leaders, we exist in a realm where God’s words hold authority not only over our personal lives but also over our enterprises. The question is, how do we wisely weigh prophetic insight in our business dealings? If not careful, what is intended to be a blessing can become a stumbling block. However, if discerned correctly, it can be a catalyst for purpose and prosperity.
The Bible provides several examples of faith-building insights into God’s heart for business, vocation and the marketplace:
- Jacob received a promise from God concerning his business in a prophetic dream. As a result, his flocks supernaturally increased, allowing him to gain independence from the oppressive oversight of his former boss Laban and return to Canaan (Genesis 31:10-13).
- Joseph’s prophetic ministry of dream interpretation launched him into leadership in Egypt. Through his stewardship, nations were saved from famine; and he used his expertise to increase Pharaoh’s business and property (Genesis 47:13-26).
- An angel appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat (Judges 6:11). The enemy was robbing the Israelites of their food and livelihood, but God used Gideon to supernaturally overcome the enemy so Israel could return to worshiping God and prosper again.
- David experienced God’s power privately in his family business before he went public against Goliath. God gave him the supernatural strength to protect his father’s flock from lions and bears (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
- The Prophet Elisha helped a woman in debt by empowering her to start a temporary small business. She gathered jars from her neighbours and sold oil supernaturally provided by God to pay off her debts and generate income (2 Kings 4:1-7).
- Daniel was a prophet and an administrator for the Kingdom of Persia. His prophetic ministry and God’s power at work in his life influenced kings and opened doors for promotion in government (Book of Daniel).
- Jesus gave His disciples prophetic instruction, resulting in an overflow harvest in their fishing business, compensating for a night of fruitless labour (Luke 5:5-7).
- A prophetic encounter with Jesus changed Zacchaeus’s life, impacting his vocation. He promised to restore wealth gained through corrupt business dealings in his tax collection business (Luke 19:1-9).
- Peter received prophetic instruction to minister to a Roman centurion, a leader in the Roman army (Acts 10:9-20). Jesus also ministered to a centurion, healing his sick servant through a word (Matthew 8:5-13).
A closer examination of these passages uncovers timeless insights that Christian business leaders should not overlook. They offer valuable lessons in business fundamentals, strategic planning, entrepreneurial mindset and financial management. We wrote this book for you, and we strongly believe that God will speak to you about your business and career as you delve into its contents.
>>>Nelson Semanu Boandoh-Korkor is a respected author, publishing consultant and Christian business coach. He is passionate about financial evangelism and is also a forex trader, cryptocurrency investor and metaverse enthusiast.
Elizabeth Boandoh-Korkor (CA) is a highly accomplished Chartered Accountant with nearly two decades of experience in financial management consulting. She has worked extensively in both the non-profit and banking sectors. You can reach out to them at +233549762233 or [email protected]
