The Power of a Focused Life

I. The Need for Vision and Focus

Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18, KJV)

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:18)

II. Components of a Focused Life

A. Overall life vision – primary purpose in life

B. Life goals – applying my life vision to each specific area of my life.

Long-term goals (over 10 years) and short-term goals (3 months–3 years)

1. Spiritually (prayer time, fasting days, Bible study, etc.)

2. Relationally (family, friends, etc.)

3. Vocation (marketplace calling, etc.)

4. Ministry (in the church, outside the church, etc.)

5. Economically (spending, giving, saving, investing, etc.)

6. Physically (exercise, health, diet, etc.)

7. Rest (recreation, vacation, play, entertainment, sports, etc.)

C. Action plan – for each long and short-term goal in each area of your life.

D. Schedule – for each action plan, i.e., focuses us to prioritize. This is where our life vision most easily is derailed and lost.

The Lord says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” 15 See then that you walk wisely, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:14–17) {eoa}

Mike Bickle is the director of the International House of Prayer Missions Base of Kansas City, an evangelical missions organization based on 24/7 prayer with worship that is engaged in many evangelistic and inner city outreaches along with multiple justice initiatives, planting houses of prayer, and training missionaries. The International House of Prayer has continued in non-stop prayer led by worship teams since September 19, 1999, and is committed to combining 24/7 prayers for justice with 24/7 works of justice. Around 1,500 people (staff members, students, interns) serve full-time on the missions base, investing fifty hours per week in the prayer room, classroom, and ministry outreaches. Mike is also the founder of the International House of Prayer University which includes a full-time Bible school, music school, and media school. Mike is the author of several books including Passion for Jesus, Growing in the Prophetic, The Pleasures of Loving God, After God’s Own Heart, and Prayers to Strengthen Your Inner Man. Mike’s teaching emphasizes growing in passion for Jesus through intimacy with God, doing evangelism and missions work from the place of night and day prayer, and the end times. To read more content like this, visit mikebickle.org.