From Linda Seger’s book, Spiritual Steps on the Road to Success
Chapter 3: Willing to Be Blessed – The Success Prayer
Before I started my business in 1981, I struggled with the “whys” about success. Why weren’t things going my way, in spite of preparation, experience, and willingness? I looked at all aspects of my life and even analyzed myself in case there were glaring faults within me or inappropriate behavior. I came to the conclusion that I didn’t dress funny. I was a reasonably nice person without any serious mental illness or character flaws. I had spent years studying drama-certainly I had something to contribute. Why, then, did success seem so far away?
It’s easy to believe the obstacles come from God’s side. We can blame God for our lack of success. If we’re prepared, is God withholding? Might it be we’re off-center? Perhaps we’re not praying enough, or are forgetting to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Maybe we’re seeking in the wrong direction.
But what if the obstacles are actually coming from our side? If God wants to bless us, and we’re not receiving blessings, might it be that we’re putting up the barriers, not God? Might it be that the real problem is our fear of success, or our horror at becoming the greedy types often associated with success, or our unwillingness to do what is necessary? Are we more afraid of success than we are of failure? Is it possible there’s something in our own attitudes that is getting in our way?
After many years of small, dead-end jobs, and no sense my career was taking off, I began to wonder if the problems came from me, and if I needed help in resolving these problems. I finally said a prayer I later called “The Success Prayer.”
God, I’m thinking I’m creating the obstacles.
If so, I pray you would help me do whatever is needed to remove them.
Recognizing this may take courage, I prayed for courage. Recognizing this may take help from others, I prayed for help:
I’m willing to look at whatever is necessary within myself.
If I need courage to look at these barriers, then give me courage. If I need help, then send me help.
I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to break down the barriers between me and success.
If I need a therapist to help, then I pray you send me a good one (who’s also cheap!)
I recognized it may not be in God’s best interest to bless me if I lost touch with God. So I added a “Promise Prayer”:
God, considering my relationship with you for the past years has been one of getting by, of dealing with my anxiety, of praying you get me through one more day, I realize success will change our relationship.
If so, I promise I won’t desert you.
I will continue to pray, worship, and read the Bible.
I will have faith our relationship won’t be lost, but will change to something even better!
After fourteen years of my living on the edge, success came within a year. And the cheap therapist? I found an excellent psychology student at the Jung Center in Los Angeles who worked with me for several years on a sliding scale. She was cheap, but good. I was also doubly blessed with a career consultant who just happened to also write scripts and who was willing to trade services.