In the cover article for this May issue (Click here), I shared how faith in The BLESSING took me and my family from being broke and with no home of our own to wealth, impact and global influence.

How did God take me from only $200 and obscurity to owning and leading a global enterprise of ministries and businesses? The answer is by a series of divine opportunities that I had to recognize with the help of the Holy Spirit and then act upon by faith.

God-given opportunities are one way that God transfers our inheritance that He has already laid up for us in heaven (the unseen realm). If you are called to be an entrepreneur, that inheritance includes your business, your inventions and whatever else God has called you to bring forth in the earth during your lifetime.

God revealed to me four steps to recognize and manifest Divine or Kingdom Opportunities which are taken from the story of Peter and Jesus in Luke, chapter 5. Peter meets Jesus as he is washing his fishing nets, having toiled all night without catching any fish. That is not a good outcome when you have a fishing business.

But this divine encounter brings an eternal transformation to Peter’s life and destiny. With one rhema word from Jesus ― “launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught” ― Peter’s business and that of his partners are radically changed. One translation says, “go out where it is deeper and let down your nets and you will catch a lot of fish!” (verse 4 TLB).

Peter and his partners experienced such miraculous business performance that Peter falls to his knees and repents. That miracle in the marketplace showed Peter another reality and drew him into the Kingdom.

Can you imagine that happening in your business? What a witness for God if your customers or employees fell on their knees in repentance after experiencing The BLESSING that is on your business or products!

Here are the Four Steps God Revealed to Me:

1. A Divine Thought or Idea

This can also be described as a vision from God. In my own life, divine ideas were “Buy that shopping mall” … “Start a business school” … “Buy that property cash… “Turn jails into boarding schools.”

Divine ideas are inspired by God because the Holy Spirit is the Leader in the transaction. (See Isaiah 48:17.) We are not to come up with the ideas ourselves. If an idea did not come from God, it could be a bad idea.

Also remember that divine ideas usually don’t make sense to our intellects or match what may currently be in our bank accounts.

When Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to catch a lot of fish, notice, it didn’t make sense to Peter or come at a convenient time. He had toiled all night and caught nothing. Jesus was not a fellow fisherman. I’m sure Peter wanted to go home and go to sleep. But, thank God, Peter listened and didn’t leave.

How many divine opportunities have been missed today by people who are waiting for a more convenient time to respond to God’s ideas?

2. Divine Planning

Inside the Word of God is the specific plan for bringing forth the idea that God has given you. As you meditate His Word, the Holy Spirit begins to unpack and provide maps of direction. After teaching in Peter’s boat, Jesus directed Peter to “launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” (Luke 5:4).

When God told me to start the Joseph Business School (JBS), He brought two business leaders, Ray and Deloris Thomas, members of our church, to help me. After researching how to open the school, they told me it would take about two years. I prayed about it and God said it would take two months.

We agreed with God, who then began to release great favor on our work, which leads us to the fourth step – Divine Connections.

3. Divine Connections

These are connections that are Holy Spirit-orchestrated for growth and guaranteed success. Peter’s encounter with Jesus was a divine connection that changed him forever.

The same thing happened with the Joseph Business School. Ray and Deloris connected with a professor at a large midwestern university who had already written a curriculum to teach entrepreneurship. She gave them the curriculum at no cost (favor), saving us enormous time and money because we didn’t have to develop the curriculum from the ground up. The professor also gave us the rights to modify the materials to include biblical principles and to add Christian-centered classes such as Christ and the Corporation.

4. Divine Execution

Execution is what transforms a plan into action.

Someone said you can accomplish anything with unlimited time, money and resources. Although that may be true in natural execution, in divine execution, The BLESSING removes all limits.

When God is involved, time, money, labor, and other resources have already been considered and provided, supernaturally.

What is expected to take two years, takes two months. What is supposed to happen at night, can happen during the day… within minutes, with no toil.

In closing, remember that when God wants to increase you, it often comes in the form of divine opportunities that start with an inspired idea from God. Then, when you execute God’s plan God’s way, your success will astound the world and come with no painful toil.