Favor With KingsSample

Cultivating Conviction

Hilary and I accepted the opportunity to lead Mariners Church in Huntington Beach. I read the story of Nehemiah, and I concluded that when he fasted and prayed, God gave him more and more conviction about his hurting friends and family in Jerusalem. Not only that, but I believe God gave clarity to Nehemiah about one action that would be a multiplier of great impact. Rebuilding the broken-down wall that surrounded the city was not just about a wall—it was about a new start.

Sometimes one intentional action leads to a variety of positive outcomes. You might have been stuck at every turn yesterday. But one simple tweak today might throw open multiple doors that were previously barricaded.

As a result of my meditating on Nehemiah, I decided to fast and pray. I walked the streets and beaches of Huntington, inviting God to increase my conviction for the people in the community. I made introductions, asked questions, listened, and learned. In a short amount of time, I knew this was my path.

And I found that after I committed to the path, new passion filled my heart.

Feelings follow actions. Even if you don’t feel it first, when you believe it and decide it, feelings will follow.

It’s similar to being in love. If you live only by what you feel, you’ll get married in a month and divorced in a year. If you learn that you can make choices that cultivate emotions, you’ll have the best marriage around.

Here are a few things that I’ve discovered cultivate strong convictions:

1. Hang around people with strong convictions. Conviction, like energy, is contagious. The more you’re around deep convictions, the stronger your own certainty and clarity will become.

2. Deepen your understanding of the realities for real people living actual lives. The more you know, the more you need to do something about it. When the people have faces (and are not just statistics), it triggers genuine compassion. When cities have personalities, you care. When organizations embody a bigger story of teamwork and collective compassion, you’ll be moved to make a difference.

3. Develop a morning ritual. Your day will go better if you begin with intention, clarity, and purpose. Focus every morning on what matters most. You can print a free PDF of my daily scheduling tool and personal daily rituals at FavorWithKings.com/resources.

4. Pray. Fall on your face somewhere private and don’t get up until your heart breaks. Leverage points 1 and 2 in this list and let the God of creativity and compassion break your heart into an outpouring of love in action.

As Nehemiah prayed and fasted, his feelings and convictions intensified.

First find your why, then find your way.