The Economic Side of Prayer

Many think that earnings not made during a business closure can simply be made up the next day. WRONG! In the world of economics, a missed opportunity to grow financially is considered a LOSS. Tomorrow’s earnings belong to tomorrow and the missed opportunity is gone forever. It’s all about “Opportunity Cost.”

Micro-economically speaking, Opportunity Cost is the loss of value or benefit that would have been gained by following through with a particular venture opportunity by choosing to participate in a simultaneously occurring alternative venture opportunity that offers a higher return in value or benefit.

Let’s make it plain: I have a choice between ice cream and pizza. I like them both and will “gain” by having both, but I can only have one. I choose the ice cream (always). The food loss of the pizza is the Opportunity Cost. I will NOT pass by that same pizza again.

So it is with the Opportunity Cost of prayer. When we choose not to pray in favor of doing something else, we sacrifice the spiritual growth “dividends” of relationship that God has for us that day. Thinking such as “Well, I just don’t have time today” or “I really don’t feel like praying today” etc. and following up with “I’ll pray extra time tomorrow” etc. results in a day of loss, both for us and for God. We deny ourselves the opportunity to receive what God desires for us, and He is denied the opportunity to move us closer to His purpose for our lives.

Prayer is not about how we feel; it is about what we know. A business may not FEEL like opening today, but it KNOWS it cannot afford the loss in order to close and give everyone a day off without pay. The gain in saved wages is less than the gain in profits earned by remaining open. Likewise, whatever you gain by making prayer the Opportunity Cost will ALWAYS be less than the gain you receive in spending time with God.How do we operate when it comes to deciding about whether or not to pray? O Lord, grant me your grace to always move beyond what I feel. I can’t afford not to talk to you TODAY!