Faith + Work — why prayer and stewardship go together
- Mel
- Feb 13
- 2 min read
Hello friend,
I used to pray about things I wasn’t making space for.
I would ask God for clarity, direction, even favor — and then close my notebook… without changing anything about how I lived my week.
I hoped for growth, but didn’t protect time.
I prayed for wisdom, but avoided the discipline.
I asked God to move, while staying comfortably still.
And slowly, I realized something humbling:
Faith wasn’t missing.
Follow-through was.
1️⃣ Faith vs. Work — a false tension
Some people hope without working.
Others work relentlessly without leaving room for God.
But Scripture makes it clear: faith and work are meant to walk together.
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” — James 2:17
At the same time:
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” — Psalm 127:1
One without the other creates imbalance.
Hope without work becomes passivity.
Work without God becomes anxiety.
God invites us into partnership — we pray and we plant.
We trust and we take responsibility.
Airplane Mode | Social Media Management
Leave the heavy-lifting up to us: social media strategy, planning, content creation and publication.
With us, you get a well-thought-out content calendar, and elevated and immaculately on-brand visual content.
2️⃣ What prayer actually looks like in real life
Prayer isn’t just asking God to bless what we wish would happen.
Prayer is alignment.
It’s saying:
“God, order my priorities.”
“Show me where to focus.”
“Help me steward my time well.”
And then responding with obedience — by adjusting our schedules, our habits, and our expectations.
Even Jesus modeled this rhythm:
He prayed often…
and then He went.
Prayer clarified the mission.
Action carried it out.
3️⃣ Your Word of the Year — the prayer section
This is why the Prayer section inside the Word of the Year template exists.
Not as a list of vague hopes, but as a space to name:
What you’re trusting God for
Where you need wisdom
What requires surrender and responsibility...
Your prayers don’t float above your life.
They shape how you live it.
When paired with clear goals and intentional habits, faith becomes active — not anxious.
Access the free Word of the Year Notion template here.
📘 Prefer pen and paper? The limited printed guide is available at Kayasah House.
Faith doesn’t replace effort.
Effort doesn’t replace God.
They work best together.
And so, this concludes the series on Starting the Year Right. I'll leave you with this last question:
What am I praying for that God may be waiting for me to act on?
I'm rooting for you,
Mel
P.S. — If you'd like to read more about the topic
James 2:17; Psalm 127:1; Proverbs 16:3
Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines
Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
I am positively surprised to realize that The Lunch Box has evolved into this beautiful blog format. I enjoyed reading this blog and it encouraged me immensely.☺️