Edmonton entrepreneur Kim-Ann Wilson reflects on how surrender and Spirit-led strategy should shape a business.
Have you ever wondered whether you’re doing business with God, or just for Him?
That was the question I finally confronted after collapses piled up in my marriage, my agency, my finances and even my sense of identity. I had followed the formulas, branded the business well and hit impressive milestones – but behind the scenes I was exhausted, restless and disconnected.
It was only in the stillness of loss that I heard the whisper I’d been drowning out –You’re building without Me.
It was a start-again moment. My consulting business was called Doing Business With God. But I finally understood the “With” part in a deeper way.
When hustle becomes a habit, alignment becomes the cure
As entrepreneurs, especially faith-centred ones, we often start with passion and good intentions. But over time, we begin to operate on anxiety, hustle and self-ambition, reaching for more, producing faster, optimizing everything except our obedience.
Slowly, we edge out the One we’re meant to stay aligned with.
That’s a key insight that now anchors my work with all kinds of businesses, helping them hear and implement the Kingdom call to reconciliation and realignment, the invitation to lay down the pressure to perform and re-establish Christ’s authority over what we’re building.
There are two foundational truths behind this approach summed up in John 15 and Deuteronomy 8. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” is John 15:5.
“Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath” is the NLT version of Deuteronomy 8:18.
These aren’t poetic sentiments. They are Kingdom architecture, reminders that even though scale is possible without God, sustainability is not.
The power of prayer-first planning
The way most businesses I work with apply these two truths is through prayer-first planning. It leads to more than improved strategy – they walk away with peace and clarity, confident in the Kingdom alignment of their business.
Consider a few examples.
Adetutu Mebude, whose business is in cybersecurity, secured several new breakthrough contracts where doors before had seemed shut.
Michelle Edey, whose business is in health and wellness, pivoted her business model, secured funding and reduced burnout.
Comfort Kugbey, whose retail business is in the beauty sector, declined a misaligned opportunity and was led to a better location.
Christian entrepreneurs like these women are waking up. We’re tired of mimicking business models that glorify grind but ignore God.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” as Romans 12:2 tells us.
That’s not just personal, it’s structural. It should influence how Christian entrepreneurs build our funnels, shape our offers, choose our clients. The marketplace isn’t exempt from the call to holiness.
True success has nothing to do with the metrics the world celebrates. Our sole KPI (key performance indicator) is obedience. In practice, that means:
- Seek God before strategy. Boardroom agendas start in the prayer room.
- Let prayer lead the planning. Ideas are vetted through Scripture, not trends.
- Measure fruitfulness over followers. Prioritize impact, not impressions.
- Obey when it defies logic. If He says pause or pivot, we do… and watch Him multiply.
Or perhaps we can put the key question like this. If your business stripped away revenue and reach, would it still be called “obedient?”
Building beside other believers
Obedience is personal, but it grows in community.
Christian entrepreneurs need each other to sharpen one another spiritually and practically through various kinds of gatherings, vision-alignment retreats and collaborative workshops.
Entrepreneurs need appointed times and places to hear God, discern direction and build from a place of surrender.
That’s where I know I am called to help. My business Doing Business With God helps surround faith-driven entrepreneurs with others on the same path.
We are finding revival doesn’t just happen in pulpits. It happens in pitch decks, spreadsheets and boardrooms too.
Are you ready to consider if your business is built on a Kingdom vision or a self-made mission? Take this 1-minute Obedience Alignment Test.
The call is clear. The blueprint is available. Will we build with Him?
Kim-Ann Wilson of Edmonton is a Canadian marketing strategist, speaker and founder of Marketing Defined and Doing Business With God. She has led over 160 workshops and equipped more than 5,000 entrepreneurs across Canada with a Spirit-led approach to marketing and mission. Follow her on Instagram @itskimannwilson.