When There’s Too Much to Do

It’s about a third into Q4 2025, my 15th Q4 in full-time ministry. And whatever role I’ve been given, Q4 seems to have always been the most loaded quarter in the year. Writing this over an extra hot cup of café mocha. ☕️

There are days when I feel like my to-do list is what wakes me up, and it’s the same list that lulls me to sleep at night. 😅 Sometimes, a project or task even gets done in my dream! I actually had dreams when it felt like brainstorming, yielding solutions to what needs to be solved at work (I love those dreams haha)!

What do I do when it feels like there’s so much to do? I don’t do—I pray.

Sometimes it’s quick prayers shot toward heaven for help, sometimes it’s just breath (buntung-hininga) prayers, and there are moments when I just withdraw from everything and everyone for what I refer to as “focus prayers.”

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 1:35

This moment sits right between two full days of Jesus’ ministry—healing many who were sick from various diseases and casting out demons, to moving to new towns to continue His work. But right there, in the middle of all that fruitfulness and demand, He stopped to pray.

I wonder if Jesus lacked sleep or physical rest, yet He woke up very early, while it was still dark, showing me the necessity of prayer. If Jesus found prayer a necessity, why shouldn’t I need prayer?

Jesus departed and went out—He gave effort to have a time of focus prayer. This shows me how Jesus gave importance to this kind of prayer.

Jesus went to a desolate place, showing me that focus prayers need to be distraction-free (and in our time, also notifs-free). It’s the kind that allows my soul not just to speak, but to hear and listen.

After Focus Prayer

It’s amazing how this kind of prayer works its wonders. Tasks didn’t get done, nothing in projects have moved (in fact, as I prayed there were more tasks added), but what I need to do first becomes clear and I am no longer paralyzed by the overwhelm. I then get to work, and work well. Prayer, to me, is the starting point of productivity. Out of our relationship with our Maker overflows that which we make.

A Weekly Invitation

In the past few weeks, I have placed focus prayer as my first “meeting” every Monday, which is the start of my workweek. This actually gets me excited for Mondays! This is my most important meeting of the week. I not only get clarity and direction for my work, but also joy and life in what I get to do. Try it, and let me know how it goes. 🙂

I write more about this in my new publication, GraceWorkGrace, a space dedicated to faith-rooted, research-based insights and practicals to help leaders be purposefully productive. If you’re interested in this topic, you can subscribe there to get posts delivered to your inbox.