I remember in my 30′s , I was all about results. I was all about getting the work done. I was on a mission. I remember praying for “other things” in my life. My marriage, my newborn son. Maybe a friend in need. But work? Not unless I was in the ditch and needed God to help me out.
Thankfully, several years ago I began to realize that if I spend 50% of my life on earth at work, it was probably something that God cared about, as well. So I began praying for my work.
This morning I was blessed to sit around a table with five other business leaders. The topic today was praying for our coworkers. The book we are using (God in the Marketplace, by Henry and Richard Blackaby) suggested these four aspects of praying for coworkers. I share them with you for your consideration.
- As a Christian you are automatically a spiritual liason for your colleagues.
- Consider the circle of contacts your job gives you.
- While you can’t possibly be aware of every person’s situation, you can ask God to guide you in your prayers.
- Be prepared to pay a price.
Our group of leaders circled in on one thing…you have to be intentional.
Praying not only for your work, but also for your coworkers can change everything about that 50% of your life.
I like the first point. God made us all ministers of reconciliation and, if we are in a workplace, it is a part of the mission field that he has given us.
The last point is also great. Consider the fact that they now estimate there are over 100 million Christians in China. These aren’t people who just decide to call themselves Christian. They know that doing so can mean prison. Yet, they are willing to pay a price. And that sort of growth doesn’t happen by silence in one’s workplace about one’s faith.
I’m no great prayer warrior, but I know that I can’t pray for my coworkers or supervisors and continue to hold superficial grudges against them.
Prayer has a way of putting daily working relationships in perspective.
It’s not always about us and what we’re going through. Coworkers can be mean, vindictive and especially nosey. Not sure what’s lacking in their life, so I’m asking for prayers for the coworkers that inadvertently start trouble by not minding their own concerns. We all are employed to get a job done and pay extremely high bills thanks to bad politicians. But that’s another story. And while I’m thinking about it, let’s pray for the bad politicians and their bad mistakes too.