Business Leaders on Their Knees
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles. — Psalm 34:1-6 (NLT)
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
Psalms is a book of documented prayers from all seasons of life. Its pages are filled with praises, requests, repentance, and thanksgiving as the psalmists communicate with God. And all the while, God was listening and responding in the lives of the psalmists. This book displays what prayer is— an honest and vulnerable conversation with God.
But Psalms is not the only book in the Bible that speaks to our prayer lives as believers. The Bible is filled with accounts of God’s people in conversation with Him (Nehemiah 1:11), teachings on how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13), commands to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and requests for prayer from believers to believers (Romans 15:30-31).
We see time and time again in the Bible that this communion with God through prayer is a delight to God and a necessity in our lives. Though He knows us better than we know ourselves, He desires us to come to Him, in honesty and vulnerability with what’s on our hearts and minds. In this way, prayer is one of the ways to grow our relationship with Him as it impacts every area of our lives.
So, in what ways have you seen prayer impact your business?
As a business leader, it’s critical to live a life filled with prayer if your desire is to live out God’s calling in our work. Through dedicated time in conversation with God, you can gain wisdom from the Lord and direction, shaping your desires to His.
Prayer is also a means of recognizing that you don’t have it all together, but that you serve a God who is sovereign over all. God is all-powerful and calls you to trust him in everything, not leaning on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Acknowledging this through daily prayer can set you on the path to fully surrender your life, including your business, so that He may use it all for his glory.
What are are some things you can pray for?
The following is a list of points for prayer involving business. Use this list to help guide you to the integration of prayer and your work in business.
Pray with thanks to God for the freedoms in Canada that allow you to operate your own business. Thank Him for the years you’ve been in business, with successes that have spurred you onto greater things, and obstacles that have grown you into who God has called you to be.
Confess when you have not trusted God, surrendering yourself to His good and sovereign control. Repent for the times that you’ve acted in disobedient and unrighteous ways and when you may have led others astray in doing so.
Pray that God may give you His strength and guidance as you continue to live out your calling in business. That His vision may be yours and that He may reveal things unseen about your work in this world. May you steward the profits, planet, and people He’s entrusted you with in ways that will bring glory to Him.
Pray an intercessory prayer for your employees, your customers or clients, and your suppliers. That those whom you interact with who don’t know the love Jesus has for them would come to know this and that they may repent, believe, and be saved.
Pray for the city(s) where you operate your business that your business will engage with the culture in a way that draws people in. That the other businesses within your city may flourish, creating jobs for those in need, and being workplaces that foster healthy relationships and growing opportunities there.
Pray that ultimately, through your business, God’s name will be made known, and His Kingdom will come on earth, that He may be glorified.
How can you start incorporating prayer into your work life?
If praying during your workday is not something you’ve yet started, know that right now, you can call upon God and ask Him to help you in this.
We also encourage you to get involved in the Workers on Our Knees event, on January 24, 2024. You can jump onto one of the organized Zoom calls to pray with other believers, or even better; you can gather people to pray at your business.
Either way, this day is dedicated to intercession for our businesses, and the people across our cities and nation who are impacted by our businesses. Visit the event website to see where business leaders and organizations are praying on this date across Canada.
A helpful way to start can be using guided prayer for your workplace, with prayers written by another believer. If you’re looking for specific prayers for the workplace to get you started, look at this resource page.
Do you have any other ideas for how you will set prayer as a priority in your work life?