Pray for Your Coworkersنموونە

When I reentered the corporate world last year, I was leaving behind several years of serving the local church as a pastor. I wondered how I might be able to live out my faith in a way that would truly impact the lives of those around me.  I did not want to be seen as a Bible-thumping zealot.  But I was committed to living out my spirituality. Often, I found myself thinking about St. Francis of Assisi who supposedly said, "Preach the Gospel at all times.  If necessary, use words."

St. Francis’ challenge lines up with the “greatest commandments” (Matthew 22:34-40). Jesus summed up what it meant to follow God when he explained what a vibrant faith looks like. It can be captured in four simple words: "Love God. Love people."

Each day, on my commute to work, I ask God to give me favor with my managers, my coworkers, and my customers.  These are the three groups with whom I have a working relationship.  Over the years, I have learned it is difficult to hold anything against people I pray for.  In fact, I find that I am more motivated to serve people when I pray for them. Prayer does something to my selfish motives.  It forces me to line up with God’s desires for my life, to turn outward and begin to see the workplace, my coworkers, and the world around me from his vantage point, rather than my own.  I then begin to see the path that God has laid out for me to pursue.

Prayer: God, give me favor with my mangers, my coworkers, and my customers. Help me speak clearly and listen earnestly in all my interactions. Give each person I work with health, joy, prosperity, and success in their work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This personal story from Rey Lopez was originally published in The High Calling, June 4, 2008.