How prayer changes things
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I remember growing up in the 70s & 80s, and there was this trite little statement: "Prayer changes things." I don't think I really understood what that statement meant. I read my Bible and knew that prayer was powerful, but I didn't understand the phrase—but I do now.
When I began the journey that ended up being iWork4Him, I started by praying during my morning commute. I was praying for my bosses, my coworkers, and my employees. I thought my prayers would change them. I thought that by praying for them, their spouses, and their children, I would start seeing a miraculous difference in them. Do you know what I really found out? Prayer changes things. But the thing I noticed that changed first was that it changed me.
I started to see these people differently. I began to have more empathy for them. Less anger or frustration for them. I started to see them as creations of God, and it changed things. It changed me. That was something I didn't anticipate. Now, mind you, I also saw that my change started to impact them. I started to be more loving, more kind, more merciful, and more gracious. As I prayed for them, I became more palatable to them. It opened up opportunities for me to pray with them, and they started to see that I really cared about them.
Now, not all of my bosses appreciated that. I had four bosses then, and one didn't want to hear about Jesus at all. He thought I was an idiot because I was a Jesus follower. That's unfortunate, but the other three bosses really appreciated it. One of my bosses became a believer. Another re-dedicated his life to Christ. The other boss didn't have a life-transforming experience that I know of, but he often thanked me when I prayed with him.
My challenge to you today is to recognize that the statement "prayer changes things" is, in fact, totally true. When you start to pray for people, it starts to change you. And that's the beginning of the transformation of becoming a workplace minister. We need to change so that others can benefit from us living out our faith vibrantly at work.
Prayer changes things. Guaranteed!
 | Jim Brangenberg is an established leader in the faith and work movement who has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and business owner. In 2013, God called him and his wife, Martha, to begin the iWork4Him Talk Show, where they have had the privilege of challenging thousands across the globe with the simple message that your workplace is your mission field. In addition, he and Martha have co-authored a series of collaborative books, iWork4Him, sheWorks4Him, and iRetire4Him. Learn More » |
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