How to start a prayer impact team within your business

Ken Gosnell Sept. 7, 2019

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A leader who prays for their organization can receive significant benefits. However, when a team begins to pray at a company, the company can experience salvations and business breakthroughs that would heretofore have seemed impossible.  

London-based entrepreneur David Skews, who for more than 25 years led EDP Health, Safety and Environment Ltd. to sustained growth in the UK and Asia, led his organization to develop a prayer team. It helped his company during difficult times and refocused their thinking. It reminded them that God was in control of every situation—good or bad. Writing for the Business As Mission website, he reviewed how he and other directors met with Christian staff members to pray about the business in general and various issues that arose from time to time:  

“We found the ideal time for us to meet was early each Monday morning, before the start of the normal working day,” Skews said. “Although we made no secret that we were meeting for prayer, this timing reduced (though didn’t entirely eliminate) any accusations of being a ‘holy huddle’ or ‘Christian clique.’ The practice of praying regularly served to focus everyone’s mind on what we were about. (When) we prayed, there was no distinction between what may in some circles be considered ‘sacred’ Christian concerns and more ‘secular’ business matters.”  

A faith-led CEO can—and should—start initiatives recognizing God as the owner of the business. Despite faith being a political hot potato in modern times, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 gives CEOs the right to bring whole selves to work and highlight their foundation.  

In a story in a human resources newsletter, Brian Grim, president of the Maryland-based Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, said the law gives people the right to have their religious beliefs and practices accommodated in the workplace, within reasonable limits.

“‘People have a right to express their faith in the workplace—as long as they don’t harass others or lead people to mistake their private expressions of faith for the employer’s views,’ Grim said. For example, he said employees can hang a religious picture or keep religious items at their workstations, wear religious clothing or jewelry, spend their break time in personal devotions such as reading the Bible, start a voluntary prayer group, or talk to co-workers about their beliefs.”

These rights not only extend to all employees, but also to every CEO and business owner. Business owners should be respectful to all employees, as they are to shine their light to lead others to God and not push them away. You do want to ensure that a prayer group in your organization is a positive change and not a negative one. Even though starting a prayer impact team is simple, it requires some planning. Consider these six steps: 

1.  Pick a day and time that your prayer impact team can meet each week. Usually, a Monday morning before the week’s morning shift starts is an ideal time for business. The prayer team should meet no longer than 30 minutes. Note: it can take place during working hours. 

2.  Select a location. This is where you believe the prayer impact team can meet and is easily accessible to team members, but also not in the way of anyone starting work early. Usually, a conference room is an excellent location.  

3.  Identify a leader.This is someone who will help take responsibility for the prayer impact team. This can be the CEO; with small businesses, it often starts with the owner. Your prayer impact team can be more successful if you find a leader to champion the initiative, just as you would with other projects and tasks in your organization. Once you have identified a potential leader, spend a few days in prayer, asking God to confirm this selection. Then go to the prospect and tell them of your desire to develop such a team and that they lead it.

4.  Announce the idea for the new team. This should be in an all-hands-on-deck staff meeting or via an email to all staffers. Inform the team that this is a voluntary initiative and that no one is required to participate. Tell them the team’s mission will be for the needs of the business, the employees, vendors and customers.  

5.  Determine a prayer tracking list.This could be a spreadsheet created to record prayer needs and answers. You might consider putting up a flyer or sending an email to your customers, informing them that you have developed a prayer impact team to pray for issues and concerns they have. Invite them to send prayer requests to your company.

6.  Be involved in the launch and the first six months. CEOs and business owners are busy, but the importance of this team can make a difference in the lives of many employees. Therefore, it is imperative that the CEO make this a top priority during the launch season at least.  

A prayer impact team might become the most essential team in your organization. There is nothing that has more significance then communicating with the owner of the business: God.  He is the One who created each employee, customer and person the company will deal with each day. He knows His purpose, and He works to complete His plans. 

Photo source: istock 

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Ken Gosnell is CEO and Servant Leader of CXP (CEO Experience). CXP is a premier coaching and executive roundtable business that serves Christian CEOs in Washington DC, Maryland and Florida. Ken serves leaders by helping them and their teams to have great experiences that both transform the leader and their organizations to go further faster. Learn More »

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