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Praying on the Job | |
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by Cynthia Bezek, editor of Pray! Earlier this month I was invited to visit an engineering company in Texas. The invitation didn’t come because I have any expertise in engineering. Rather, it came because a man who works in the company heard I was coming to town and wanted to have the company’s chaplains and intercessors pray for me and the ministry of Pray! magazine. I’d heard of companies managed by Christians who designate believers to pray for and with their staff and customers. In fact, Pray! covered several of these companies in the July/August 2006 theme section on “Prayer at Work.”* But receiving the prayers of marketplace intercessors was an entirely new and wonderful experience. When I arrived at the company’s high-tech facility, I was given a short tour and then led to a beautiful prayer room where I was invited to sit in a wooden chair handcrafted in Africa especially for the room. After one of the chaplains anointed me with oil, he and other members of the team prayed insightfully and fervently for my company’s finances, staffing, and spiritual impact, as well as for my family’s personal needs. When they finished praying, I felt refreshed and strengthened for the work God has given me to do. I can only imagine what it must be like to work in a place where Spirit-led prayer is compassionately offered to any employee who wants it. But not everyone works in a company with paid intercessors and chaplains like that engineering company in Texas. Still, wherever God has planted us, we can pray. When my husband, David, worked for IBM years ago, he encountered a colleague who was going through a tough situation with his finances and family. Jim was not a believer, but when David offered to pray for him, he gratefully accepted. David continued to pray and care for Jim, and several months later, David and I had the privilege of leading Jim and his wife in a prayer to receive Jesus. As I’ve reflected again on the power of workplace prayers, I’ve been inspired to pray more regularly and intentionally for—and with—the people I work among. In fact, my staff and I are having a prayer retreat today and tomorrow so we can do that very thing. Perhaps there are people you work with who could use your prayers. Will you take a step of faith and ask them how you can pray for them? *To read the articles in the "Prayer at Work" theme section, search for “work” in Issue 55 of our online archives. Or click here to order a copy of this issue.
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Etiquette for Workplace Prayer |
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by Betsy Lee Sandy, the office manager of a large law firm, looked distraught: She had just received news that her mother had a heart attack. My immediate response was to put a hand on her shoulder and pray aloud for her. I wanted to express my care and concern, and this seemed the natural thing to do. Sandy told me later that my prayer for her—while well intended—made her feel embarrassed and awkward. She felt that my actions were particularly inappropriate in front of her coworkers and subordinates. Praying for someone in a business setting can be very different from praying for Christian friends at church. Here are some tips to keep in mind when praying in the workplace. (Please click here to read, print, or email this article from Pray!'s online archives.) Issue #55 July/August 2006 |
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Walking His Trail |
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Advertisement
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Steve Saint, author of |
October Is Clergy Appreciation Month | |||||||||
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Though we should encourage our pastors year-round, October has been specially designated as Clergy Appreciation Month. This year, help everyone in your congregation–kids and adults–give your pastors the priceless gift of prayer with these focused resources from Pray! magazine.
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On Praying for Preachers |
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by E. M. Bounds Somehow the practice of praying for the preacher has fallen into disuse. Some think of it as being a public declaration of the inefficiency of the ministry. Perhaps praying for the preacher offends the pride of learning and self-sufficiency. But, these ought to be offended and rebuked if a ministry is so derelict as to allow them to exist. Air is no more necessary to the lungs than prayer is to the preacher. It is absolutely necessary for the preacher to pray. It is an absolute necessity that the preacher be prayed for. It will take all the praying he can do, and all the praying he can get done, to meet the fearful responsibilities and gain the largest, truest success in his great work. The true preacher greatly covets the prayers of God's people. (Please click here to read, print, or email this article from Pray!'s online archives.) Issue #38 September/October 2003
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Get Your Christmas Card Supplies Now! | |||||||
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Want to enclose something uplifting and Christ-honoring with your Christmas cards and letters this year? Check out these great seasonal cards from Pray! and Discipleship Journal magazines. All four of these four-color cards come in packs of 50 for $7 per pack ($5.60 when ordered online). Order 10 or more packs online in any combination and save 30%–you pay only $4.90 per pack! At 3 1/2" by 7" these cards are perfectly sized to enclose with your holiday greetings or to insert into church bulletins or Christmas programs. But please don't wait! We have printed a limited number of these great tools, and when they run out they won't be available again until late next summer.
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Going Deeper in Prayer |
 God’s invitation to relate to Him deeply in prayer always remains the same. But how we respond is often influenced by the times in which we live. What unique prayer opportunities—and challenges—do we have in the 21st century? How can we respond more fully to God’s invitation to intimacy with Him through prayer? Those are the kinds of questions we seek to answer in the September/October issue of Pray!. You’ll discover
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Positive Prayer in Bad Situations |
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by Dian Ginter Frequently we feel burdened to pray for those going through rough times. Sometimes the situation is so severe that it is a real test of our faith to ask God to correct the problem. The last stage of cancer, a terrible car crash, a spouse walking out, an untimely death, the loss of a job are a few of the painful situations that can touch lives of those we care about. So how can you have a strong faith and pray God's way? The following are essential elements in successfully upholding to the Lord anyone in crisis.(Please click here to read, print, or email this article from Pray!'s online archives.) Issue #3 November/December 1997 |
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Subscribe Free to PrayKids! Online News |
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The monthly PrayKids! e-newsletter is a great tool for Sunday School teachers, children's workers, Christian school teachers, homeschool parents, and anyone else who has a heart to encourage kids in growing their prayer lives. PrayKids! Online News includes timely PrayKids! articles you may have missed, exclusive subscriber-only offers, and updates on newly released resources and tools. Click here to see a sample issue, or click here to sign up for PrayKids! Online News or any of our other great newsletters! |
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Something to Ponder |
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"Accustom yourself gradually to carry prayer into all your daily occupation—speak, act, work in peace, as if you were in prayer, as indeed you ought to be." —François Fénelon |
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Pray! Online News is distributed freely each month by
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You are encouraged to forward it (in its entirety) to others who might also find its contents helpful.
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