Pray at Work?
I work at a place in which we openly pray before meetings, pray for our work to be successful, and regularly pray for each other and our needs.
Yet I have worked at places that this was nowhere near the case.
Something simple I put into practice ever since I can remember is that I pray before each meal, no matter what company I am in. Even if the current situation I am in means just quickly bowing my head and saying thanks for the meal inside my mind, I still do it all the time. This simple action says a lot about who we are and what we stand for in the workplace yet at the same time doesn’t come off as offending others.
In previous jobs, this would sometimes be so hard to do! I knew that I would have to stop my conversation with whoever I was talking with and say “excuse me”, bow my head, take about 5 seconds to myself, then continue the conversation.
I admit that a lot of times I was scared to do this, thinking that others would “judge” me, make fun of me, or think I was some crazy radical Christian dude. But this never ended up being the case! God blessed my prayer action – even the quick ones! Many times it opened up a dialog about why I was praying and it allowed a door to be opened for me to witness to others around me in a way I never could have done before.
Do you already do this in your life? I’m not talking about pushing your chair away, kneeling, and praying for five minutes in your workplace cafeteria where everyone can see you. I’m talking about just bowing your head, giving a quick word of thanks for the meal, and continuing on with your meal or conversation. It can be done in such a way that it does not deter others from allowing you to do this and even if they don’t align with your beliefs it allows others to subtly know where you stand.
Make this a regular practice in your life (don’t be scared!) and watch how God will bless this opportunity with conversations about faith that you didn’t know could ever happen.
And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. (Acts 27:35 ESV)