Four ways that prayer is productive.
“Are all the activities that scream for my attention really essential?” asks one pastor, “Am I missing the burning bush while trying to keep the lawn cut?”
Many pastors lament that too many deadlines, meetings, decisions, phone calls, and appointments rob their prayer times. Facing a similar dilemma, early church leaders decided, “We will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4).
For today’s pastors, time in prayer is squeezed by two cultural values: (1) self-reliant individualism, and (2) the demand for measurable productivity. These two philosophies, which greatly shape our approach to work, place little premium on an activity that is seemingly passive and difficult to quantify.
The struggle between prayer and “productive work” is as old as the conflict between Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Industrious Martha-types, however, may be surprised to discover four ways that authentic prayer is actually very productive.
Inspired decisions
Prayer creates a climate for wise decision-making. Before Jesus chose his twelve disciples, he spent the entire night in prayer.
One of the poorest uses of our time is trying to patch up and live with unwise choices. I think of all the frustration and wasted time I’ve faced when I’ve chosen staff or lay leaders too hastily. My time would have been spent more efficiently had I followed Jesus’ pattern.
Prayer helps us focus on our priorities. After waking before dark and spending time in prayer, Jesus had his priorities clearly defined. Although Peter reported an emergency, “Everyone is looking for you,” Jesus calmly reported that he had other matters to attend to (Mark 1:35-38).
Prayer also forestalls one of the biggest misuses of time and energy: anxiety. “By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6, 7). Most people find that a peaceful state of mind enhances creative thinking.
Favor with the right people
Prayer releases favor with key people. Nehemiah knew that what he was called to do required the blessing and financial support of his authorities. His strategy was “I prayed to the God of heaven, and . . . the king granted my requests” (Neh. 2:4, 8 RSV).
Frequently our goals cannot be attained without the support of others. Countless good ideas have been squelched by superiors. Worthy projects have been abandoned because key players were unsupportive. Prayer can promote teamwork and unity in godly endeavors.
Once I found myself being taken advantage of by a church leader. I complained to my wife for months. I went to the individual and couldn’t resolve the problem. I then read Proverbs 29:26: “Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that man gets justice.” After I prayed this verse, there was an immediate change. I couldn’t believe how seeking justice from God, not human boards and committees, quickly expedited the solution.
Open doors
Some doors are opened only through prayer. Some of the obstacles we face have been designed to drive us to depend upon Christ’s power. When we humbly call out to him, doors that were once closed open miraculously.
Other times, doors of opportunity may be closed due to Satanic hindrances. These blockages demonstrate that much of ministry is beyond human capabilities. It requires the power of the One we are serving. Prayer once again is our means of releasing divine power to push back these forces.
When prayer becomes a regular part of our business plans, our partnership with Christ becomes a reality. Someone once said, “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.”
Fueled by significance
Prayer adds spiritual meaning to our work. One complaint often heard among employees is a lack of fulfillment in their work. When work becomes perfunctory, mundane, and just going through the motions, low morale sets in along with poor time management.
That can happen even to those doing “the Lord’s work.” In Too Busy Not to Pray, Bill Hybels wrote, “It became obvious to me that the pace of my life outstripped my capacity to analyze it. It exhausted me to be constantly doing and rarely reflecting on what I did. At the end of a day I would wonder if my work had any meaning at all.”
The apostle Paul instructed workers to add spiritual significance to their labor: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men” (Eph. 6:7). An effective way to shift our perspective from serving men to serving God is through time spent talking with the Lord about our work.
Prayer-what a practical idea!
-Joseph M. Winger
Every Home for Christ International
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Leadership Fall 1993 p. 46-7
Copyright © 1993 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.
