It’s Monday, again. I sit at my desk, wondering how the great joy of being with my church just 24 hours ago, the wonder and awe of just reading the Word a few hours ago, has already dissipated into something dangerously like despair.
For many of us, this is a familiar feeling which confronts us. Let me be the first to repent of the number of times the Monday blues (sometimes Sunday evening blues) have consumed me.
Often, this feeling intensifies when we face particularly difficult workplace obstacles, demanding projects, uncooperative colleagues, or uncertainty about whether we will have our jobs at the end of the day.
Does it really make a difference to pray in the midst of such chaos?
Pray Without Ceasing
I often find myself struggling to pray in times like this. As someone who is always measuring myself by worldly standards—whether succeeding (leading to pride), or failing (leading to crushing disappointment)—my default mode is to keep my head down and work harder, hoping that my productivity will bring me comfort and joy, instead of the Lord.
The mere act of praying is the beginning of humble dependence on God.
Of course, this never works. Instead, the Word of God encourages us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-17).
The mere act of praying is the beginning of humble dependence on God. It is a movement away from depending on myself, or work authorities, to bring order from the chaos. It is a sign that I truly believe God is sovereign over my work life—not my boss and definitely not super-productive me.
As John Piper says, “this is the very spirit and essence of prayer: dependence.”
When I hear the apostle Paul’s instruction to “pray without ceasing”, it encourages me to continually and regularly remember that I am not in charge of my life, with or without workplace obstacles.
The Danger of a Prayerless Work Life
The great thing about a workplace obstacle is that it brings us face-to-face with ourselves. It shows how much we really gain our identity from work rather than God.
Whenever I go through tough seasons at work, my despondency shows me how much I trust in myself rather than God. When I struggle to balance work and home life, or see a smooth relationship with a colleague turn prickly, I should really be resting in my identity as the daughter of a good Father.
The great thing about a workplace obstacle is that it brings us face-to-face with ourselves.
If I did, it would remind me that I have a joy nobody can take away, a place at his table for eternity, through none of my “good work” but only by his mercy. When I remember this, all of my work becomes a joyful response to him, rather than a clawing for my own personal success and pride.
Prayerlessness is a simple way to forget this hope. Prayer is a profound way to remember it.
Praying Through Workplace Obstacles
Knowing that I can pray and doing it are two different things. Spontaneity rarely works, although I like to fool myself that it will. Planned and regular prayers are the best way to pray continually and regularly.
I have found that one of the best ways to pray at work is to plant little “disruptors” in my day. These are regular reminders that disrupt your work and remind you that there is a Saviour in whom you believe, who is sovereign and at work, even when you do not know it or feel it.
Does an alarm set for a particular time of the day work? It does for some. What about meeting with someone with whom you have shared your struggles, to pray for each other and your workplace obstacles?
Personally, my favourite way is visual reminders, like a Bible verse on my desk—something that draws my eye to it and reminds my heart for whom I truly work and why. Every morning when I sit down, I read the verses and pray before I begin. Then again after my lunch break. It reminds me that even short prayers—like those offered by David or Daniel in the midst of crisis—are meaningful and rise as incense to the Lord (Ps. 141:2).
The Gift of Grace for Prayer
When I was first confronted with the idea of facing workplace obstacles with prayer, I did a mental audit of how many times I had done it before. Sorrowfully, I confess that there has not been a single time I have consistently prayed through a tough season at work.
My prayers have always been self-involved and focused on how I want things to be smooth and lacking any conflict. Much of this is because I lack the perspective to see that my Saviour is truly sovereign over all the events of my life.
But the Lord hears and understands every word I utter in prayer, even the ones I do not have the clarity to say myself (Rom. 8:26-27). He sees my wayward heart, always looking for identity in this world, and still yearns for me to see myself first as his beloved daughter (1 John 3:1, Rom. 8:15).
What a gift of grace is Jesus, my Redeemer!
I pray for this gift of grace to pierce my heart, so I may say for the rest of my work life: “Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live” (Ps. 116:2).
