BE PRAYERFUL: September 10

All signs pointed to an incredibly stressful and anxiety-ridden meeting. My boss was in a fighting mood; our team had not gotten done the job right. As someone who avoids conflict, I was in knots about it. But I had forgotten I could invite God into the situation, and so, finally, I did. 

I snuck into the conference room and prayed, asking God’s presence to fill every corner of the room and each seat. I prayed for my boss, that he would have a calming presence. I prayed for the team, that they wouldn’t be defensive. I prayed we’d find a working solution to the problem, and leave in peace.

No one in this meeting was a believer but me. But I prayed anyway.

And God answered. The meeting ran smoothly. My boss didn’t cut wounds with eyes or words. Our solution came quickly, and we began fixing the problem. As I walked out of the conference room, I was surprised that asking God for help with something as silly as a work meeting had actually made a difference.

How many times have I forgotten this since? 

When facing tense family situations or a work problem. When dealing with financial issues or dreading a meeting. When anxiety shows up at a social event or questions about the future loom heavy. When avoiding a tough conversation or too paralyzed to take action. Every time, I can pray His presence would go before me and behind me. That He would open my eyes and mind to creative solutions. That He would fill every empty place. 

We put God in our prayer-journal shaped boxes sometimes, and forget He fills every single breath, not just a line on a page. He wants to be included in on it all, and the crazy part is, He actually does when asked. The other answers may not always be what we want, but His presence is always the greatest gift anyway.

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” (Ephesians 3:20, MEV)

-Monica