Manson’s song lyrics go something like this:
Don’t pray for meI’ve found, though, that the vast majority of people really do want to be prayed for, whether they believe in the power of their own prayer or not. Surprisingly many have the approach that though they don’t have faith in God, they have some kind of faith in our faith in God, if you see what I mean. So more and more in the workplace, I find myself listening to needs, concerns, worries and fears of my colleagues and employees, and more and more I offer to pray for them. Usually they’re not comfortable with me laying hands on them and praying the middle of the office! I’m not sure I would be either! But they are genuinely grateful for the prayer, and seem to then welcome conversation about prayer and the God to Whom I’m praying.
I don’t need your sympathy
I don’t want your god protecting me
Don’t pray for me
I don’t want your empathy
I don’t need your savior saving me
Don’t pray for me
The key, of course, is the motivation – are we praying out of genuine compassion, concern and love for our co-workers, and in genuine belief that God loves them much more, or is this just a way into some religious dialogue? If it’s mostly the latter, they’ll see it a mile off (trust me, I know from my past!) I’ve found that regular prayer for colleagues and staff (I routinely pray for each of our employees by name and as specifically as I know how every Wednesday) changes my attitudes and relationships, and leads to more openness on their part, and more opportunity for me to bless them. This works especially well for those I don’t get on with terribly well – my need to pray for them is all the greater!
Prayer changes things – and relationships!
First of all, I didn't realize you were a Marilyn Manson fan!
ReplyDeleteYes, prayer is something I think we can do with transparency and authenticity at work as a way of reaching out to others and showing care. I agree that most people don't take offense to being prayed for, especially after they've shared something important about their lives. I believe this is one way we can show our faith at work outright, and as you say, it actually changes things. I admire your commitment to praying for every one of your employees.
Of course it's easy to pray for every employee when you've shrunk as much as we have (from 56 to 13 staff in two years) :-)
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