Intercessory prayer does not come naturally for me. My prayers are usually quite self-centered. But one time, while assisting on an Organizational Development job, I believe God uniquely used my intercessory prayer to contribute to his redemptive work in the life of an organization.
In preparation for a two-day intervention I began praying, fasting, and trying to listen to God for what might be in store. I had a really lovely half-hour walk to work and one morning the word “atrophy” hit my mind/heart. This was a bit confusing as I have hardly ever used the word. It means wasting away through lack of use. Nevertheless, I wrote it down in my journal and carried on.
About a month later we were at the workshop. The participants were walking back into the conference room carrying some dubious drawings on flip charts. We had asked them to creatively represent what they believed to be the major obstacle to their team’s success. One person unfolded her sheet to reveal the outline of a shriveled lung. She explained that she felt like the team was “atrophying” due to an unwillingness to confront a particular issue and that unless they addressed it, this would be their demise. She dramatically and succinctly put to words a feeling that was resonating throughout the room. She drew what God had whispered to me a month prior.
I spoke with her privately immediately afterwards and showed her my journal. We both were a bit shocked by God’s co-creating with us. She asked me to pray as she felt she was being called to hold the team accountable in the following weeks. Subsequently, this team was able to move in great courage in truly inspirational ways. What extraordinary moments invade our work when we intercede for our work!
This week, what work situations are on your heart to pray for?
