Midday Prayer

Would it help you to take a break sometime midday and reconnect with the Lord so you can refocus your work as an act of love to God and to mankind? Here’s a prayer that might help. 

***

Midday prayer

I praise you, God for Your work. You worked to create this world out of Your infinite, eternal, and unchangeable love that existed in eternity past between Father, Son, and Spirit. That Love that overflowed to accomplish Your creative work was and is very good.

You created me in Your image and invited me to work in this world as an act of love for You and with You.

Forgive me that I have too often made my work about proving myself, about making sure my voice is listened to. I have too often turned my work into a way to be loved and to be served by others. Cleanse me from working for the approval and applause of men. Forgive me for making the work about me.

Help me now to reframe this day so that I may work as an expression of love to You and love to others.

Teach me again how my work with words is actually born out of the good work You did with Your words to create this world. Show me again that my work to equip others to build Your Kingdom is very much an extension of the work of Jesus. Thrill me again with the knowledge that through my work the Spirit who fills me can bear His fruit in the lives of others.

Help me to abide in Christ and to work for Christ realizing that all I had hoped to get done probably will not get done. I’m just not good enough. I just can’t do it all.

Even though I may be falling apart and even though the day might be falling apart, You, Lord, are not. You have it all under control. I can rest in You as I work for You.

Right now, I pray for my family, my colleagues, and my friends. I pray for those who will be impacted by my work - people I may never even meet. Remind me as I continue through this day that my work can and will impact others for the greater glory of God and for the advancement of Christ kingdom.

Whatever time I have left today and whatever opportunities will present themselves to me in the hours ahead, by Your grace and for Your glory make my work a work of extravagant outpouring of love to You and for others.

Fill me with your Spirit so that Your love is my Christlike reaction to others’ malice; Your joy is my Christlike reaction to depressing circumstances; Your peace is my Christlike reaction to troubles, threats, and invitations to anxiety; Your patience is my Christlike reaction to all that is maddening; Your kindness is my Christlike reaction to all who are unkind; Your goodness is my Christlike reaction to bad people and bad behavior; your faithfulness is my Christlike reaction to lies; Your gentleness is my Christlike reaction to fury; and your self-control is my Christlike reaction to every situation that goads me to lose my cool.

Help me to see You more clearly, to love You more dearly, to follow You more nearly... the rest of this day.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

***

Prayer influenced by concepts in various books like The Common Rule, Rediscovering Holiness, and Delighting in the Trinity.