Praying as We Labor

Focus

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). But when we work for God’s glory, when we dedicate our work to God, when we allow God to work in and through us by the Spirit, then “in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Pray

Gracious God, today is Labor Day in the United States. Though for many this will be a holiday from ordinary work, it’s also a good day to reflect on our work and talk with you about it.

To begin, we thank you for being the first worker. From the very beginning of all things, you did the work of creation. Today you continue to be at work in our world and our lives, in our communities, families, churches, schools, businesses, and nations. We praise you today for your work.

We thank you also for creating humankind as workers. As your image bearers, we are honored to be workers, and even to share in your work in the world. Thank you for calling us to be fruitful, to multiply, to fill the earth, and to steward it well.

We thank you for the opportunity to work. It’s good to use our bodies and minds as we fulfill your creation mandate. And it’s good to invest in the work of your church as we proclaim and live the gospel Thank you for the call to work.

Sometimes, though, our work is tedious and frustrating. Sometimes our bosses are unwise or even cruel, and our companies are oppressive. Once sin entered this world, your intentions for our work were twisted. Yes, we still work, but now with thorns and thistles. We know them all too well. So we cry out for your mercy.

Sometimes we make our own work unbearable. We believe that we have to build the house all by ourselves. We rise up early and go to bed late, depriving ourselves of needed sleep. We neglect the Sabbath, your gift to us of rest. We do eat the bread of anxious toil. We get caught up in the vanity of work and it threatens to suck the life out of us. Forgive us, Lord! Help us!

Sometimes, Lord, our workplaces are rife with injustice, not just leaders who do what’s wrong, but also systems and structures with wrongness built into them. Racism, sexism, and materialism are far too common. Companies can act in ways that dishonor their workers, their customers, and the earth itself. So we ask, Lord, for reformation. We implore you to raise up leaders who seek your justice and mercy in and for their workplaces.

We thank you for companies committed to your justice. We’re glad for those organizations that provide good work at fair wages. Thank you for fair bosses and just systems. Thank you for businesses that serve their employees, their customers, their communities, and the common good. We ask you to bless companies that are guided by your justice and grace.

The world of work is changing so quickly, Lord. We need your wisdom, your encouragement, your Spirit, and the community of your people to help us flourish in this new world. Teach us new ways. Show us new things about ourselves. Help us to use our gifts and talents for good work in this world.
We recognize that apart from you, God, our work is ultimately in vain. Yet, when we work for your purposes, when we work with your help, and when we work in order to honor you, then our work matters, both in this moment and into eternity. Thank you for the fact that “in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Amen.

Act

Let me recommend a YouTube video of a fantastic song about work, “Your Labor is Not in Vain,” by Wendell Kimbrough, Paul Zach, and Isaac Wardell.