Prayer to Combat Challenging Times: Let Us Pray!

During the past couple of weeks, we discussed various ways to navigate our businesses through challenging times. We focused on solid business principles and wrapped up with mental health awareness. In retrospect, I was thinking, why was prayer not included in the mix?

After all, prayer is an essential part of every world religion, including Christianity. Most people realize it has something to do with talking to God. Many hope that it might bring much needed assistance or comfort when facing difficult circumstances.

Prayer?offers new meaning, purpose, hope, and a sense of guidance or control. These perceptions may help instill a fighting spirit, which has been reported to be an important factor in healing. Prayer can enrich the quality of one's life and also bring a feeling of peace.

So, doesn't it make sense to include prayer in our efforts? Maybe not to the extent of including it in an action plan as I believe prayer should occur in both good and difficult times. Growing up, I was taught that praying for something specific, like a new bike was selfish. However, I don't believe it's selfish to pray for the courage AND strength necessary to face challenging times and periods of adversity.

Certainly, praying for hope, and praying for the benefit of others, for each other, for our loved ones should not be considered selfish. In fact, I believe it's a moral obligation to think of others, to help others, and to pray for others.

In these times of economic uncertainty, public unrest, and a list of challenges too long to list, I humbly request, God, please hear our prayers.

As I was researching prayer, I came across a prayer by Pastor Justin Barnett that I'd like to share with you today. Pastor Barnett wrote the following at NeuseNews.com:

I was asked recently to submit a prayer for businesses that would be a part of a National Day of Prayer series for Neuse News. I immediately thought of all the small businesses that are struggling and many that are closed right now. I am intimately acquainted with the struggles of small businesses and small business owners. My grandfather opened and ran a small family business.

Later, my dad ran this same small family business. Throughout my childhood, my father was up early to work and home late from work, trying to keep the family business going. I saw the stress in his face, the same stress that drove him to chain smoke cigarettes all day long for many years. I remember the tension that troubles with the business placed upon my family. My heart and my prayers go out to those businesses that are struggling right now.

With this in mind, I offer this prayer. I invite you to pray with me, as you read it.

Lord, thank you for the small businesses in our communities, for the hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into them. For many, their businesses are not just stores or companies, they are the fabric of their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We pray God that You will guide these small business owners and provide for their families during this difficult and uncertain time.

We pray that every small business owner along with their family, will not be overcome by fear and worry, but that each and every one will trust in You and find wisdom and guidance in You. We pray that as they do this, that they will make wise decisions, the decisions that are best for their families, and that they will make these decisions at precisely the right moments.

n the Bible, Solomon wrote, “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3, (NLT).” We pray that small business owners will follow this Scripture, and that they will commit everything to You, and that You will bless them with success. We pray that the public will see that the small businesses that operate with honesty and integrity, and that seek to treat people, be it staff, vendors, or customers, with kindness, compassion, and respect, are something that we desperately need in our communities. We pray that people will see the great need and the special benefits of supporting local mom and pop businesses and will buy locally.

God, be with our small business owners and their families. Bless them and keep them. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

God Bless Us All. Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count.