Pause to Pray – Learning How to Pray
King Asa is one of the lesser known kings in the Old Testament, but we can learn how to pray from him by making it a habit to pause to pray.
James Bruyn reminds us that those who pause to pray at work are trusting God to work in all aspects of their everyday life, and demonstrating how to pray.
How to Pray? – Pause to Pray!
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 1:16)
You can face every situation at work in the “name of the Lord” when you pause to pray. When life is good, and you feel like you are in the groove, you can get up in the morning, pause to pray and head off to work in the “name of the Lord” When you face a challenge at work or your career takes a twist you didn’t foresee you can face what lies ahead “in the name of the Lord!” by pausing to pray.
After a long period of peace, Asa the King of Judah was suddenly faced with an insurmountable challenge. Throughout the years of peace, Asa fortified the towns with walls, towers, gates and bars. He trained an army of close to half-a-million warriors. But most importantly his life was pleasing in the sight of the Lord. He chose to obey God and taught the people of Judah to obey God.
A Shattered Peace
But then one day, the peace was shattered. It all started with a messenger running breathlessly into the King’s Palace. When he had caught his breath, “Asa, Asa”, he cried, “the Cushites are coming, the Cushites are coming.” All the people in the court were struck with panic. They had heard rumors of the Cushites. Reports of how quickly the Cushite army could wipe out a whole town. Stories of what the Cushites would do to the town’s rulers. Traders had brought tales of what the Cushites did to the women of the towns they defeated.
These rumors spread through Judah like wildfire. Then came the word that the Cushite army was twice the size of Judah’s army. Every conversation in town was about the approaching enemy. Everybody had a dire theory about what would happen when they arrived. One day an announcement came from King Asa for the army to assemble. Wives and children trembled, weeping as they kissed their husbands goodbye, convinced that their men would never come home again.
King Asa and His Pause to Pray
Just as the army was getting ready to go into battle, King Asa hit the pause button. There was silence throughout the land. King Asa dismounted from his horse and kneeled on the ground. One by one every soldier fell to his knees. The birds hushed their singing, babies stopped crying, and across town these words rang out …
“O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God do not let mere men prevail against you!”
In the good times, everything Asa did, was in the name of the Lord. In quiet confidence facing an insurmountable challenge, he moved forward trusting in the name of the Lord believing that God was Lord not only during times of peace, but also was Lord over the upcoming battle. Asa believed that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 1:16)
Praying is Countercultural
Today it’s countercultural to pause and pray. It’s countercultural to acknowledge your powerlessness in the middle of a stressful, problematic, or thorny work situation. When you acknowledge your powerlessness – you are declaring that God is sovereign at your workplace. When you trust in God’s ability to deliver you – you are declaring that this situation is not a surprise to God. When you press the pause button – you are taking time to remember the Lord of heaven and earth and your dependence on God.
Boldly, in confidence, having placed their trust in the Lord of Heaven and Earth, Asa and his army rose to their feet. As they marched toward the Cushites, they were amazed as their enemy started to flee. With loud cries of victory, Asa and his army pursued the Cushites and slaughtered them. Fueled by their victory over the Cushites they pressed on conquering the neighboring towns before returning to Jerusalem with the wealth and livestock of the nations they had defeated.
Their victory march toward Jerusalem was marked by songs of praise and celebration to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Their singing was almost drowned out by the sounds of the sheep, goats and camels that they returned with. When they returned, together with their wives and children they celebrated all that Lord had done. They celebrated that mere men could not prevail against the Lord of Heaven and Earth!
Pause to Pray at Work
Never forget that mere men cannot prevail against the Lord of Heaven and Earth! Just like King Asa pressed the pause button and stopped to pray when his nation faced pending disaster, you can face any situation at work in the name of the Lord when you pause to pray to the Lord of heaven and earth. God answers prayer! God answers prayer – full stop. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective God answers prayer with a divine wisdom and in mysterious ways which are beyond explanation.
When you face a challenge at work or your career takes a twist you didn’t foresee, pause to pray. Acknowledge your trust in the infinite power and sovereignty of the Lord of heaven and earth. After pausing and praying boldly arise with confidence and face what lies ahead knowing that God is with you. God is acting in your situation to accomplish his purposes, so that his holy name will be glorified in your workplace.
Prayer
Lord, you have proven yourself faithful to past generations, and you have proven yourself faithful to us in the past. There is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty.
Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you. In your name, Lord, we confidently go to our workplaces, knowing you will never leave us or forsake us. Lord, you are our God, may your name be glorified in our workplaces.
James Bruyn
James Bruyn is a bi-vocational visionary leader, writer and speaker who enjoys helping individuals integrate their faith in God with their daily life.
James leads a ministry to Christians in the marketplace in Calgary, provides leadership coaching, and consults for the rail industry.
James produces Marketplace Ministry for our Christian internet radio station, HopeStreamRadio.
James is passionate about connecting the rich promises of our loving Heavenly Father that we find in the Bible, with the joys and challenges of living out our faith in the workplace.
James writes a weekly devotional at marketplace-ministry.ca/blog
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Images Courtesy Of:
Businessman With Tie – Unsplash
King Asa – Guillaume Rouille
Praying Hands – Gadini
Woman Praying – Pexels
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