Whose work?

Today I felt convicted of something. I was listening to a presentation of a friend getting ready to move to a country in west Africa. She had some prayer requests to share with our group. The presentation was in French, so honestly, I have no idea what she said, but what I think I read and extrapolated from the written prayer request went something like this: “pray that God bless our work as we...”

Again, it was in French, so I was only guessing and probably wrong, but that which I made up to be the translation struck me as backwards. And it then immediately struck me as something I say/write/think all the time. Pray that God bless my work! It looks so silly when I type it out.

If it’s my work, what part does God even have in it? Is that the way He works? Does He watch and wait for someone to start doing something good and then help it along? Or is it true that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17)? I think perhaps we should pray that HE move in a powerful way, and allow us to be a part if He so chooses.

In our work, we often send out prayer requests to friends around the world who pray with us. How many times have I written a prayer request that we pray for God to bless what we’re doing? How many times have I said it when talking to someone or speaking about my life? Or worse yet, how many times have I thought it and prayed it myself?

God, I know that all good things start and end with You. I know that You are at work in our world today. I pray that I step in line with what You are doing, and that I pray and plead for You to move even more. Give me Your work and Your purpose to take as my own and follow after You.