Why Don’t We Pray for Business? Part 5

Mark D. Roberts: Why Don't We Pray for Business? Part 5

… But first, to review, so far I've suggested five reasons why, I believe, we don't pray for business in the context of corporate Christian gatherings:

•     Reason #1: We don't pray for business because we don't pray for business.
•     Reason #2: We don't pray for business because those who lead us in prayer have not been trained to do so.
•     Reason #3: We don't pray for business because our worship leaders have been trained in settings that are indifferent or negative to business.
•     Reason #4: We don't pray for business because Scripture does not command us to do so.
•     Reason #5: We don't pray for business because we don't have a vision for how business could be part of God's business in the world.

Today I want to consider the following:

Reason #6: We don't pray for business because we divide reality into the sacred and the secular, with prayer falling on the sacred side, and business on the secular side, and never the twain shall meet.

According to Reason #5, we don't pray for business because we don't have a vision for how business could be part of God's business in the world. This lack of vision substantially reflects a lack of a biblically-informed understanding of the world and God's mission in the world. But it also derives from a pervasive tendency in out culture and in the church to divide reality into two, distinct spheres, the sacred and the secular. For most people, including most Christians, these separate spheres of life do not overlap or influence each other. In the classic phrase of Rudyard Kipling, "never the twain shall meet."  …

… I believe that the church is called to an essential task in our time of history: proclaiming that all of life matters to God, and that the division of reality into sacred and secular is biblically mistaken and practically unfruitful. Increasing numbers of people, indeed, business people, are sensing the inadequacy of a life divided into sacred and secular. They are yearning for a way to integrate their lives, to find genuine meaning in their work. This is true of Boomers like me, but even more so of folks 30 and under. According to the recently released book, The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace, the most distinctive feature of Millenials in the workplace is their desire for meaningful work. Biblical theology provides a rock solid basis for finding meaning in every part of life, since it is all part of God's creation and ultimately embraced in his redemption.

Before I wrap up this series, I want to suggest some practical ways we might begin to do pray for business in a way that is theologically sound and relevant to the marketplace and its people. I'll get into this on Monday. Meanwhile, have a great weekend. Remember, even weekends matter to God!

I think this sixth reason is at the core of it all: Sacred vs. Secular.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]