Speed Up God's Work: One Proven Way to Do It

What was said of Samuel, I hope can be said of the Diocese of Green Bay one day: "Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect." (I Samuel 3:10) This passage took on a new meaning one cold February morning during my commute to Green Bay. It was February 2, 2016 to be exact! My daily commute to work is about thirty minutes; so I have plenty of time to think and pray. But this particular commute was a little different.  

The Lord seem to be saying to me that morning: "It's time to put into practice with what you know to be true."  What did I know to be true? I had been convinced for quite some time that without setting aside time during my busy workday for intercessory prayer, I would never see God powerfully transform the lives of people I minister to on a daily basis. I would never see parishes grow again. And I would never see priestly, religious and marital vocations flourish as they once did. 

All of this, I thought, will be forever a thing of the past if I do not do what the Saints did. If I do not learn from the great spiritual enterprises of the past; enterprises that were responsible for converting thousands and thousands of people. These enterprises, in fact, were made possible by the daily regiment of prayer, work, prayer, work, etc. Not just work. And not just prayer. Both!

The Proposal

These were the thoughts that were running through my mind that cold February morning. I was so inspired by what I thought were the promptings of the Holy Spirit during my commute to work, upon arrive at work, I immediately asked my supervisor if she would consider allowing me to incorporate an hour of intercessory prayer in my workday. I even asked God to send her a sign so that she would grant me this permission. 

When I made this proposal to my supervisor, I fessed up to her that I petitioned God to send her a sign. I also said she can think about it for a few weeks if she needed to. However, to my surprise, she responded by telling me that she had already received the sign she needed the night before. She said, "I don't have to think about it. I'll let you do it." I have been grateful to her ever since. And to be sure, this new addition to my workday paid off!

It Adds Up

Every journey begins with a single step. And although each step may, by itself, seem insignificant at the time, they add up after a while. Before you know it, each little step enables the traveler to cover great distances. Just the same, taking the time out of our busy workday to intercede on behalf of the people we minister to (or have yet to minister to) may seem like a waste of time. 

In fact, from a business point of view, it would stand to reason that the more time that is allotted for work, the higher our productivity will be. Yet, this is what the pragmatists get wrong. With ministry and missionary work, initiative and cooperation of God is essential for success. As such, prayer has to be factored into missionary success and productivity. 

Nearly six years ago, I complained that the Church moved too slow.  But since Bishop Ricken launched his six year pastoral initiative (one that include a focus on prayer from 2014 to 2016) and since I started dedicating an hour of intercessory prayer during my workday nearly three years ago, I have witnessed God's work speed up considerably at the Diocese of Green Bay! So much so that, at times, it is hard to keep up with all of the moving parts. 

And although it is not the purpose of this article to detail all of the progress that has been made here at the diocese, suffice it to say, the culture is markedly different than it was just six years ago! The employees are not only more mission-ready, but the barriers between them have lowered considerably. This is to say that there is more honest conversations and cross-functionality between employees and diocesan mission teams.

As for me, I can testify that the Lord has multiplied opportunities, opened more hearts and increased the fruits of my labor. In fact, I was told within a year of including intercessory prayer into my workday that I had become more focused and productive. What is most striking is that I have been humbled by this. After all, I tried to work! work! work! without giving sufficient time for intercessory prayer and without seeing a lot of forward movement. 

Ultimately, I have come to discover that the Lord never lets the smallest sacrifice of spending time with him go unrewarded. And chief among these rewards is the peace that only Jesus can give. Indeed, making disciples in a post-Christian world is not easy. In fact, it can often lead to discouragement, stress and anxiety. Yet, by developing the daily habit of pouring our hearts out before the Lord on behalf of others (and for ourselves), we are reminded that mission is ours but changing hearts is God's.


Prayer Adapted from the spiritual classic, Imitation of Christ:

Lord, although we may utter fine words, we cannot impart the spirit.

Although we speak beautifully, but if You remain silent, we cannot inflame the heart.

We place before them mysteries, but You unlock their meaning.

We proclaim the commandments; You help them to keep the commandments. 

We point out the way; You give strength for the journey.

We work only outwardly; You instruct and enlighten their hearts.

We water on the outside; You give the increase.