I recently attended our industry’s major annual trade show. For the first time ever, four of us got together and arranged to hold a prayer breakfast on the morning of the first day of the show. This was a God-inspired idea brought to us back in January by another member of our association.

First, I want to say that never before have I been involved in the organization of something that went so smoothly and came together so easily. It was truly an example of God’s people, bound together under one banner, in love for Him. I really think we all felt like we didn’t do much to make things happen. Instead, we just stood back and God took care of things.

We had about 40 people there, mainly men because we have a male-dominated industry unfortunately. There is something special, though, about hearing 40 men at 8:30 a.m. trying to sing songs they are not overly familiar with to recorded music. It was all good though and, on the third and last song, we came together quite nicely if I do say so myself!

We had arranged for two gentlemen to speak, both who are business owners actively trying to live out their faith in the marketplace. They both told stories of their lives and how God had worked to call them both to workplace ministry. Their stories were inspiring and uplifting and resonated with all of us in attendance I believe. One of them spoke about starting his career for many years as a hard-charging “me, me, me” ego-centered individual. He told his story of hearing God relentlessly pursue him until he turned his life, its direction, and his ego over to Him. We had a group of leaders who are Christian in attendance and I would say that most of us shared a similar story. He also talked of now having a corporate chaplain at his company, a local pastor who comes in and visits with employees and is there for them to talk to. That was a tremendous idea, I thought.

I believe that the workplace is the largest evangelistic field available to us and those who have been called to it are playing critical roles in God’s plan. (There’s something wrong in that statement because, really, God calls all of His followers to service of some fashion, all of equal importance, but I think you get the point of what I am trying to say.) In the prayer breakfast, there was talk of specific things we can do with marketplace ministry but we also talked a lot about how having God’s love and peace showing through our words, our actions, and our attitudes send a powerful message to everyone we work with – our own team members, vendors, and customers.

I felt truly privileged to be involved with the prayer breakfast. His hand did all the work. We actually had a few industry members speak negatively of our holding the breakfast. I really saw that as more proof that we were indeed where God wanted us to be.