經歷上帝豐盛的良善

賴瑞覺得既挫折且疲倦，他把他的經營團隊招聚在一起，建議大家花一些時間禱告。因為團隊的每個人都有相同的信仰，所以他們同意了。他們已經做了他們所知道的每件事，但結果還是遠低於他們樂觀的希望。現在是轉向上帝的時候，尋求祂的智慧、引導和供應。

賴瑞的禱詞不是詞藻華麗、看似虔誠的話語。他發自內心，單純地禱告說：「主阿，只要一美元－－今年祢可否至少賜給我們一美元的獲利？我們需要祢的幫助。」就在一個月後，賴瑞與他的團隊驚訝地發現上帝的供應。當他們結算那個月的損益時，結果是獲利21,000美元。比賴瑞謙卑祈求的一美元還多出許多。而且那獲利的方式只有上帝才能做到。

你上一次是在何時特別為你事業或職業的需要禱告？我們常常把禱告作為最後的辦法，「當所有做法都行不通時」的另外選擇。而上帝在這種時候確實會回應，這是我個人所經歷過的，我在其他工商專業人士的生活中也觀察到。但我們不需要等到情況悲慘時才禱告。

在詩篇145篇6-7節以色列的大衛王宣揚上帝的作為：「人要傳說你可畏之事的能力；我也要傳揚你的大德。他們記念你的大恩就要傳出來，並要歌唱你的公義。」

在聖經舊約另一處地方，上帝作了一個大膽的應許，祂要祂的跟隨者不論在個人生活或工作上都倚賴祂：「你求告我，我就應允你，並將你所不知道、又大又難的事指示你」（耶利米書33章3節）。新約似乎是要向我們保證經過了許多世紀上帝並沒有改變，它告訴我們：「神能照著運行在我們心裏的大力充充足足地成就一切，超過我們所求所想的」（以弗所書3章20節）。

當賴瑞與他的團隊在那一天謙卑下來，他們以單純的信心禱告，完全不知道上帝會如何回應他們的禱告。但就從那時起，賴瑞就一直宣揚上帝的良善。

當工商專業領袖在製定計畫並籌算策略時，他們想到的資源是──人員、設備、訓練、資本、客戶群、信用額度。他們很少考慮到最大的資源：上帝的良善、信實、慈愛、恩惠和憐憫，祂渴望我們祈求祂成為我們每天職場中必要的一部份。

如同賴瑞和祂的團隊所發現的，上帝確實在那裡。祂垂聽我們的禱告，並且要展現祂能做的事──通常是在所有其他的資源都用盡時。你今天有什麼需求，你正在處理什麼問題或議題是你需要在禱告中告訴上帝的？

本文版權為正直資源中心（Integrity Resource Center, Inc.）所有。本文獲得授權改編自「瑞克．博克思的正直時刻Integrity Moments with Rich Boxx」。這系列的文章是以一個基督徒的觀點評論職場的正直議題。想要更多了解正直資源中心或想要收到電子文件的「瑞克每天的正直時刻Rick”s daily Integrity Moments」系列文章，請上網www.integrityresource.org。他的書「如何生意興隆而不犧牲正直」提供人們正直地作生意的方法。

Frustrated and weary, Larry called together his management team, suggesting that they devote some time for prayer. Since everyone on the team shared his faith, they agreed. They had done everything they knew to do, but the results had fallen far below their optimistic hopes. Now it was time to turn to God, asking for His wisdom, direction, and provision.

Larry did not present an elaborate, sanctimonious-sounding prayer to God. Simply and from the heart he prayed, "Lord, $1 – can you give us at least $1 of profit this year? We need your help." Just one month later, Larry and his team were amazed as they recognized God’s provision. As they balanced the books for the month that had just closed, the end result had been a $21,000 profit. Far more than the $1 profit that Larry had humbly requested. And it had been done in a way only God could have accomplished.

When was the last time that you prayed specifically for the needs of your business – or your job? Too often we utilize prayer as a last resort, as a “when all else fails” alternative. And God does respond at such times, as I have experienced personally and have observed in the lives of other business and professional people I know. But we do not have to wait until circumstances become dire to pray.

in Psalm 145:6-7 David the king of Israel proclaimed about God, "Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness and will shout joyfully of Your righteousness."

Elsewhere in the Bible”s Old Testament, God makes a bold promise that He wants His followers to rely on, both personally and professionally: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). And in the New Testament, as if to assure us that God has not changed through the centuries, we are told that He is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

When Larry and his team humbled themselves that day, they did so in simple, trusting faith, having no idea how God would answer their prayers. Larry has been proclaiming God’s goodness ever since.

When business and professional leaders devise plans and plot strategies, they often think in terms of resources – personnel, equipment, training, capital, customer base, lines of credit. But rarely do they consider the greatest resource of all: the goodness, faithfulness, love, grace and mercy of God who longs to be asked to become an integral part of what we do every day in the workplace.

As Larry and his team of leaders discovered, God indeed is there. He listens to our prayers and wants to demonstrate exactly what He can do – often when all other resources have been exhausted. What needs, problems or issues are you dealing with today that you need to present to God in prayer?

Copyright 2012, Integrity Resource Center, Inc. Adapted with permission from "Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx," a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more about Integrity Resource Center or to sign up for Rick”s daily Integrity Moments, visit www.integrityresource.org. His book, How to Prosper in Business Without Sacrificing Integrity, gives a biblical approach for doing business with integrity.