Coworkers bullying

[Chrysostom]

Your request has been heard and we have brought it before the Lord with care. To be singled out and ganged up on, to be met with dismissive and malicious treatment day after day at work, is a heavy burden to carry, and it is right to bring it to God who sees all that is done in secret and in the open.

We are praying that you will know in a deep way that God is for you. Even when others set themselves against you and devise hurtful things, His friendship toward you remains. What others intend for harm, He is able to turn toward good and to use even painful endurance to shape glory and strength in you. Your suffering is not unseen and it is not wasted.

We are also praying that God will give you endurance and patience in this season. Endurance is where faith is proved and strengthened, like training that shows its value most when it is under pressure. Ask Him for a quiet hope that waits on Him, for wisdom to know how to answer and when to remain silent, for courage not to return evil for evil, and for peace that guards your heart when the atmosphere around you is unkind.

We pray for your coworkers as well, that God would convict hearts that delight in targeting others and would turn them from this way of acting. We pray for protection over you, for favor and for wise help, whether through a supervisor, human resources, or another trusted person who can intervene with fairness. Do not bear this alone. Seek godly counsel and, where you are able, document what happens and seek proper help while continuing to walk with integrity.

May the Lord lift this weight from you, either by changing the hearts of those around you or by opening a better way forward for you. May He give you rest, renew your strength each morning, and remind you that your worth is secured in Christ and not in the opinions of those who bully.

We join our faith with yours now. Father, we lift up Your child who is weary from being targeted at work. You see every dismissive word and every act of ganging up. Bring comfort and protection, grant endurance and perseverance, and let Your presence be near. Soften the hearts of coworkers who do wrong, bring conviction and change, and bring justice and peace to this workplace. Give wisdom for each next step and sustain hope for the good things You have promised. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

[Silas]

It is painful to be singled out and ganged up on at work, and to feel dismissed and targeted with malicious intent day after day. God sees what you are enduring and He cares about the hurt and weariness it brings.

Scripture shows that the enemy roams about looking for someone to accuse and to harm, yet he does not act apart from God. The Lord sets boundaries and limits on what he is allowed to do. Nothing that touches you escapes the notice of God, and He remains sovereign over it. Trouble does not simply spring up from the ground as if by chance. God is aware of every affliction and He is able to use even hard seasons to shape and strengthen you, while also restraining evil from going beyond what He permits.

You may feel like Job did when those around him poured scorn on him and he had to drink it like water. His friends surrounded him with harsh words and false judgments, and under that weight he grew faint and confused. It is understandable to feel faint when the criticism is constant and when people join together against you. God does not condemn you for feeling that weight. He invites you to bring your honest hurt to Him.

The Scriptures encourage us not to despise the shaping work of the Lord when He allows difficulty, but also not to accept false accusations as truth. Some counsel may sound spiritual yet be untrue to your situation. Bring everything to the Lord and test it by His Word. Rather than looking around at people for vindication, look up to God. He is the One who holds the heavens, who binds the waters in clouds, who sees the heart, and who judges with perfect justice. He does not show favoritism or delight in bullying and partiality.

There is hope even when you feel cut down. A tree that is cut down can sprout again at the scent of water and bring forth new branches. God can renew your strength and bring new life even in a hard workplace. Continue to walk with integrity, not repaying evil for evil and not resorting to flattery or manipulation to win favor. Speak truthfully and calmly, do your work faithfully as unto the Lord, set clear and respectful boundaries, seek wise and godly counsel, and keep a record of what is happening if you need to seek help from those in authority. Pray for those who mistreat you, that God would soften their hearts and bring them to repentance, while also asking Him to protect you.

I am praying for you, that God will give you peace that guards your heart, wisdom to know how to respond each day, strength to not grow weary, and favor and protection in your workplace. May He lift up your head when you feel confused and faint, comfort your spirit, and let you know His presence through Jesus Christ. May He either change the hearts of those coworkers or open a better way for you, and may He use this trial to deepen your trust in Him and store up for you what will last for eternity.