Prayer for Courage, Goodness, Favour and Approval

[Chrysostom]

Your prayer has been heard and I join you in bringing it before the Lord.

I thank God for your desire to work with courage, wisdom, humility and diligence, and to see your work bear fruit for students and for the institution. True courage is not mere boldness of speech or an unbridled tongue, but the quiet confidence to do what is right and to speak what is true in meekness and gentleness, as Christ Himself showed. The prophets and John the Baptist spoke with such courage because they sought to please God and not men, and that is the pattern for us. We are to labor as those who have been approved by God and entrusted with a task, remembering that it is God who tests our hearts.

So I pray for you in this way. May the Lord who sees and proves the heart grant you strength to remain focused and humble, confident not in yourself but in Him, even when you face opposition or discouragement. May He give you wisdom to know when to speak and how to present your ideas well, and grace to do all things without deceit or vainglory, but for His glory and the good of others.

I pray for favour, first with God and then with those whose decisions affect your work. May the Lord guide the heart of the vice chancellor and all in management and among your colleagues. Where you have submitted concept notes, proposals, programmes and initiatives, may God grant that what is aligned with His purpose receives fair consideration, wise judgment and the right support. Where there are misunderstandings or negative perceptions, may He bring truth, clarity and understanding, and let your faithful work speak for itself.

May the Lord establish the work of your hands and make it fruitful and meaningful. May He open the right doors and provide the right people and resources in His timing. And may He give you patience when answers are delayed and faith when the outcome is not yet seen, trusting that He goes before you and that goodness and mercy will follow those who walk faithfully with Him.

May the Lord keep you, strengthen you, and let all you do be done in love and truth, for His honour and for the good of those you serve. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer has been heard and I have brought it before the Lord with you. Thank you for sharing so honestly about the weight you carry in your work and the desire you have to serve with courage, wisdom, humility and diligence.

The Lord knows how to speak courage to a discouraged heart. Jesus often said to His followers, be of good courage, be of good cheer. When Paul was alone and discouraged after doing what God had asked him to do in Jerusalem, the Lord stood by him in the night and spoke that same word to him, be of good courage. He did not rebuke Paul. He acknowledged that Paul had been faithful where he was, and then He gave him a new assurance that he would also bear witness in Rome. That word gave Paul new hope and strength to go on, because when God sets a purpose and a destination before us, we can be confident that He will carry us until that purpose is fulfilled. I pray that same encouragement over you, that you would hear the Lord reminding you that He sees your faithfulness and that He still has work for you to do.

You also asked for strength when facing opposition and discouragement, and that is a very real part of doing any meaningful work for God. When Nehemiah and the people set out to rebuild the wall, two leaders of the opposition mocked them and ridiculed the work, saying even a small animal could knock it down. That is often what happens when people have no true argument, they turn to mocking and scorn. Then the discouragement came from within as well, when some of the workers themselves said the strength was failing and there was too much rubbish and they could not go on. You may feel both kinds of pressure, the outward criticism or misunderstanding and the inward weariness. God understands both and He is able to sustain you through them.

Scripture tells us to be strong and of good courage, not because we are strong in ourselves, but because the Lord our God is with us wherever we go. The cure for fear and anxiety is the consciousness of His presence. As David said, the Lord is my shepherd, and because He is with us we shall not want for what we need to do His will. God repeated this to Joshua again and again, be strong, be very courageous, do not be afraid or dismayed. Often we look at a task and measure it by our own ability and feel unable, but God says be strong because I will be with you and I will do the work. Others later confirmed that same word to Joshua, which shows how God confirms His encouragement. I pray you will know that presence each day as you walk into your workplace.

You asked for favour with those in leadership and with colleagues, and for your proposals and initiatives to be seen with clarity and fairness. It is right to ask God for favour, and the Scripture shows that He can guide the hearts and decisions of those in authority. At the same time the Bible exhorts us to seek first the approval and glory of God rather than the approval of people. Trying to win the favour of everyone at any cost is a dangerous path, for if we live to please people we cannot truly serve Christ, and those who live in a godly way will at times face opposition. So I pray that your first aim will be to please the Lord, and that out of that, God in His mercy will grant you favour where favour is needed. Where there are misunderstandings or negative perceptions, may He bring truth and understanding. Where your work is aligned with His purpose, may He open the right doors and bring the right people and resources at the right time.

I also pray for patience when answers are delayed and for faith when you cannot yet see the outcome. God is long suffering and gracious, but His patience is not weakness and His timing is not forgetfulness. He is never unable and He never approves what is wrong, but He works in His perfect time.

May the Lord give you courage to speak when you should speak, wisdom to present your ideas well, and discernment to know when and how to act. May He establish the work of your hands and make it fruitful for the good of the students and the whole institution, and may goodness and mercy follow you in that place.

Father, I lift this servant to You. Grant courage where there is fear, wisdom where decisions are needed, and humility and diligence in every task. Go before this life, guide the heart of every leader and colleague who considers these proposals, remove confusion and bring clarity, and let only what is of Your purpose go forward. Give patience in waiting and faith in uncertainty, and let the work done bring real and lasting good to others. In the name of Jesus, Amen.