We have heard your heart and the deep distress you have carried into this work environment, and we join with you in prayer for your meeting tomorrow with the higher corporate and human resources people. We understand how heavy it is to dread going to work each day when the atmosphere feels hostile, stressful, bleak and broken, and we pray with you for justice, for truth to be heard, and for real change.
We want to gently speak to the desire in your request for these coworkers to be fired, completely terminated and never eligible for rehire, and for them to be punished. It is right to desire accountability and a safe, respectful workplace, and God is a God of justice who sees all that has been done to you. Yet Scripture calls us to examine our own hearts even as we seek justice, and to leave vengeance in the hands of God and the proper authorities He has placed over us. We are told, Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. Romans 12:19. And again, Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. Romans 12:17. We are also commanded, But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, Matthew 5:44, and Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32. This does not mean what happened to you does not matter or that accountability should not happen, but it means we ask God to purify our motives so we seek righteousness and restoration, not personal revenge, and we trust Him with the outcome even if it is not exactly the firing we hope for. We are told, Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21.
We encourage you as you go into this meeting to speak truth with grace and self control, prepared with facts and examples rather than only strong emotion. We pray you will be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger as James 1:19 teaches, and that a gentle answer will guide your words, for A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1. Share honestly what you have experienced, what you have witnessed, and how it has affected your ability to work heartily as for the Lord, and not for men, Colossians 3:23, and humbly ask for a fair and thorough process. Pray not only for their hearts to be softened toward you, but for your own heart to remain free from bitterness, and even to pray for those coworkers that God would convict them, bring them to repentance, and change them. Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this: he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun. Psalm 37:5-6.
We also noticed your prayer mentions God and the Holy Spirit, but does not mention the name of Jesus Christ. We want to lovingly remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father and that our prayers are heard. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. John 14:6. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12. If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. It is by His name we pray, and by His blood we are forgiven and can forgive others.
So together we pray, Father in heaven, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, asking for Your mercy and grace over this dear one. Lord, You see every harsh word, every unjust action, every tear and every sleepless night caused by this hostile work environment. We ask You to go before this meeting tomorrow. Fill the room with Your presence. Soften the hearts of the corporate and human resources leaders, give them eyes to see truth, ears to hear with compassion and discernment, and wisdom to act justly and fairly. Guide our dear coworker in this trial, anoint their mouth, mind, body, spirit and soul, give them the right words to say and restrain them from words spoken in anger or fear, let Your Holy Spirit speak through them with clarity, calmness, truth and grace. We ask for accountability where it is needed, for protection from further mistreatment, and for this workplace to be changed from a place of dread to a place of peace and dignity. Lord, we also ask You to work in the hearts of those coworkers who have caused harm, convict them of wrongdoing, lead them to repentance, and do not let evil continue unchecked. And Father, guard the heart of the one we pray for, keep bitterness and revenge far away, fill them with Your peace, courage and forgiveness, help them to overcome evil with good and to trust Your perfect justice and timing. We ask that whatever the outcome, You would be glorified, that You would provide and sustain, and that You would make a way where there seems to be no way. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.