A Prayer for the New Year

I offered the invocation for the hooding ceremony of our graduating MBA students last evening.  Let me offer it to all entrepreneurs as a prayer for the new year:

 

Lord, we thank you for these entrepreneurs and business leaders. 

 

We pray that they understand that their work on earth should never be just a career, but a true vocation that connects their faith to all they do in the work.  We pray that they remember that true integrity is to find God helping us to live as He intended us to live in all that we do:  in our family, in our community, and in our work.

 

We pray that they always remember that real Courage is the courage to the right thing even under the most difficult circumstances.  It is the courage to treat all people justly, even in difficult economic times like these.

 

We pray that they never forget that all they are given in this life comes from God, so they should be prudent stewards of all of His gifts. 

 

We pray that they temper their drive to succeed in their careers – keeping time for their spouses, their children, their families, their friends, their community, and of course, for God.

 

We pray that while they may attain great power in their careers, that they remain humble.  We pray that no matter how successful they become that they always see the face of Jesus in everyone they meet in their work.

 

Finally, we pray that we never lose faith, even in difficult times like these.  Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” 

 

We pray that we never forget that God gives us peace, even in the worst of times.

 

All of this we pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Amen.