An Easter Prayer: Resurrection, Jobs and Denver's Business Community

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I was asked to pray for jobs and businesses this Easter Sunday at Denver's City Park Sunrise service. While searching the web, I discovered there are no prayers addressing this particular topic for any city which is surprising to me. It's something that is much needed in light of what Jesus' resurrection means for our world:
 
Lord God, on that first Easter, you broke the disciples grief and hopelessness with the surprising news that Jesus was alive. Life could never be the same again because death had forever lost its power. This Easter surprise us and speak to us about what it means to live as resurrection people, confident in the truth that how we live today makes a difference forever in God’s world. Lord, show us what it means to live as resurrection people in our daily lives of earning a living as we sell, create, cook, clean, build, code, counsel, heal, advertise, fix, design, book-keep, troubleshoot, advise, insure, engineer, analyze, manage, and market.

Lord God, we pray that you would bless the businesses of the Denver area and show us our particular role in expressing your reign through our work. We pray that businesses would thrive in Denver as a sign of your love for all of its residents. 

We ask for your blessing upon business owners as they face the daily challenges of leading companies. Give them wisdom and peace and a desire to care for their employees. Help them to make good decisions about right and wrong. We pray for honesty and fair-play, that our leaders never lose sight that business is fundamentally about blessing & serving.

God, we ask your blessing upon entrepreneurs as they take risks to start new ventures. Help their dreams to become reality and turn into employment for others.

Good jobs are the only real way end poverty in our city. We pray that our businesses would create many jobs this year. And that those jobs would enable people who have been unemployed for a long time to find work. Lord, we pray for individuals who jobs are being left behind because of new technologies. We pray for training opportunities, for employers who are able to invest in skill training for their workforce. We also pray for businesses that are willing hire individuals with barriers to employability…people who are rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness or prison but need someone to allow them the chance to work and provide for their families.

In the beginning, God, you put man and women in the garden to work it and take care of it. We’ve each been blessed as you have put us in the Denver community. Help us to be faithful in working it and taking care of it. 

This is our prayer, on the morning when we declare, He is Risen.





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