“I want you to start a prayer group,” the Lord spoke to me. I had just started working at a new workplace.

My heart raced at the thought, “This is impossible! I don’t know how. How was I to start?” To begin with, I was not a prayerful person. When I prayed with people, I often found myself fumbling over my words. I even remember running away from a prayer session because I was too terrified of praying aloud.

I wrestled with the Lord for days, and these days turned into months. For months, I would hear the Lord telling me the same thing over and over again. In fear, I dared not step out. I was afraid. I didn’t know how to approach people and say: “Let’s pray.” And these months soon turned into years. 

God knew I wasn’t ready to just begin a prayer group yet, so He graciously led me on a journey of praying for my colleagues.

My journey of prayer first started with a mentor who was going through tough times. For the first time, I plucked up my courage and asked if I could pray for her.

Then, God sent me new trainees in my workplace. He helped me to see that I could be a blessing to them in prayers too. I never forgot about the Lord’s task, and He soon sent someone to help me. A new trainee, a believer, came along and we had the opportunity to talk about our faith.

I seized the opportunity and ask if she was willing to pray together for our workplace and she agreed. For six months straight, we prayed every week for the workplace. We prayed for our pre-believing colleagues, for the health and wellness of our colleagues, for unity and harmony in the workplace, and much more.

Through this six months, we managed to invite two more colleagues to pray with us. I persevered. There were discouraging times when people could not make it and I was left all alone asking the Lord: “Now, what?” I often wished that my Christian colleagues would rise up, but none seemed like they were “spiritual” enough.

I didn’t dare to ask anyone else to come and pray with me after that.

This went on until one fine day, God spoke to my heart again: “What is the cost you are willing to pay to follow Jesus?”

This question hit me so hard. I’ve always heard that question over the pulpit, but it had never led me to a conviction. I asked myself that very question for the next three weeks.

• How much am I willing to give up?
• What was I willing to give to the Lord?
• Was the problem my significance in the workplace?

Deep down, I had a fear of being judged. There were many non-believers who were heavily critical of believers in the workplace. Would I put my relationships with such people to test if they knew I was gathering others to pray? How could I pray without people knowing that I was praying?

It all came down to surrendering. I surrendered my fear to the Lord and asked for boldness.

In the earlier chapter of Acts, I was led to read the parts on how the Holy Spirit empowered Peter to speak such bold words. So my prayer became “God, I need that power! The same power that Peter had that gave him that boldness, I claim it for myself.” I prayed like never before. Even in the wee hours of the night, I was asking the Lord: “Teach me how to invite others to pray.”

The most important thing in forming a prayer group is building relationships.

Finally, God gave me an answer: “Pray for them. Ask them how you can pray for them.” My heart leapt. How could I have forgotten? The most important thing in forming a prayer group is building relationships. It’s in community that God raises up people to pray in one accord.

I took the step of faith and daily texted one believing colleague to ask how I could pray for him or her. It was mind-blowing! The first person I prayed for told me how assuring it was to have someone who was praying for the company. The second person I prayed for had the same vision as I had and wanted to be able to reach out to the trainees under her wings.

This started my prayer journey at the workplace. I still have a prayer buddy who I sit with to pray weekly. Due to different work shifts, we have also started a WhatsApp group to gather prayer requests. We make it our culture to pray for one another.

Through this journey, I learnt one thing: God makes all impossible things possible. For all the things that I thought impossible were made possible by Him.

When I thought that it was impossible for me to pray aloud, God made it possible. He gave me the words to say and the boldness to speak. When I thought that it was impossible for people to gather to pray, He made it possible. He provided the people who would come along to pray. When I thought that it was impossible of others to be receptive to prayers, He showed me that it was possible – praying for others is a way of showing concern to others.

God delights in prayers. The heavens open when people gather to pray. I saw how the culture at work shifted a little when we prayed, so now I’m pressing on in prayer to see open heavens in my workplace.

Prayers open doors.

I had many opportunities to share the gospel and pray for many pre-believing colleagues. When it was once impossible to even pray for a pre-believing colleague, now they would actually be open to me praying over them!

I remember how a pre-believing colleague popped by into our prayer group because she was so drawn to us. We prayed God’s love over her and she texted me that night to tell me how loved that made her feel. I had another colleague whose sleep was affected by fear and anxiety. That gave me the opportunity to share Psalm 91 with her. Later, she told me how well she slept that night!

I believe God is raising up likeminded prayer warriors to arise in the workplace. I will continue to pray as long as I’m there, and I yearn to see more and more believers rise up to pray. It isn’t impossible to start a prayer group. It isn’t impossible to start praying.

All it takes is just one person to step out of their comfort zone and say in faith “yes, let’s pray,” and God will make the impossible possible.