Can Prayer Make a Difference in the Business World?
Many private equity firms during this time of COVID19 are working hard to help their companies maintain, if not prosper, during the severe economic downturn. In addition, they want to assure their investors and management teams that this crisis will someday end and business and investment activity will resume. Financial advisors realize that people are fearful about their lives and investments as well as shell-shocked about how these unusual circumstances have disrupted their world.
A local private equity firm in Austin, TX is offering an additional way to serve their partners during this stressful and fearful time. Since the lockdown began, the principals in this firm have offered daily prayer for their community of partners, investors and service providers by sending out an email invitation to their entire network.
The leaders of this firm have often felt led to pray, but the current pandemic spurred them to action. They responded out of obedience to the Lord. Prayer is a positive step they felt led to offer to their whole network of 200-250 people. This unique situation of Covid19 was an impetus to step out in faith and make public what they believe.
One partner wrote in a company-wide newsletter, “Quite candidly, we can think of no better way to serve you as our partners….Our belief is that the weakest prayer is far more powerful than the boldest wish, so our senior leadership has decided to set aside time every business day to pray for you, our partners, sponsor firms, investors, and service providers along with your families, companies, and teams.”
In the initial email distribution, clients were sent a list of Bible verses that offered encouragement to pray as well as input on prayer. Everyone was invited to email prayer requests as well as join in the live call any weekday. This prayer effort communicates that those who are handling their finances are not only seeking God for wisdom in making wise financial decisions for them, but they are also praying for their personal and family needs. They take seriously the Biblical question noted in Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul”.
Every Monday morning a reminder email is sent out to their network with the prayer option. Then each workday at noon, the leaders of the firm meet over Zoom for 15 minutes to pray for the personal and financial needs of their partners and investors. The outcome has been very positive. Prayer requests are being tracked and answers posted.
The partners intend to keep this time of prayer as a normal part of their business week even after the virus becomes less of a threat in our city and country.
In addition, one partner stated a positive result of this new paradigm, “Offering prayer will give us more opportunities to talk about our faith when we see people in person.” That’s an investment that is assured to have a lasting ROI.
