Standups and the Lord's Prayer

Standups and The Lord’s Prayer

I’m an Agilist from back in the early 2000’s when Agile was about delivering software, not how to add more processes and be all about project management. I was doing a study on Intercessory Prayer with a friend and my agile background jumped out at me.

In the book, prayer was defined as a meeting with God. ( The Beginner’s Guide to Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets chapter 4 ) The Hebrew word Paga for “to meet with” is used for the word Intersession in Intorsessory Prayer. And I worked for a big company and there were all different kinds of meetings:

• Standups
• Checkins
• Updates
• Year end reviews
• Getting Assignments to do
• Brain Storming
• Working meetings
• Budget meetings
• Project planning meetings

But with God you also have family meetings:

• The morning hug
• Meals
• Reunions
• Putting kids to bed at night

It was interesting to see with prayer we can have all different types of meetings with God. But the standup meeting stood out to me and not just because there are different versions depending on where you are and you stand up while you do it. It was kind of a I’m checking in with God this morning type of prayer. It starts out with who is in charge and that God is the priority. Asking for daily help with food. Lining up what I am going to work on today, that I will have many temptations, and I will forgive the many people that sin against me. Please forgive me for all the sins / mistakes I will make today. And then we end with the goal of delivering things for the kingdom of God.

It has kind of changed the way I look at morning prayers now. I’m trying to do more of a check in with Him and try to line up my priorities with God. I tell him what I did yesterday and listen for what is the most important thing to do today and look to adjust to what He tells me. It helps me to look at working with God as a family business.

And with that:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

And just like in Agile, we try our best for the day, get feedback from the Customer and adjust. It is funny how life’s work has similar rules no matter if we are doing it for our boss for money or our Boss above for His glory.

Praying your work day and walk with God are going well,

Dan