LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
     Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless . . .
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
     and does not change their mind;

Psalm 15:1-2, 4

Prayer

Gracious God, thank you for welcoming me into relationship with you, not because of my blamelessness, but because of the blamelessness of Christ. By grace, I am free to live in your presence, to enjoy friendship with you. O Lord, I long to dwell with you, not only when I’m alone in prayer or gathered with your people for worship. I long to dwell with you every day, every moment, in everything I do, including my work.

Thus, I want to be someone who “keeps an oath,” even when it hurts. I want to follow through on my commitments even when I’m tempted to change my mind for professional gain. I want to be a person of my word, even when I fear that such faithfulness will be costly to me.  

Help me, I pray, to be trustworthy in all my ways, all my relationships, all my commitments, all my promises. May I be known for reliability in my workplace, for integrity in all things. And may this reflect well, not only on me, but also on you. Amen.

Ponder Throughout the Day

God is honored when you keep your word, even when it hurts.

For Further Reflection

Read all of Psalm 15, paying attention to what the Spirit of God is stirring up in your heart, especially in relationship to your work. Talk with God about what you are thinking and feeling.

You might also reflect on the following passage from James:

Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. - James 5:12

This prayer is part of a collection: 52 Workday Prayers: Learn from the Psalms How to Pray through Your Work. To purchase this devotional and small group guide, visit the De Pree Center store.