“This is your most important meeting today…this week.” 

I hear this regularly at my church’s Tuesday lunch prayer meeting. 

My office is not far, so when 11:45 a.m. comes, I shut my computer.  I leave my office and head over. 

The time is incredible. 

Young and old.  Passionate prayers.  People encountering God and caring for each other.  I regularly leave refreshed and refocused. 

But the leader’s opening line—I understand it, but it distracts me. 

These well-intentioned words are pitted against the 40 hours you and I spend at a desk or planning a project or sitting in a secular meeting.  To experience the most important thing, we must shut our computers, leave our offices, and venture half a mile to the church. 

What about Moses? He was working when God ignited the bush. 

Nehemiah was working when God convicted him.   

Paul was working when God changed everything.

I am convinced the most important things happen outside of the church, too.  Yet we don’t believe that—and few would say it. 

Most Christians and pastors are stuck—spiritual significance comes on Sundays.  Our work is secondary to the mission of God.  Our meetings are void of the Glory of God.

But the Spirit of God inhabits all meetings—not just church meetings. 

Brother Lawrence beautifully said: 

The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees.

God doesn’t want you to run from your work to encounter Him.  “Whatever you do, work heartily . . . you are serving the Lord Christ.”  Your work is your means to worship Him, to follow Him, to fellowship with Him. 

My Tuesday prayer meeting might be significant, but my Wednesday meeting with a builder, dreaming—and praying—about creating a beautiful space to shelter and inspire a new family might be more important. 

Or your meeting on Monday with a team trying to bring order to chaos, peace to turmoil, or clarity to confusion, might be more important. 

Or that spreadsheet pivot table—which caused you to miss prayer yet again this week—might matter just as much. 

Stop ignoring prayer meetings—they are beautiful.  But find the burning bush in your office.  God wants to speak to you there too.