52 Workday Prayers: Psalm 26 - Living with Integrity

Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Psalm 26:1

Prelude

Our translation of Psalm 26:1 uses the phrase, “I have walked in my integrity.” Walking is a biblical metaphor for living, especially with respect to our moral choices. “Integrity” translates the Hebrew word tom, which could also be translated as “wholeness, completeness, or perfection.” When we walk with integrity, all the pieces of our lives fit together. Though we’re not morally perfect, we experience the wholeness that comes when our actions reflect our core convictions.

Prayer

Gracious God, I want to be a person of integrity. I want all the pieces of my life to fit together harmoniously, according to your design. I want to live out my beliefs, to honor you in everything I do, especially at work.

Sometimes this is hard, Lord. It’s so tempting to cut corners morally, to tell “little white lies,” to talk behind someone else’s back, to do things I know to be wrong even though they’re expedient. When I see others advancing in their careers by bending the truth or undermining their colleagues, I am enticed to imitate them. Forgive me when I give into temptation, when I shatter the wholeness of my life.

Help me, I pray, to live each day with integrity. May I learn to trust you in every part of life, including my daily work. When I trust you fully, Lord, then I will be able to live a whole life. I won’t cut corners to advance at work. Rather, I’ll trust my future to you as I seek to honor you in all I do. Amen.

Ponder Throughout the Day

As you trust God today in your work, live with integrity.

For Further Reflection

Read all of Psalm 26, 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.

For a personal story that illustrates the challenge of integrity, read this article from The High Calling at the Theology of Work Project: “Integrity Begins with Small Things.”

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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.