The Power of an Unselfish Prayer

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

This week, I’d like to share a preview of my book, The Three Daily Disciplines: A Leadership Carol (Audio Book and corresponding Study Guide available).

I hope you enjoy Chapter 1, “The Power of an Unselfish Prayer.”

Chapter 1: The Power of an Unselfish Prayer

Bruce stood at the front of the conference room, his

arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. His recent promotion

to Director of Marketing at Turks Marketing Solutions had been the

next rung in his quest to climb the corporate ladder, achieving a level

of success that would bring him the respect of his peers, along with a

high salary. He relished the power and authority that came with the

new position. However, his self-centered nature and poor leadership

skills were quickly becoming apparent to those around him.

In his quest for personal success and recognition, Bruce had

neglected the needs and concerns of his team members. In fact, he

rarely sought their input or listened to their ideas, dismissing them

as irrelevant or unimportant. He believed he knew what was best.

He was good at his job. Why else would he have been placed in control

of the marketing team, of such a fast-growing company, by CEO

Stella Langford?

In the three months since his promotion, Bruce’s team members

were beginning to feel undervalued and underappreciated. His

constant need for validation and praise led him to often take credit

for his team’s successes, and his readiness to blame others when

things went wrong irked his team and made them hesitant to go all

in for the company. His failure to acknowledge their hard work and

dedication to achieving the company’s goals was beginning to take its

toll, and a culture of quiet quitting began to emerge. In fact, one team

superstar had moved on to another job at a competing company.

The quarterly numbers were steady, but unknown to Bruce,

his leadership style had begun to negatively impact the success of the

department, leading to mediocrity rather than excellence. Excellence

always pushed people to be their best and scared the mediocre away.

Unfortunately, it was mediocrity that scared the superstar away.

Bruce did not realize that a team is always a reflection of its leader

and that his lack of humility and self-awareness would soon catch up

with him. He was blind to the impact he was having on his team and

especially on Grace.

Grace Morrison had been with Turks Marketing Solutions

for ten years and was Bruce’s most trusted and gifted team member.

She oversaw public relations and social media; therefore, for many

people she had become the face of the company. Unfortunately, like

many of the others on the team, she was beginning to become disengaged

and demoralized. She often found herself going home at

the end of the day in tears, wondering how she would push herself

to get up the next morning and come back into what had become a

toxic work environment, a place where she no longer felt appreciated

or fulfilled.

The most recent day at work had been extremely difficult.

Grace had always thrown herself tirelessly into her work, yet

her efforts once again went unnoticed and unrecognized. She felt

belittled and disregarded by Bruce and was beginning to

become not only further depressed but bitter.

Today had been one of the worst days she could remember.

On the drive home, her tears flowed, and her anger grew. Bruce, in

a meeting with the CEO, took full credit for the successful marketing

conference Turks had put on in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, about

thirty miles from York, where the company was located. The conference

brought in three new clients, which would hopefully bring

in six figures annually for the company. It was Grace who organized

and oversaw the conference, who called and spoke with dozens of

leaders across Southern Pennsylvania, who sent out invitations, and

who created a social media presence around the conference that

received the highest analytics of any previous campaign.

As a woman of faith, Grace found solace and comfort in her

relationship with God. She turned to prayer in times of distress,

seeking guidance, strength, and compassion. Tonight, it was no different.

With a heavy heart, she bowed her head and began to pray,

but tonight’s prayer was something special and would have ramifications

beyond what Grace could possibly imagine.

Not everyone understands the power of an unselfish prayer, a

prayer that follows the carpenter who voiced the words, as he hung

on a wooden cross between earth and sky: “Father, forgive them.”

Grace’s prayer that night was endowed by this power; some would

even say magic. Christians might explain it by saying her prayer was

inspired by the Spirit, and such prayer can move mountains.

That night Grace prayed, not for herself, but for her tormentor.

“Dear God,” Grace began, her voice trembling with emotion. “I come

before You today with a heavy burden on my heart. You know the

challenges I face at work and the mistreatment I have endured from

Bruce, my boss. I ask for guidance and strength to persevere through

these difficult times.” Wiping away her tears, she whispered. “But,

Lord, today I want to lift Bruce up in prayer. I don’t believe he knows

what he is doing to the team. I pray You will bless him abundantly

and show up powerfully in his life.”

Grace continued, thinking only of Bruce, “Father, I ask that

You fill Bruce’s heart with true joy and peace. Help him find fulfillment

in making a positive difference in the lives of others, in using

his position to uplift and empower those around him. Help him see

beyond himself. Open his eyes to the impact he can make, not just in

the company, but in the lives of those around him.” She paused, taking

a deep breath, and then added, “Lord, I do not ask for anything

for myself. I only pray for Bruce’s transformation and his ability to

become a compassionate and Influential Leader. May he experience

Your love and grace like never before.”

As Grace’s prayer left her lips, across town Bruce was exiting

the office and getting into his new forest green Jeep Wrangler, a recent

purchase he made after receiving his promotion. As Bruce pulled

out of the parking lot, snow fell softly to the ground, blanketing the

lawns and sidewalks outside the homes he passed. It was beautiful.

Christmas was around the corner, only three days away. The office

had closed Friday, for Christmas Eve, and CEO Stella Langford, in

her generosity, also closed the business for Wednesday and Thursday

to give the staff of Turks Marketing Solutions a five-day break to celebrate

the holiday with family and friends. Bruce looked forward to

being home. He especially looked forward to the annual tradition

of watching The Muppet Christmas Carol with his wife and son on

Christmas Eve.

As Grace said “Amen” from miles away, Bruce’s Jeep sputtered

to a halt in front of The Old Dominion Theatre on Main Street. Bruce

knew the theatre well because of its connection to America’s Civil

War. Bruce was an avid reader and enthusiast about anything that

dealt with that turbulent time in the country’s history. His heightened

interest in the era was due to his father’s many stories. His

father took him to the battlefields across Pennsylvania, Maryland,

Virginia, and West Virginia. They visited many of these hallowed

grounds together, including Antietam, Manassas, Gettysburg, New

Market, and Appomattox. He especially loved visiting Harper’s

Ferry, where his mom and dad’s ashes were spread in the cemetery

above Jefferson’s Rock, overlooking the confluence of the Potomac

and Shenandoah Rivers.

What fully connected Bruce to the 1860s and the Civil War was

a family heirloom that hung in his living room. It was a ring carved

from a soup bone by his great-great-great grandfather Solomon Lyter,

who fought for the Union and was captured by the Confederacy at

the Second Battle of Winchester. He was taken to Libby Prison in

Richmond, where he whittled his time away carving the ring and

dying the geometrical shapes carved into it red, using letter sealing

wax. It would be a gift for his wife. A picture was framed on the wall

next to the ring, along with the book, Leather & Steel by Larry B.

Maier, which told the story of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Calvary unit

in which Lyter rode and its battles across the state of Pennsylvania.

Thus, Bruce was familiar with The Old Dominion Theatre.

Before the Civil War, it had been a local tavern called The Union

House. It had been a very popular establishment providing food,

drink, and lodging to travelers and locals alike. In June 1863, the

Confederate Army had taken York and was preparing to cross the

Susquehanna River to overtake Lancaster before moving on to

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Several hundred Union troops who had

retreated from York joined the Pennsylvania militia and tried to hold

the Confederate army back even though they were outnumbered by

a thousand men. The decision was made to destroy the Wrightsville-

Columbia Bridge, sparing Lancaster and slowing the Confederate

Army’s advance toward Harrisburg.

Before the Union Army was able to destroy the bridge, there

were many casualties in the battle. Some of these were brought to The

Union House, where a makeshift hospital was established and the

wounded Union troops were treated. Years later, The Union House

was bought and transformed into The Old Dominion Theatre, now

open on special occasions for movies and shows, but open daily to

share with visitors the local area’s Civil War history.

The lobby of The Old Dominion was filled with photographs

depicting scenes from the Civil War, including images of soldiers,

the aftermath of battles, and significant historical figures who visited

the area. Artifacts, including rifles, swords, uniforms, personal

belongings of soldiers, and medical instruments used during the

time, were displayed in glass cases. Several important letters and

maps hung from the walls. All these items helped instruct visitors

concerning the historical significance of the building as well as one

of the most turbulent times in American history. Furthermore, visitors

were able to watch a twenty-minute film on how the area of

Pennsylvania where they stood had been impacted by the Civil War.

What drew Bruce to The Old Dominion Theatre that night

was not its history, but the marquee. It was lit up with hundreds of

bright bulbs, highlighting the message placed there. When he looked

up through his windshield, the words on the marquee caused him

to freeze and made him ignore his Jeep’s engine sputtering to a halt

in the middle of town. On the marquee were the words, “Welcome,

Bruce Engerston.”