The Bible is filled with calls to praise and thank God.  Praise and thanks are not intended only for situations in life where we are naturally moved to give thanks (even though that happens far too seldom).  The letter to the Ephesians goes significantly further when it calls us to "always and for everything give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father" (Eph. 5:20).

Whoever understands their life as an effort to respond to the love of God with acts of love, desires to respond with thanks with their entire being.  Love always has to do with wholeness.  "To praise God is our duty".  Therefore we cannot exempt the time we spend on our work.

Preparatory meditation as an activity in connection with Ephesians 5:20 ("Always and in everything giving thanks"):

• - Look at the major tasks that occupy your life at the moment, or at other work important to you..
• - Thank God for your gifts and abilities, for the meaning of your work, for all the help  bestowed on you - for...for...for...
• - In a brief time of reflection before work recall your previous meditation and prayer time and become open to what was prayed for that it may permeate your work.
• - Do what you have to do as thanks to God ("Now thank we all our God with heart and hands   and voices")...

Comment:
Working in the spirit of prayer we experience that we pray not only  with our thoughts and lips, but also with  our deeds.  We could call this "work as prayer" which we will pursue more closely on week 11b-day 6

Hymn meditation:
„Let our work prosper well,
That each is called to do,
That our work, toil and efforts
Give glory and thanks to you.“   [Nikolaus Herman EG 437,4]