When Faith Takes Flight: Prayer, Boldness, and God's Purpose in the Workplace

By Brett Gennarelli

When I began Ekklesia Excelerator, Level 1 in August of 2025 I didn’t really know much about the course or where it might lead. I wasn’t even sure I NEEDED a class! After all, I felt I was already being faithful. When I wasn’t flying halfway around the world as a pilot for a major airline I was going to church, filling a church need as an usher at service, leading the teaching of Dave Ramsey’s 9-week, Financial Peace University (FPU) each year, and even started a nonprofit for financial literacy. I was doing enough, right?

As we started working through the Excelerator, it really caught my attention when it spoke of carrying out the great commission in your sphere (vocationally), and in my world. It revealed a gaping hole in my walk with God and really got me thinking, “How could I possibly do this?” As I progressed through the course, through prayer and meditation the Lord revealed what I call the “ABC’s” to me: Ask/pray, Be bold, and commit!

Ask/pray, Be bold, and commit!

It made perfect sense to start by asking and praying. Focusing specifically on the combination of my vocation and how I could effect more Jesus in the world, the plan slowly came into focus. When a fellow Excelerator student mentioned they had joined a prayer walk it struck me as something that might fit into my plan – I could prayer walk wherever I was laying over, anywhere in the world!

Next came the “Be bold” command. I admittedly can be a bit on the bold side in social situations, and even when leading FPU it’s not too difficult to be bold when you are in front of a room full of Christians. But in an airline operation? In foreign countries? I was already in the habit of quietly saying a prayer prior to each flight. The key word in that statement is “quietly.” That’s not exactly a synonym for BOLD! I was convinced the Lord was leading me down this path, so I needed to pray on it to find a solution that would work for the Lord and also not get me fired (then I would lose my platform). It came to me to prayer walk around the plane while doing my exterior inspection before the flight! The plan evolved into worshipping as I circumnavigated the aircraft inspecting engines, air ports, landing gear, etc. It’s loud out there on the ramp, so I can really belt it out and they may, or may not hear it. Then before walking back up the stairs to the jet I would turn, extend a hand towards the airplane, and pray for the flight, the passengers, and all the ground personnel who impact the flight – all in full view of the ground personnel and often, the passengers in the terminal if they’re looking out the window.

Then the moment of truth came – time to COMMIT! It just so happened that my next trip was to Tokyo, a perfect opportunity to put my plans into action. As I descended the stairs for my walk around inspection I gathered my courage, and started singing “How Great Thou Art.” As I progressed around the airplane I finished two verses of the song and refrain, so I rolled right into “Amazing Grace.” Wouldn’t you know it – I finished the song at the same time I finished the inspection! Reaching the base of the stairs, I turned towards the aircraft, my back to the terminal, extended my hand and prayed. Have you ever had that overwhelming feeling that you are doing exactly what the Lord wants you to do? That is how I felt at that very moment as I prayed. The prayer came to me effortlessly. I hadn’t put any thought into it beforehand, but it was perfect. Phase one complete!

So, I fly across the Pacific Ocean and arrive late in the afternoon in Tokyo. We get about 24 hours on the ground, so I decided to prayer walk the next morning. And what a beautiful, glorious, fall morning it was! It was a bright, sunny, 65-degree day that morning. I walked out of the hotel onto the street, turned left and walked for over an hour prayer walking the streets. Have you ever seen a character from the comic strip Peanuts named Pigpen? He constantly walks around with a cloud of dirt swirling around him. Well, I felt like a “Spiritual Pigpen,” with the Holy Spirit swirling all around me as I walked, touching all I passed by. What a wonderfully fulfilling experience!

Over the last 12 months I have prayer walked every airplane I have walked around, and throughout cities around the world, including Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Auckland, Paris, and Frankfurt. By simply following the Lord’s ABC’s a Spiritual Pigpen has been unleashed on the world with no end in sight!