Second only to your home, your workplace is where you spend the largest amount of your time. It’s where you give the bulk of your energy and creativity, build friendships, and provide for everything from your basic needs to lifestyle wants. Love it or hate it, your job is a major part of your daily life and plays a critical role in your mental health, daily rhythms and relationships, and even your life path. As such, your time at work deserves careful attention.
One survey found that out of 1,000 full-time U.S. professionals, 77 percent had experienced burnout at their current job at least once. In another study, 83 percent of surveyed workers said they face daily workplace stress, and 76 percent of those surveyed admitted that this stress affects their personal relationships. Clearly, while your job is an important and necessary part of your life, it can also be a major stressor.
The good news is you don’t have to navigate this alone, because the God of the universe is interested in your work! He wants to hear about it and help you walk through it with joy, excellence and grace. Prayer is the best way to include God in the details and direction of your career. Regardless of what’s going on at work right now — deadlines, performance reviews, a frustrating boss, or an abnormally slow or busy season — the Bible holds a wide selection of verses you can pray over your job.
Let’s start with these five*:
Psalm 90:17
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
Keep this verse handy by writing it on a sticky note near your computer, in your personal locker at work, or in another easily noticeable place. It’s the perfect verse to remember the next time you’re nearing a big deadline or about to tackle an important task. Pray it over your work from the time you begin until the time you finish and even afterwards.
As you hand your work over to your boss or project manager, whether you feel ready to or not, you can also hand it over to the Lord. Ask for Him to pour His favor over your efforts and to solidify your work into something firm, strong and dependable.
Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”
Pray this verse over your own heart as you start work each day. Let it adjust your perspective for the day, and as the hours carry on, let it correct your motivation and focus when needed. No matter what your job is, God asks you to give it your best as if you’re doing it directly for Him.
He doesn’t say to give it your best just to get a promotion or enjoy your boss’ praise (though these things are great too). He says to do this to bring Him glory and point others to Him. Whether anyone around you notices your work or not, your Heavenly Father — your true Provider — notices and will take care of you. The way you do your daily work can be an offering to the Lord and a reflection of who He is.
Proverbs 14:23 (NASB)
“In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
This verse is another reminder for your own heart. If you want good results, you must work diligently and put in the time and care the job requires. As you give your work this kind of attention, continue to ask for the Lord’s favor on it. Boldly request the profit (both the tangible and intangible kind) as you put in the work to earn it. God does not promise profit regardless of how you do the job. He offers it because of work done well and for His glory.
Philippians 2:14-15
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…”
Whether you work in a secular or Christian environment, you’ll be faced with many opportunities to grumble, stir up controversy, gossip, place blame, and act with a worldly perspective rather than a Kingdom one. God not only asks that you do your job well; He also asks that you do it in a way that allows you to point others to Him. He asks that you carry yourself differently than those who do not know Him. How you react in times of high stress, conflict and upheaval will be the greatest reflection of what you believe and the God you worship.
Pray this verse over your testimony and your interactions with everyone in your workplace. Use this verse to ask for help as you try to be a shining light through your attitude, reactions, work ethic and more. God will gladly give you the discernment and new perspective you need to do what He has asked of you.
Matthew 6:34 (NASB)
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
You’ve likely heard this verse before in other contexts, and its truth holds firm in the context of your job too. If you haven’t faced this already, there will be times that you’re tempted to fret over something you cannot fully control — whether it’s how your boss will react to your presentation, if you’ll get a raise this year, or anything else. Pray this verse to ask for wisdom and strength in capturing anxious thoughts and tying them down, trusting that you have done what you can and that your fretting cannot change the outcome.
Hand it over to the Lord and start praying Psalm 90:17 again. Rest in God’s peace today, knowing you’ll have full access to it again tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself once you get there. And He will walk with you each step of the way.
***
As you start regularly praying these verses over your work week, you’ll begin to notice a shift in how you think about your job and how you show up to it each day. These verses will call you to something higher and give you the strength to get there. They will remind you of truths that are easy to forget as the day or week wears on.
Start by building the habit of praying one of these verses during your work commute each day, whether that’s a car ride or a short walk upstairs to your home office. When you feel the day wearing on you, pray another of these verses on your lunch or bathroom break.
No matter what is happening around you at work, know that God’s Word will not return void. It will always give you the help you need.
*All Scripture verses in the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
Copyright 2024 Jessica Swanda. All rights reserved.
