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Prayers for a Job

2 traditional prayers for a job, and 5 passages from the Bible to pray with them. Choose one, read it aloud, or print it as a card to keep.

Prayers

Prayer for Every Man in His Work

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who declarest thy glory and showest forth thy handiwork in the heavens and in the earth; Deliver us, we beseech thee, in our several callings, from the service of mammon, that we may do the work which thou givest us to do, in truth, in beauty, and in righteousness, with singleness of heart as thy servants, and to the benefit of our fellow men; for the sake of him who came among us as one that serveth, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer (1928)

A Blessing on Our Daily Work

O Lord, give thy blessing, we pray thee, to our daily work, that we may do it in faith and heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men. All our powers of body and mind are thine, and we would fain devote them to thy service. Sanctify them, and the work in which they are engaged; let us not be slothful, but fervent in spirit, and do thou, O Lord, so bless our efforts that they may bring forth in us the fruits of true wisdom. Teach us to seek after truth and enable us to gain it; but grant that we may ever speak the truth in love, that, while we know earthly things, we may know thee, and be known by thee, through and in thy Son Jesus Christ. Give us this day thy Holy Spirit, that we may be thine in body and spirit in all our work and all our refreshments, through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

From Prayers for Special Days and Occasions (1930)

Bible verses

Trust in the Lord, and Do Good

3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Psalm 37:3-7, King James Version

My God Shall Supply All Your Need

19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19, King James Version

Commit Thy Works unto the Lord

3Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Proverbs 16:3, King James Version

Whatsoever Ye Do, Do It Heartily

23And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24, King James Version

Establish Thou the Work of Our Hands

17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalm 90:17, King James Version

Questions

Which prayer for a job should I start with?

Start with "Prayer for Every Man in His Work" and pray it each day, with Trust in the Lord, and Do Good (Psalm 37:3-7) to read alongside it.

Are these Catholic or Protestant prayers?

Both. They come from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, Protestant and Lutheran collections and the Bible. Most can be prayed by any Christian.

Can I change the words to fit my situation?

Yes. Where a prayer says "N." or "thy servant", put in the name of the person you are praying for.

Why are the prayers in old-fashioned English?

They keep the words of the older prayer books and the King James Bible, the words generations have prayed. "Thee" and "thou" are the old familiar forms of "you".