Praying the Word: When You’re Headed to Work
On the surface, prayer seems simple. It’s talking to God. But in practice, we may have a lot of questions. Am I doing this right? Is there a “right” way to do it? What am I supposed to say? Are there things I shouldn’t pray about? Or maybe we feel pretty comfortable with praying, but we struggle with getting bored or losing focus.
Whatever our struggles with prayer, Scripture can be helpful. As Donald Whitney explains, “Praying the Bible isn’t complicated. Read through a few verses of Scripture, pause at the end of each phrase or verse, and pray about what the words suggest to you.” (You can read more from Donald Whitney about how to pray Scripture, in this article.)
In the Praying the Word series, we’ll take the idea of praying Scripture and make it practical by sharing a passage of Scripture, an example prayer, and some guided questions to help you make it your own. The example prayer might serve as a model, or you can use it as a prayer for yourself. As you give this a try, don’t worry if it feels awkward or you’re not sure what to say. Remember, the power of prayer doesn’t come from the words we say, but from the One who hears them.
Example Scripture
Psalm 90:14-17
[14] Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
[15] Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
[16] Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
[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!
Lord, I praise you for your steadfast love, which goes ahead of me today. You provide this work and you give me the strength and energy to complete it. The tasks, challenges, and responsibilities pile up inside and outside the home, demanding my time and attention. It’s tempting to just get up and go—trying desperately to conquer mounting to-dos—but I pray that you would first help me to stop and be still. Help me to remember the gospel and set my mind to worship you, the source of my joy in these busy days. Satisfy my heart this morning with you, Jesus—my greatest need and highest priority.
I confess that I have many struggles and wrongful motives in my heart when I consider my daily work. It’s hard and I’m weak. I can struggle with idolizing my job sometimes and sacrificing better things on the altar of my own success; I can also battle a heart of complaint, ungratefulness, or comparison when measuring my work against a friend’s or my own ideals. Coworker relationships can cause a strain and deadlines or difficult assignments can tempt me to become anxious. I worry about my kids when I’m away and struggle to wisely and cheerfully juggle all of our busy schedules. When I feel the brokenness of my work, and my own sinful heart, turn my attention to the hope I have in you and all that you have accomplished on my behalf. You have rescued me from the evil both around and inside me—thank you, Lord Jesus! Make me glad in the gospel today.
As I strive to work hard today, Savior, I pray that you would help me glimpse your perfect strength, holding and keeping me. You have finished the work of salvation for me on the cross, and because of that, I have hope in the midst of all my work on this side of heaven. You are shaping me to be more like Christ as I faithfully serve you in the work before me and depend on you. May I remember your goodness and grace on the job today and the privilege I have to share that with others. I pray specifically that my work would be an example to my children as they look on, showing them your glorious power.
It’s only because of Christ that “the favor of the Lord our God” can even be extended to me…thank you, Lord Jesus, for this incredible gift! As I rest in your salvation and grace today, I echo the psalmist’s call that you would establish the work of my hands. Make my labors fruitful today, Lord—not only for this present moment in time, but for all eternity. Let me shine the light of the gospel as I work, drawing others to the joy of Jesus. Take my humble work and let it bring you glory and pleasure today, my King.
Make it Your Own
Praise God: What things in this Scripture passage give you reasons to praise God and thank him for who he is and what he’s doing? Give him both general and specific thanksgiving and come into his presence rejoicing.
Confess: What things do you need to tell God about how your heart or actions might veer (intentionally or unintentionally) toward self-reliance or even disobedience? Where have you trusted in your own wisdom or resisted his presence, commands, and care?
Share Your Heart: What things do you need to tell the Lord from a place of concern and humility? What questions linger, what worries do you harbor, and what do you need to hand over to him?
Ask: Where do you need wisdom? What help and grace do you need? Let the Lord know where you are weak and what specific things you need, letting him have the final and perfect say in how those needs are met and prayers are answered.
