How To Pray For A Job

Whether a person is applying for their first job as they embark on their career or transitioning to a different career mid-age, it is a moment in life where they find themselves in the middle of a crossroads. It is where they have to carefully evaluate the options that they have. One option will lead to a different path in life, and this involves a choice that affects not only their career but their entire life as well. 

Whether you are applying for a job or are in the middle of transitioning to a different job, it is vital not to leave God out of the picture. In every aspect of your life, you should always involve God because the life you live is not something you live independently but for Christ, since you have been crucified with Him. As Christians, we want every decision to be a God-honoring one. Because of that, we consult God and pray to Him regarding life-changing choices. 

Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

How can I hear God’s voice?

Whenever we are in the middle of a crossroads, for example where we have to choose which job to apply for or which offer to take if we have received several offers, it is essential to ask God for advice. Just as we go to a lawyer to ask for counsel regarding the legal matters we have to decide on, we should go to God for counsel regarding our life decisions. Here we are talking about important life decisions—the kind of decisions you have to think through and not the trivial ones like choosing what food to order at a restaurant.

Psalm 16:7

I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

Proverbs 11:14

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Proverbs 15:22

Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

As we ask God for counsel, we want to hear from Him. We want to know what He thinks would be the wisest thing to do. The ultimate way to know what God is telling us is by reading His word. We call the Bible God’s Word because it is what God wants to tell us. God, through His Word, addresses everything that He wants us to know. That does not mean that God speaking to people through a voice or an impression does not happen, or this possibility is ruled out. God can and undoubtedly has spoken to Christians that way. But we have to remember that, in the end, it is the Scriptures that have the highest authority over our lives and the decisions we make—more than voices, impressions, and even prophetic words.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

When it comes to deciding which job to apply for or offer to accept, if you want to hear God’s voice or know what He wants to tell you, going to the Scriptures should be enough. 

How do I know what God wants me to do?

As you read the Scriptures, you will know what God tells you and what He wants you to do. God’s word is the basis of how we live our lives. Every choice that we make submits to the word of God. The Bible tells us that God’s word is like a lamp to our feet. If we are walking on a dark path where we can hardly see what is ahead, God’s word is the lamp that enables us to navigate life as we encounter crossroads where we have to make a decision. If we don’t have God’s word to help us, we are making a choice blindly. But with God’s word, we have a lamp, and we know which choice is the wisest one to make.

Psalm 1:1-2

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

One of the ways this applies to us is, let’s say, for example, if you are given two job offers. One is for an executive assistant, and the other is for a marketer. Executive assistant is a low position compared to being a marketer, where the salary is way higher. However, you know that the way the company markets is shady and they use dishonest tactics to drive up their sales. If you’re familiar with God’s word, you know that we are to be honest and have integrity in everything we do, even in our dealings at work or business. We are to be wise, fear God, and turn our feet away from evil. Given that those are the things that God tells us from His Word, we must turn down the marketer job offer and take the job of being an executive assistant.

Proverbs 4:26-27

26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Proverbs 10:9

He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

Proverbs 28:6

Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

That is how we know what God wants us to do. Whenever we face a crossroads where we have to choose which job to take, we are to look into God’s Word and see God’s instructions. We then take those instructions into account and make our decisions. We use God’s Word as a lamp to our feet as we walk down a path. It is applicable not just in decisions regarding our careers or jobs, but also in every aspect of our lives.

There can also be a situation when both the job offers are within God’s will. For example, of the offers you received, one is for a chef and one is for a restaurant manager position. Let’s say that, based on the research that you did on the two companies that were offering you those jobs, neither of the jobs has anything shady about it. In other words, both jobs are fine jobs in which nothing goes against God’s Word; nothing about them is illegal or evil. How can you then choose, if both choices are within God’s will? In that case, it is not a matter of which choice honors God, but, rather, which choice is the wisest. Regardless of which one you take, both of the jobs honor God because both are honest jobs involving nothing dishonest. You have to ponder which is the most practical and wisest choice to make. Do you excel more at being a restaurant manager or being a chef? What do your aptitudes tell you about your strengths? What are the talents that you have? In this case, we are to ask God for wisdom as we decide, and He will help us make the wisest and most practical choice.

Proverbs 2:6

For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

James 1:5

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

How do I pray for a job?

Given everything that we have discussed so far, the word of God is integral when it comes to deciding whether you should take a job offer or not and which job to take or apply for. For this, you can pray to God for the grace to always abide by His word and give you the wisdom, prudence, and discernment that you need as you apply for or take a job offer. Here is an example of how you can pray for a job:

Heavenly Father, You are the God Who gives wisdom generously to those who ask. All wisdom and understanding come from You. Give me the grace to live by Your word and always submit myself to what You have instructed me in Your word as I decide what job to apply for or accept. Help me make the choice that glorifies and honors You the most and also the one in which I shall grow in holiness. In the face of two or more job offers that are both within Your will, give me the wisdom and discernment to go with the best choice I can make—one that is wise and practical. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Whenever you choose which offer to accept or position to apply for, remember that what matters the most is your sanctification and holiness. If a job is the kind of job that will end up making you sin, it is not God’s will for you. The question we have to keep in mind as we pray and decide about a job is whether we will grow in holiness while working on that job or if it will hinder our growth in holiness. Another consideration is if the job will enable us to glorify God or do the opposite. If the job will make us grow more intimate with Jesus or not is also another factor to consider. We are crucified with Christ; the life that we live now in the flesh, we live for Him Who loved us and died for us.