A Prayer For Favor At Work

Let’s say a higher position is vacant, and the higher-ups are looking for someone to promote. A list of candidates is rolled in, and you are one of those candidates for the upcoming selection of who to promote. In such a scenario, favor at work is one of the things that you pray for. Specifically, you pray for favor from the eyes of your superiors so that they will see your excellence and select you for the promotion.

Heavenly Father, I pray for favor in my workplace so I can advance my career and be entrusted with more responsibilities. Help me to be diligent and faithful in the small things so that bigger things may be entrusted to me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The Often-Overlooked Qualities

There is nothing wrong with praying for favor in your workplace, whether that is for promotion, being selected for a project you want to work on, or another circumstance for which you are praying. However, in praying for favor, other qualities or prayer points are often overlooked, and this is detrimental if separated from favor. Those qualities are faithfulness, diligence, and excellence; they can never be separated from having favor at work. It is similar to praying to be able to ace your exams. While you pray to God for wisdom and understanding, you must also do your part and study. Therefore, you pray for the grace to study hard and smart.

 

• Faithfulness

Being faithful is essential if we want to receive favor at work. The Bible teaches us that those who are faithful with little will be entrusted with more. It is a truth that really makes sense. How can we pray for favor and be promoted at a higher level if, at a lower level, we can’t be faithful? Luke 16:10-12 specifically teaches us this truth. So, as you pray for favor in your work, ask God to help you be faithful to your current responsibilities. Till and work the small garden that you have.

• Diligence

Diligence is associated with wisdom in the book of Proverbs. If one is wise, then one is assumed to also be diligent. Repeatedly, the book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of diligence. Proverbs 13:4 teaches us that the sluggard gets nothing, but one who is diligent is richly supplied. Also, Proverbs 21:5 teaches us that the plans of the diligent lead to abundance. The principle of the passages about diligence does not only pertain to providing food for your table, but it points out that diligence is one of the keys to success. So, if we are lazy, we cannot just pray for favor at work and expect to be entrusted with a certain duty, task, responsibility, or project.

• Excellence

Of course, we have to aim to be competent and excellent in our work. We do so primarily because we want to be a blessing to the workplace where God has placed us. Apart from that, it is also our excellence in the work that we do that would serve as one of the factors if we are to be promoted or given favor. Surely you wouldn’t entrust bigger responsibilities to someone who is not good at what he or she does, especially if they are not faithful in the small things. 

We can find such a principle at play in Joseph’s life. While in prison, Joseph found favor in the eyes of the prison keeper and was entrusted with some responsibilities (Genesis 39:21-23). Also, prior to being imprisoned, Joseph was a slave of Potiphar. Because of Joseph’s skill and character, he was promoted to a position of authority (Genesis 39:3-6). (Proverbs 22:29  Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.) also tells us that those skillful in their work shall stand before kings—in our context, this means people of authority.

 

Faithfulness, diligence, and excellence are all part of the whole set. But if there is one thing that we should add, that would be character or integrity. Joseph was entrusted with more responsibilities not just because he was skillful but also because he was trustworthy, which is part of being faithful. That also means that he was a man of integrity. If we want to be entrusted with more and be favored, it is imperative that we be men and women of godly character and integrity (Psalm 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.).

Heavenly Father, give me the grace to reflect Christ in my workplace and be faithful, diligent, and excellent in that work. May my character always be above reproach. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Praying for Favor at Work

If there is a certain kind of favor at work that we desire, all we need to do is ask God. In James 4:2-3, it is written that we do not have things because we do not ask for them. Also, in (Matthew 7:7 it is written that we are to ask and it will be given to us, seek and we will find, knock and the door will be open.) Whatever favor we desire at work, we can come before God and ask Him for it in prayer. However, as mentioned, we are to also ask for God to help us and give us the grace to be faithful, diligent, excellent, and of good character; to be people who are indeed worthy to be given favor at work.

Heavenly Father, I am praying that I will be selected as one of the delegates for a certain seminar abroad a few months from now. Help me to be faithful, diligent, and excellent in what I have right now; to be good at it and given the opportunity to grow more and attend the seminar. Help me to always exercise godliness in the workplace and be trustworthy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

There is nothing wrong with praying for favor at work. However, may we always be reminded that it’s because we want to glorify God that we desire to be promoted, advance our career, and receive favor from other aspects of our work. Everything we do is not for our own glory or interests but to glorify God and point them to Him (Colossians 3:23-24).