How To Pray When You Hate Your Job

While some people end up working on a job that they like or the career they have longed for since they were children, some people end up working on a job they don’t expect. While some may like the unexpected job they have, some may also hate it. There are so many reasons why a person can unexpectedly land a job that they hate. One is that due to their circumstances, their options may be quite limited. For example, a person may have tight finances, and because of that, he or she needs to find a job immediately. With the urgency to get a job because of financial needs, this person does not have the luxury to choose where to apply. Whatever is available and whoever will hire them, they will accept the job even if it is something they hate. Sometimes it could also be related to the education of the person. For example, a person wants to become an engineer. However, due to circumstances, he or she can’t study at a school that offers a degree in engineering. It may be that no school offers a degree in their local town or city and that it is not practical for them to go to another state or city to study engineering, which could be very expensive. Or it could be that the student load is not a good option; therefore, a person looks for a different degree and gets a job in another field.

So, there are many reasons and possibilities for why a person ends up working in a job that they hate. If you find yourself in a similar position and you are working in a job that you don’t like, know that there are no accidents in life. In His sovereignty and providence, God allowed you to be there for His purpose. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was sold by his brothers to the merchants and then became a slave in Egypt. Being a slave, for sure, is not an ideal job. However, as we read his story we find later on that God has a purpose for him there, which is to save many people’s lives during the great famine that is to come. The point is that even in that particular aspect of your life where you are working in an unsatisfactory job, God has a purpose for you there, and it is not an accident that you ended up there. 

Genesis 50:20

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Will God tell you to quit your job?

If your job is the kind of job that is evil and an abomination to the LORD, yes, God wants you to quit your job. We are talking about types of jobs here that are inherently evil, like being a trafficker, scammer, robber, or any other kinds of work that are evil and not done in honor of the LORD. Some decent jobs you can also find to be so wicked that you have to quit. One example is if you are working as a marketer, and you realize the company you are working for is dishonest when it comes to their marketing ethics and they deceive people into buying their products. Then that job is not honoring God, and you have to quit it. You don’t have to hear a voice from God to know whether you have to leave your job or not. What God says in the Bible is already enough for us to see whether we have to quit our job or not. The Bible tells us that we are to always live in the fear of the LORD, turn our feet away from evil, live in holiness, always be blameless in our ways, and much more. God’s word should already be enough for us to know if we should quit our job. However, just because we hate our job does not mean we should leave. When we say to “quit,” we are talking about jobs that do not honor God.

Proverbs 4:4

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Proverbs 4:10

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

Proverbs 4:14

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Proverbs 4:27

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

Romans 12:1

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Peter 1:15-16

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

It is also important to note that we should choose and apply for jobs that are honoring to God in the first place. We should exercise wisdom, discernment, and good sense as we choose a job and see to it that what we will be doing is something that will honor the LORD, so we can be the salt and light and grow in holiness.

Proverbs 3:21

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

Proverbs 13:16

Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

Proverbs 27:12

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

What is God’s will for my career?

God’s will for your career is to serve Him and be the salt and light to the world through your job. Even if the job you have is something that you hate, you can still make a difference in the world. We have to remember that our primary vocation is not the job that we have but being ministers of God. The Bible says that we are ambassadors of Christ and ministers of reconciliation. It is only through the Gospel that we preach about where lost people can find salvation, eternal life, and peace with God through faith in Christ. Only in Christ can they be reconciled with the Father. That particular vocation is the most important in the world. You can be a tech company CEO and innovate technology to make people’s lives better, but those things are all pointless if you don’t have Christ, because technology can never save you from eternal death. That means that whatever your job is, your primary goal here is to be the salt and light, advance God’s kingdom, and preach the Gospel. For example, if you are a mechanic, your primary goal is to preach Christ and not fix cars. You can talk to your client while repairing his or her vehicle and preach the Gospel. That does not mean that we should do a lousy job because our primary vocation is to minister. We should be excellent and faithful in our work because it is one way of witnessing Christ to the lost. This means that no matter how much you hate the job you have right now, all you are doing is not in vain as long as you keep in mind that you are using that job to bless other people, be the salt and light, and preach Christ to the lost. 

Even apart from preaching the Gospel of Christ, God can use the job that you hate in His sovereign care for the world. For example, if you are a cashier and you hate being a cashier, aside from preaching the Gospel, you are instrumental in people getting the things that they urgently need. It may seem like a small, trivial thing, but it is essential in God’s governance of the universe.

1 Corinthians 1:23-24

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God

Matthew 5:13-16

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Colossians 3:23-24

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

How do I serve God in my job?

You serve God in your job, even if it is a job that you hate, by always glorifying Him in the work that You do. Also, the Bible tells us that in the end, we work heartily for the LORD and not for men. If we always meditate on the truth that we are working for the LORD and glorify Him in our job, it will change how we see our work and also how we perform our work. Knowing that we are working for God, we shall always strive to be excellent because the God we are working for is the God Almighty, Who is majestic and full of splendor. He deserves excellence in everything that is done for Him. Also, working for the LORD means that everything that we do at work is in His interests. For example, if you are a janitor and you hate your job, you strive to be excellent in cleaning the bathroom because you know that God wants you to do an excellent job and be a blessing to other people by keeping the bathroom clean. Knowing that God is pleased with how you work is fulfilling for you, and because of that, it does not matter whether you hate your job or not. Serving God in your job means constantly advancing God’s interests. God’s interest in the job that you do is to preach the Gospel and be the salt and light by being a blessing to others.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

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 do you pray when you don’t like your job?

You should first pray a prayer of gratitude toward God. This addresses the fact that even if you hate your job and it is not something you dreamed of, you should still be thankful to God that you can even have a job. Many people struggle to find a job and are willing to work at any job as long they get to earn wages and buy the things they need. You should appreciate that you have a job. A grumbling and complaining heart should not be in us Christians. Instead, our hearts should be full of gratitude and contentment. After all, our contentment does not rest upon our job but rests in Christ. In Christ, we have joy, contentment, and satisfaction. Also, the Bible tells us constantly to rejoice and give thanks no matter our circumstances. That includes giving thanks even if you are working a job you hate.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Here is an example of a prayer of thanksgiving as you thank God for your job, even if you dislike it:

Heavenly Father, You are a God of providence. I thank You for giving me this job with which You provide for my needs and those of my family through the wages that I earn. I pray that, no matter how much I hate my job, joy and gratitude shall always fill my heart instead of grumbling and complaining. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

You can also pray for your heart. Pray for your heart to always desire to glorify and honor God in the job that you do. You can pray for God’s grace to constantly meditate on the truth that you are working not for men but for God. That means praying that God will use you even more for His kingdom and the propagation of the Gospel through the job that you do. Here is how you can pray for that:

Father in heaven, You are majestic and full of splendor—the God for Whom we are ultimately working. I pray that I shall always meditate on the truth that I do my job not for my boss or customers but for You. May the truth that I am working heartily for You always be my motivation to strive for excellence in my job and always be faithful in it. Help me to always glorify You in everything that I do in my job and to continually advance Your kingdom, be the salt and light, and preach the Gospel through my job. Give me the grace to persevere and endure even if I don’t like my job. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If what makes you hate your job is your boss or workmates for some reason, then you can pray for them. It is unavoidable that sometimes we have a superior or workmates who are rude and the kind of people that are hard to get along with. In that case, pray for patience for yourself and that you shall always endure and respond to them in love. Pray that you will never repay evil for evil and that You shall instead love them and show mercy to them. We are to show it in action by praying for them.

Holy Spirit, You are the One Who empowers me in times of weakness. I pray that You would give me the grace and the strength to always respond in love and mercy toward my boss/workmate, who is difficult to get along with and always gives me a hard time at work. Help me never to repay evil with evil. Instead, I shall repay it with good, cover whatever offenses they’ve done, and always endure. Help me to show mercy just as You have shown me mercy. I pray for an opportunity to preach the Gospel to them and that You shall soften their hearts. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Whenever we find ourselves in a situation that we don’t like, such as being in a job that we hate, for example, we have to be humble before God. Yes, God has a purpose for us, and He has a reason for why we are where we are, but this is also where God is sanctifying us. It is where the Holy Spirit works in us, making us more and more like Jesus. The Bible says that everything works together for the good of those who love God. If you are in Christ, even if you hate your job, God can use it for your good.