An End of Week Prayer (A Saturday Morning Prayer)

Our Father in Heaven… tomorrow, when I rise from sleep, another work week finished:

Let my first thought today be of You, let my first impulse be to worship You, let my first speech be Your name, let my first action be to kneel before You in prayer.

For Your perfect wisdom and perfect goodness,

For the love that You love mankind with,

For the love that You love me with,

For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life,

For the indwelling of Your Spirit in my heart,

For the gifts of Your Spirit,

For all these, I praise and worship You, Lord.

Yet let me not, when this morning prayer is said, think my worship has ended and then spend the rest of my day forgetting You. Rather from this moment of quietness let light go forth, and joy, and power, that will remain with me through all the hours of the day ahead;

Keeping me pure in thought,

Keeping me restrained and truthful in speech,

Keeping me faithful and diligent in my work,

Keeping me humble in my estimation of myself,

Keeping me honorable and generous in my dealings with others,

Keeping me loyal to every holy memory of the past,

Keeping me mindful of my eternal destiny as Your child.

God, who has been the Refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my Refuge today in every time and circumstance of need. Be my Guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my Guard against all that threatens my [spiritual, relational, emotional, psychological, and physical] welfare. Be my Strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with Your peace; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Adapted from A Diary of Private Prayer, by John Baillie

Vocational Serenity, Courage, & Wisdom

Almighty God,

Creator of heaven and earth,

Giver and Sustainer of life,

Who works all things together for the good of those who love You

—and find themselves caught up in Your purposes and plans,

We pray, together, here in the middle of another work week.

In whatever has come before, whether successful and productive or fruitless and toilsome;

And in whatever may lie before us today, tomorrow, or later this week:

We pray for the serenity to accept what we cannot change,

The courage to change what we can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

We pray for the serenity and peace that Christ left with us,

For the courage of the Spirit which is not fear, but power, love, and self-control,

And we pray for the true wisdom which comes from the Father,

Wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, merciful, fruitful, impartial and sincere.

May a harvest of righteousness might be sown by all we say and do.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Presence Not Productivity

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? - Psalm 139:7

God and Father, I repent of my sinful preoccupation with ‘visible things,’ what we sometimes call ‘results’ or ‘productivity,’ especially in the workplace. The world has been too much with me—and I too much with the world. Still, You have been here with me all along and I knew it not. I have simply been blind to Your presence. Open my eyes that I may behold You in and around me. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Adapted from Ps. 139 prayer by A.W. Tozer.

The Raw Materials of Life-With-God

O GOD, ever blessed, who has given me the night for rest and the day for labor and service, grant that the refreshing sleep of the night now past might be employed in Your greater glory during the life of the day now before me. Let it breed no slothfulness within me, but rather send me to more diligent action and more willing obedience.

Teach me, O God, to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.

Let me use disappointment as material for patience:

Let me use success as material for thankfulness:

Let me use suspense as material for perseverance:

Let me use danger as material for courage:

Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering:

Let me use praise as material for humility:

Let me use pleasures as material for temperance:

Let me use pains as material for endurance.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before You endured the Cross, despising the shame, and who sat down at the right hand of God, let me consider You who endured such contradiction for sinners against Yourself, lest I be wearied of mind or faint of heart.

Holy God, I remember and call to mind before You now all my friends and those of my own household, praying especially for [name friends and family]. I ask You that in Your great love You would keep them also free from sin, safe-guarding all their deeds this day in accordance with Your most perfect will. Amen.

Adapted from A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie

A Prayer for the Afternoon

Lord, take all that I have done thus far today, and make it good. Forgive me for my laziness, procrastination, or inattention, for my impatience and frustration with those I work with, for every careless word or thought, every selfish deed or motivation, for all the times I chose to serve myself instead of others. Take my actual work too, the practical, material, and economic activities of this day, and help them to cultivate goodness and beauty in the world. May the work I have done today become a blessing to others, a work of love, and may it too, in the mystery of your gracious will, be caught up in the creation and redemption of the world. If I have failed today, by either poor work or poor spirit, help me walk in freedom, forgiveness, and newness of life as I step into a new workday tomorrow. If I have done well today, may I receive your blessing, your encouragement, and your affirmation as a beloved son or daughter, boasting, not arrogantly in the fruits of my labor, but rejoicing in your love and your work in and through me, your servant. May I always remember what you require: to act justly, love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with you—even when I am at work. Amen.

A Work-Week Examen

Set aside just 10-15 minutes during an end-of-the-week lunch hour to complete this spiritual exercise. Pay attention to your awareness of God and your emotional states. This includes paying close attention to your bodily reactions, acknowledging the pace of your heart and mind, and observing any spontaneous thoughts as they arrive. Finally, remember, the examen is not merely a moral exercise (though it certainly has a moral dimension); it is also, if not primarily, concerned with the quality and quantity of your God-awareness:

1) Rest:

Allow yourself to become aware of God’s presence and His love for you. Let your mind and your body be gathered into the present moment. Be still… quieting both your inner and your outer life.

2) Request:

Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help as you reflect upon the work week now drawing to a close.

3) Review:

Think back on the week and its work (your work, God’s work), recalling the events. Be sure to include all the work—work done at home, in the office, or in ‘third spaces.’ Pay special attention to your emotions.

Does anything stand out as significant or particularly meaningful? Consider your interactions and/or conversations with co-workers, customers, clients, friends and family? Have you made any important decisions? Mistakes? Taken any risks? Have you acted with integrity, honesty, and diligence this week?

When were you most aware of God this week? Where did you find yourself most attuned to His love for you and for those around you? When did you sense the Spirit’s leading (or warning)? Where did you see the life of Jesus and the Kingdom of God breaking into the ordinary and everydayness of life?

4) Repent:

Turn away from sin—literally, change direction. Allow the love of Christ to draw you into life-different, into abundant-life-now-and-forever. Re-cognize what is true, good, and beautiful and realign your “heart, mind, soul, and strength” with the way of Jesus. Be done with any selfishness, bitterness, self-pity, callousness, or carelessness which is currently standing in the way of good work, done well for the good of others and the glory of God.

5) Receive:

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The grace and mercy of Jesus is for you. Yes, even you who did or said that horrible thing. His life is now your life, so that in Him you are able to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God into the week to come.

[1] Based on the Ignatian Exercise of Examen.

Find more examen practices here.

A Life Without Lack

Lord Jesus Christ,

We are so thankful that you have said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

We are thankful for the ease with which you walked upon this earth, the generosity and kindness you showed to people, the devotion with which you cared for those who were out of the way and in trouble, the extent to which you even loved your enemies and laid down your life for them.

We are so thankful to believe that this is a life for us, a life without lack, a life of sufficiency. It’s so clear in you, the sufficiency of your Father and the fullness of life that was poured through you.

We’re so thankful that you have promised that same love, that same life, that same joy, that same power for us.

Lord, slip up on us today. Get past our defenses, our worries, our concerns. Gently open our souls and speak your Word into them.

We believe you want to do it, and we wait for you to do it now.

In your name, Amen.

From A Life Without Lack, Dallas Willard

A Prayer for Serving Others

O Christ Who made Himself the Servant of all, I set my heart and my affections upon You—and upon You alone—for I can only serve others rightly when such service is undertaken from first to last as an act of devotion offered to You.

In serving You, I am freed from my need for the praise of others. So that even if my kindnesses are shed from scarred hearts as rain from a sloped tin roof, my joy will not be dimmed for I know that You receive and remember each act of sacrifice, and reckon it as a love rendered to You.

So let my love be sincere and my service be fearless, O Lord.

May I serve in imitation of You, Who poured out Your life for me. May I serve knowing that Your Spirit is ever at work in the lives of those I serve, ever calling, ever drawing, ever seeking to soften hearts encased in fear and disappointment and anger and idolatry. Let my kindness and sacrifice fall like warm shafts of sunlight on icy ground.

I cannot know the end of another person’s story. Our lives so often only briefly intersect. So, wherever I find myself today, let me be content to minister and serve regardless of visible outcomes, trusting that the small mercies I extend will be woven into the larger theme of redemption at work in the lives of others as You woo them to Yourself, drawing their hearts by graces offered, and shaping my own heart too, in this process of learning to serve well, and by learning to serve well, learning to love well.

Amen.

* Adapted from “A Prayer for Serving Others,” in Every Moment Holy: Volume 1

A Prayer for the Start of School (Pt. 3)

Creator God, who parents us all,

hold my heart as I practice letting go,

hold this child as the school day begins.

 

There was a time when I celebrated

each small milestone, witnessing steps

as they were taken. Yet now I watch

those same sweet legs walking away from me

and I feel, at my best, an urge to slow

down time; at my worst, a fearful grasping

for control.

 

May this bittersweet pang point me toward

a deeper truth, where each small goodbye—

be it silly or tense, tired or tender—is a chance

to give thanks for the gift of this child,

and to remember that they are neither

my possession nor my identity.

 

I am not the author of their story, Lord.

You are.

I am not their ultimate protector, Lord.

You are.

This is both a relief and a surrender,

as I release the prideful notion

that my proximity secures their safety.

 

I have no shield with which to guard them,

but your unending faithfulness;

no comfort to console them,

but your transcendent peace;

no assurance to offer them,

but your perfect love.

 

Creator God, who parents us all,

hold my heart as I practice letting go;

hold this child as a school day begins.

 

Every day my child is more aware

of this beautiful, hurting, complex world.

As their mind grows in understanding

may they also grow in faith,

seeking and finding your presence, Lord.

Be to them a constant friend through

the crowded and lonely hallways

of these formative years.

 

When they feel anxious or insecure,

remind them they are loved.

When they feel pressure to impress

and prove their worth to peers,

remind them they are already loved.

When they make mistakes, great and small,

and feel the sting of shame,

remind them that no matter what,

they are fiercely and completely loved.

 

May this buoyancy of belonging

fill them with a confidence

to extend your generosity toward others.

May they have humility to learn from those

who are different from them,

and a soft heart for those who are struggling.

May each of their own hurts become a

source of empathy and compassion,

fueling the courage to choose kindness

over what is popular or easy.

May they see themselves as part of

your kingdom already breaking through,

shining light into shadows

with every action done in love.

 

Creator God, who parents us all,

hold my heart as I practice letting go,

hold this child as a school day begins.

 

In this passing moment full of

backpacks, buses, and bells,

I pause and acknowledge your goodness,

shown in and through this unique child

and the person they are becoming.

May they open their heart wider to you today,

allowing your hope to shimmer through them,

even as they rest in the truth

of who they already are:

a beloved child of God,

woven and held together

by your gentle and mighty hands.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

From Every Moment Holy, “A Liturgy for Dropping a Child at School,” Alli R. Dahlgren

A Prayer for the Start of School (Pt. 2)

Creator God, who parents us all,

hold my heart as I practice letting go;

hold this child as a school day begins.

 

Every day my child is more aware

of this beautiful, hurting, complex world.

As their mind grows in understanding

may they also grow in faith,

seeking and finding your presence, Lord.

Be to them a constant friend through

the crowded and lonely hallways

of these formative years.

 

When they feel anxious or insecure,

remind them they are loved.

When they feel pressure to impress

and prove their worth to peers,

remind them they are already loved.

When they make mistakes, great and small,

and feel the sting of shame,

remind them that no matter what,

they are fiercely and completely loved.

 

May this buoyancy of belonging

fill them with a confidence

to extend your generosity toward others.

May they have humility to learn from those

who are different from them,

and a soft heart for those who are struggling.

May each of their own hurts become a

source of empathy and compassion,

fueling the courage to choose kindness

over what is popular or easy.

May they see themselves as part of

your kingdom already breaking through,

shining light into shadows

with every action done in love.

 

Creator God, who parents us all,

hold my heart as I practice letting go,

hold this child as a school day begins.

In Jesus name, Amen,

From Every Moment Holy, “A Liturgy for Dropping a Child at School,” Alli R. Dahlgren

A Prayer for the Start of School (Pt. 1)

Creator God, who parents us all,

hold my heart as I practice letting go,

hold this child as the school day begins.

 

There was a time when I celebrated

each small milestone, witnessing steps

as they were taken. Yet now I watch

those same sweet legs walking away from me

and I feel, at my best, an urge to slow

down time; at my worst, a fearful grasping

for control.

 

May this bittersweet pang point me toward

a deeper truth, where each small goodbye—

be it silly or tense, tired or tender—is a chance

to give thanks for the gift of this child,

and to remember that they are neither

my possession nor my identity.

 

I am not the author of their story, Lord.

You are.

I am not their ultimate protector, Lord.

You are.

This is both a relief and a surrender,

as I release the prideful notion

that my proximity secures their safety.

 

I have no shield with which to guard them,

but your unending faithfulness;

no comfort to console them,

but your transcendent peace;

no assurance to offer them,

but your perfect love.


Creator God, who parents us all,

hold my heart as I practice letting go;

hold this child as a school day begins,

In Jesus name, Amen.

From Every Moment Holy, “A Liturgy for Dropping a Child at School,” Alli R. Dahlgren

A Workday Examen

Set aside just 10-15 minutes—either during the workday or perhaps at night before bed—to complete this spiritual exercise. Pay attention to your awareness of God and your emotional states—which includes paying close attention to your bodily reactions, acknowledging the pace of your heart and mind, and observing any spontaneous thoughts as they arrive. Finally, remember, the examen is not merely a moral exercise (though it has a moral dimension); it is also, if not primarily, concerned with the quality and quantity of your God-awareness:

1) Rest:

Allow yourself to become aware of God’s presence and His love for you. Let your mind and your body be gathered into the present moment. Be still… quieting both your inner and your outer life.

2) Request:

Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help as you reflect upon your workday.

3) Review:

Think back on the day and your work recalling the events. Be sure to include all your work—work done at home, in the office, or in ‘third spaces.’ Pay special attention to your emotions.

Does anything stand out as significant or particularly meaningful? Consider your interactions and/or conversations with co-workers, customers, clients, friends and family? Have you made any important decisions? Mistakes? Taken any risks? Have you acted with integrity, honesty, and diligence today?

When were you most aware of God today? Where did you find yourself attuned to His love for you and those around you? When did you sense the Spirit’s leading (or warning)? Where did you see the life of Jesus and the Kingdom of God breaking into the day’s ordinary happenings?

4) Repent:

Turn away from sin—literally, change your mind about what is true, good, and beautiful and realign your mind, heart, and soul with the way of Jesus. Be done with any selfishness, bitterness, self-pity, callousness, or carelessness which is currently standing in the way of good work, done well for the good of others and the glory of God.

5) Receive:

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The grace and mercy of Jesus is for you. Yes, even you who did or said that horrible thing earlier today. His life is now your life, so that in Him you are able to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God into tomorrow.

[1] Based on the Ignatian Exercise of Examen.

A Weekend Prayer

Eternal Father of my soul, let my first thought today be of You, let my first impulse be to worship You, let my first speech be Your name, let my first action be to kneel before You in prayer.

For Your perfect wisdom and perfect goodness,

For the love that You love mankind with,

For the love that You love me with,

For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life,

For the indwelling of Your Spirit in my heart,

For the gifts of Your Spirit,

For all these, I praise and worship You, Lord.

Yet let me not, when this morning prayer is said, think my worship has ended and then spend the rest of my day forgetting You. Rather from this moment of quietness let light go forth, and joy, and power, that will remain with me through all the hours of the day ahead;

Keeping me pure in thought,

Keeping me restrained and truthful in speech,

Keeping me faithful and diligent in my work,

Keeping me humble in my estimation of myself,

Keeping me honorable and generous in my dealings with others,

Keeping me loyal to every holy memory of the past,

Keeping me mindful of my eternal destiny as Your child.

God, who has been the Refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my Refuge today in every time and circumstance of need. Be my Guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my Guard against all that threatens my [spiritual, relational, emotional, psychological, and physical] welfare. Be my Strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with Your peace; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Adapted from A Diary of Private Prayer, by John Baillie

A Prayer for Work Stress

Heavenly Father, as I navigate the complexities of work this week, help me to release the burdens that are beyond my control and focus on the tasks that I can manage with your guidance.

Lord, I ask for your calming presence in the midst of deadlines, expectations, and uncertainties. Grant me the resilience to face challenges with grace and strength.

In moments of frustration, help me to pause and find perspective. In overwhelming moments, guide me to prioritize and approach each task with a steady and composed heart.

Help me to see my work as an opportunity for growth and service rather than a source of anxiety. Surround me with your love and the support of those who understand—and grant me a posture of understanding, patience, and compassion towards those around me.

I place my trust in you, Lord, as I journey through the stressors of work this week. In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Amen.

Adapted from JONAH MCKEOWN / Common Good Magaine

A Prayer for Co-Workers

Today, Lord, I pray not for myself, but for my coworkers.

I pray especially for [Suffering Coworker] and their present sorrows and struggles. Lord, you know every difficulty and every disappointment that they are going through right now. I pray that they would know your goodness and kindness today in the midst of their work, while trusting you for all that they might need. Show me, Lord, the ways that I could serve and care for them during this season.

I pray also for [Overworked Coworker], may you grant them peace and stillness inside and out. If they have taken on too much responsibility, gracefully remind them that they don’t have to do it all, but can depend on those who they work with. Likewise, if they have been given too much responsibility by those they work for, help them ask for help where it is needed, rest when it is required, and an abundance of patience and grace as they approach urgent deadlines and possibly miss important due dates. In all of it, remind them that they can trust you, Jesus.

Finally Lord, for all the many needs of those I work with and for: I ask for your provision, your abundance, and your life, Jesus, made good in and for them. May all my coworkers rest and work securely in you—through faith, hope, and love. Amen.

A Prayer of Gratitude for Work

For many Friday marks the end of the work week, while for others it is only beginning (those who provide the services for much of our weekend rest and recreation). Whichever category you find yourself in today, let us pause to thank the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, for the work He has given us. ”For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them,” (Eph. 2:10), both for His glory and our good. So let us give thanks today and everyday for today’s work:

O Christ who supplies my every need, I praise you for all provisions and for the means by which they are provided. For my current employment, in this season of life, I give you thanks. By it, may I meet my own needs, and contribute to the needs of others. Let me work and serve in this position with mindfulness, creativity, and kindness, loving you well by loving all whom I encounter here.

Jesus, be ever present as mediator between me and my employer, between me and my supervisors and co-workers, and in all my dealings with others in this work, reminding me that my treatment of them is the strongest evidence of my affection for you. And certainly my treatment of them includes good work, done well, rather than bad work, done poorly that they then have to make up for! Grant me therefore the patience to listen to others, the humility to learn from them, the compassion to consider their needs as my own, and the grace to wear well the name of my Lord in this place, remembering that I arrive here each day as an emissary of your kingdom.

Let me be an asset to my employer and superiors, working for their flourishing without resentment. Let me be a support to my peers, contributing to their advancement without jealousy. Let me be an encouragement to any I train or lead, affirming and equipping them without disdain. May the days of my employment here be meaningful. Use this chapter in my life to accomplish your ends, whatever they might be. May my presence here daily suggest your presence here.

And may the outworking of the gospel be always evident in this my work, that my service as an employee might be ever reckoned and received as service first rendered unto you, O Christ. Amen.[1]

[1] Adapted from “A Liturgy for One Who is Employed,” Every Moment Holy Vol I. Rabbit Room Press © 2020

A Prayer when Anxious or Overwhelmed by Work

Jesus, you are my peace. I trust you and I need you. Like the waters of the sea, bid my anxious mind “Cease! Be still!” Calm my restless spirit. Comfort me, care for me, and return to me the joy of your salvation. To the extent that I have given myself too much work, help me let it go. To the extent that too much work has been put on me by others, may I gracefully disappoint. May your Holy Spirit descend, and indwell my every thought, Amen.

A Prayer for 'Usefulness'

O GOD, ever blessed, who has given me the night for rest and the day for labor and service, grant that the refreshing sleep of the night now past might be employed in Your greater glory during the life of the day now before me. Let it breed no slothfulness within me, but rather send me to more diligent action and more willing obedience.

Teach me, O God, to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.

Let me use disappointment as material for patience:

Let me use success as material for thankfulness:

Let me use suspense as material for perseverance:

Let me use danger as material for courage:

Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering:

Let me use praise as material for humility:

Let me use pleasures as material for temperance:

Let me use pains as material for endurance.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before You endured the Cross, despising the shame, and who sat down at the right hand of God, let me consider You who endured such contradiction for sinners against Yourself, lest I be wearied of mind or faint of heart.

Holy God, I remember and call to mind before You now all my friends and those of my own household, praying especially for [name friends and family]. I ask You that in Your great love You would keep them also free from sin, safe-guarding all their deeds this day in accordance with Your most perfect will. Amen.

Adapted from A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie

A Prayer for Domestic Work

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come and your will be done here in our home as it is heaven: give me strength today as I care for the needs of my family and tend to the little corner of the world you have given me to be responsible for. Lord, help me make life good, here in this time and place you have marked out as my dwelling place (Acts 17:26). Grant me the energy which comes from joyful service and the wonder which infuses even the most tedious of tasks with a sense of beauty.  Open the eyes of my heart that through the lens of faith I might see that even the most mundane work before me today—the cleaning, the laundry, the changing of diapers, the sweeping of the floor, the vacuuming, mopping, taking out the trash, and the preparing of meals and leftovers—does not go unnoticed by you—for you delight in my work and call it “good” when it is done in love. May I remember how you make the sun to rise each day, the stars to shine each night, the rain to fall, and the seasons to come and go each year; and yet you exult in this monotony because it is good to care for those you love.

Gracious Father, in those moments when my work is overlooked and receives no thanks, when the unseen labor of my day is taken for granted or even disrespected, give me abounding grace to endure the insult and the disregard. Help me to remember that I am called to serve those whom I love even when it goes ignored, just as Jesus did. May I give and forgive with the same love I have been given and the same forgiveness I have received, trusting that my daily sacrifice, however small, will bear eternal fruit in the lives of those I care for—that they will know you in how I love them. (John 13:35) May I never grow weary in doing good but serve today with a gentile and generous spirit. Thank you, Father, for this family, for this home, and for the privilege to steward and care for these souls, this place, and this season of our lives. May my work today be for the good of my family and the glory of your blessed name, Amen.

A Prayer for Your Industry, Profession, or Company

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who during Your earthly life shared our toil and dignified the work of our hands: May all who labor as [your profession/industry/company] today cultivate goodness and beauty in the world. May their good work be done well, not to please man, or for mere monetary reward, but diligently in the eyes of God as His workers. Give to each a spirit of cooperation and collaboration so that there may be no strife among them. Grant that all will seek only what is right, working in concord with one another, and working for the good of themselves and their neighbors, near and far—all for Your sake. May they find joy in serving others and in serving You, Lord Jesus, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign forever, world without end. Amen.[1] 

[1] Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer, “For Industry” & “For Right Relations in Industry.”