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Careers, Workplace and Religion
How to Pray for Specific Vocations

How to Pray for Specific Vocations

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 8:40 am by Guest Contributor

How to Pray for Specific Vocations 2015-06-05T10:48:09-05:00 Guest Contributor

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By Joanna Meyer; reprinted from the website of the Denver Institute for Faith and Work.

Every Sunday, in churches across Colorado, worship leaders call attention to the needs of their communities and the world. Simply put, we pray for what we care about. Do the prayers you offer from the pulpit, in small group settings–or even in your personal prayer life–speak to the ways the members of your congregation labor every day?

The staff at St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church in Cherry Hills Village, intentionally incorporate vocation-specific prayers in their liturgy, a powerful way to empower and encourage members of their congregation. Let these words ignite your imagination and inspire you to support your congregation in its work:

Teachers/Educators

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your Kingdom through education; for teachers, that they may instill in their pupils what is good and pleasing to you, and practice patience in trying times; for students, that they may diligently complete their work while you continually shape their minds and hearts after your call upon their lives.

Written by Christopher Hirschy, Seminarian

Parents, Grandparents and Guardians

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your kingdom through the joy and responsibility of caring for children. Give parents, grandparents and guardians calm strength and patient wisdom as they bring them up, that they may be shown to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Adapted from “For the Care of Children” in The Book of Common Prayer

Healthcare, Doctors and Nurses

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your kingdom through providing healthcare for others. Sanctify those whom you have called to the study and practice of the arts of healing, and to the prevention of disease and pain. Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit, that by their ministries the health of the community may be promoted and your creation glorified, and that those under their care may find peace as they place their lives into your hands and under your dominion; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Adapted from the prayer “For Doctors and Nurses” in The Book of Common Prayer

Mental Health Workers

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your Kingdom through the field of mental healthcare. Grant them wisdom and compassion as they help heal and sustain those in their care, and give them strength to serve each person with love and grace. Bless them with time to rest and care for themselves, and allow them to see the positive changes they bring to those whom they serve.

Adapted from prayer originally posted here: http://www.ftlpray.org/a-prayer-for-our-healthcare-workers/

Children and Youth in their Endeavors

We pray, Lord, for children and youth who serve your Kingdom through the pursuit of worthwhile endeavors, including music, theatre, athletics, scouting programs, community engagement and through many other pursuits. Help them to bear witness to your grace on the field of play, on stage, in rehearsals or through serving others. Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Adapted from prayer “For Young Persons” in The Book of Common Prayer

Artists and Composers and Musicians

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your Kingdom through the arts and music. Jesus Christ, Word of God, Icon of God, we praise you for sanctifying the earth in your incarnation, confirming the goodness of the physical world of stone, wood, metal, wind and fire and flesh. We ask that you would rule the imaginations of artists and musicians with wisdom and love. Deliver them from fear and pride. Great Carpenter: teach, guide, and aid artists and musicians in their work today.

Adapted from prayer by Bryan Brown, Christ Church, Austin, TX

Business

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your Kingdom through business. Gracious God, thank you for creating us in your image, calling us to be fruitful and to be faithful stewards of your creation. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the context of business; give businessmen and women wisdom, Lord, to know what it means to be your disciple at work. Empower them in their relationships at work, so that they might treat all of their colleagues, including those they supervise and those who supervise them, with respect and love. For those in leadership in their companies, may they know how best to implement your call to justice, for those they employ, for their customers, for their clients, and for the larger world. Help them to see how to be good stewards of all you have entrusted to them. Fill them now with your Spirit, so they might live for you in their workplaces.

Adapted from prayer originally posted on Mark D. Roberts’ blog, “Why We Don’t Pray for Business”

Legal Profession

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your Kingdom through the legal profession. You are the true defender of the oppressed and the defenseless, and you are the one who brings truth and justice to bear in all of life. We pray that you will comfort attorneys and judges, and all those who work in jurisprudence, as they are faced with difficult situations, temptations and discouragement. Encourage them to imitate you in seeking true justice for all and sustain them in their daily work.

Adapted from prayer originally posted on the Life on Purpose blog

Volunteer Work

We pray, Lord, for those who serve your Kingdom through volunteering; that they would come to know that they serve you through serving others, and are able to see the love and joy they foster in their community. Grant them compassion, steadfastness, and a servant’s heart during trying times; that they may bring glory to your Kingdom.

Written by Christopher Hirschy, Seminarian

We’re only getting started! Imagine how you could affirm the range of occupations represented in your congregation through prayer. If you don’t know how to pray for a certain vocation, ask someone working in that field about their job. Making an effort to understand the distinct challenges people face at work deepens your understanding and affirms the unique value of each role.

“And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!”
– Psalm 90:17, MSG

Joanna Meyer is the Event Coordinator and Development Associate at the Denver Institute for Faith and Work. A broadly experienced marketing and organizational development leader, she has spent the past twenty years working in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors helping to connect organizations to the community. As the founder and Principal of Crux Consulting, she assists businesses to develop effective community engagement strategies. Prior positions include Associate Director of Development for Youth for Christ and management roles in leadership and organizational development programs for Trimm International and PGi. Joanna holds a Master of Arts in Social and Civic Entrepreneurship and is a third-generation Coloradan with roots on the Eastern Plains, but now calls urban Denver home

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