Looking for a new job can feel like a full-time job, right? Researching roles, updating resumes, sending countless job applications, and preparing for elusive job interviews takes its toll. Maybe you’ve been on the job hunt for a few days or several months. Either way, you know the stress, anxiety, hope, and disappointment of searching for a new place to work.
If you’re new to the job search, you ask questions like, "What do I love to do?" and "What values should I look for in an organization?" And if you’ve been on the hunt for a while, you might start to lose hope—and wonder if anyone will ever hire you.
If you’re feeling frustrated, stressed, or anxious about finding a new job, you’re not alone. I get it, and you’re not on your own on this journey. We all have stories of sending in our resumes and applications only to get ghosted. In those moments, we wonder, “What do I do now? Will I ever land the right job? How will I provide for my family?”
Let me encourage you with a thought: Asking questions isn’t bad. If we ask the right questions, God may provide more than just a new career or higher-paying job—He can provide a purpose.
God Is With You on the Job Hunt
Megan (not her real name), a mother, shared with me recently her experience of job hunting. She shared a story that included many of the elements we’ve already discussed. During her frustrating search, Megan asked an interesting question she hadn’t asked before: “Why am I waking up? God, why have you given me the passions that I have? Lord, reveal to me the purpose you created me for.”
The Apostle Paul, a biblical author, wrote this:
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV
Invite God Into Your Job Search
You were created with purpose. You were uniquely crafted, a masterpiece, to do good works that were prepared specifically for you.
So ask God to show you the good works that He has prepared for you. Questions like, “God, why am I here?” and “God, show me who you want me to be.” Megan began asking these questions and inviting Jesus into her job search. Of course, it wasn’t Megan’s invitation to Jesus that brought Him closer to her, but it was her invitation to Jesus that brought her awareness of His presence all along.
God is not only with you in your journey. He has planned your journey and wants to guide you through it.
God made the same promise to Megan that He makes to you—that He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Even in your frustration, hurt, or confusion, He is with you and desires for you to live out your purpose. Let your job search be a time of pursuit—pursuing God’s presence and pursuing the good works He has prepared for you. God is not only with you in your journey. He has planned your journey and wants to guide you through it.
5 Prayers for a New Job
I pray these prayers help start a longer conversation between you and Jesus. These prayers are meant to help ground you in your job hunt and your discovery of purpose while drawing you closer to Jesus.
1. A Prayer for a New Job
Father, I know that You are with me as I’m seeking employment. Thank You for surrounding me with Your love. I pray for a new job. Father, I want to do the work that You have uniquely created me to do. Help me find a job that allows me to best serve Your Kingdom and use the skills and talents that You’ve given me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
2. A Prayer for Job Application
Dear God, thank You for the gifts You have given me. I pray that the hiring team will see those gifts on my application and consider me for this position. I trust Your plan and I trust that You have a purpose for me. Jesus, I pray that this application honors You and that You would give me favor with the hiring team. In Jesus’ name, amen.
3. A Prayer to Get an Interview
I pray for a job interview, God. I pray that I will have the opportunity to meet with a hiring team and share with them my purpose. Father, as the team reviews my application, I pray that they will value my skills, talents, and experience and invite me to meet with them. Thank You that You are with me in my waiting. I trust Your plans, and I know that You have prepared something for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
4. A Prayer for a Better Job
Lord, will You help me get a new job? Show me my purpose. I pray that I will get the right job that allows me to use my gifts better and glorify You. Thank You for the provision of my current job, but I feel drawn to something more. Jesus, help me to see the plans You have for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
5. A Prayer for Encouragement While Searching for a Job
Jesus, I’m seeking a new job, and I ask for Your guidance and peace. Lead me to the right opportunities, and help me trust in Your timing. Give me strength, patience, and favor with those I meet. Thank You for being with me in every step. I trust You to open doors and light the way. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Don’t Give Up Hope
Remember that you are not alone. God is with you, and, like Megan, you were created with purpose. You are a masterpiece, uniquely crafted to make an impact that only you can make. Invite Jesus into your search for that purpose, and invite your friends and family to pray with you.
As you seek a suitable job for yourself, keep praying. Job searching can be difficult, so make sure you seek support from friends, family, and trusted people in your church. Keep going and don’t give up hope. God is beside you in the job search process. If you’d like someone to pray for your job search, send us a prayer request today!