cityscape
Mark T. Mulder
Author
Published on
September 22, 2026

Weekly worship prepares congregations for the work of the week ahead in many different jobs and places. We all carry different burdens throughout the week and are given different tasks. This series of prayers written by Calvin University faculty and staff for people working in various professions can be adapted to fit the different occupations present in your congregation. As a Christian liberal arts institution, Calvin University prepares students not only for their different fields of calling, but to live as agents of renewal and citizens of God’s kingdom in their everyday work and living.

Consider using these prayers over several weeks. They are meant to be prompts and are not all-inclusive. If there are professions in your congregation that are not named here, consider writing your own prayers, acknowledging that we are called to offer all parts of our lives to God.

 

Dear Lord,

As the seasons shift, we pray for your blessings.

Days grow shorter.

Temperatures cool.

Colors enhance before eventually fading.

And in the midst of these changes, our work continues.

For those harvesting in fields and orchards, we ask for protection.

For those returning to classrooms, we ask for clarity and excitement for the opportunity to better understand your world.

For those who maintain the infrastructure we frequently take for granted—water, sidewalks, streets, parks, electricity—we ask for ask for resolve and purpose in maintaining these vital parts of our lives.

We have many different callings, and we pray for fulfillment and contentment in our work, regardless of the type of labor:

for those in health care,

for those in service industries,

for those in offices,

for those on factory floors,

for those in the trades,

for those who drive,

for those who tend to animals,

for those who cultivate a home,

for those who own a business,

for those who create and those who consult,

for first responders.

We thank you for the vast array of work to which you have called us. Yet we also pray for those who want to work and cannot.

We pray for dignity and fulfillment and fair treatment, no matter the work.

We pray for invigoration and sense of purpose even in routines that may seem dull.

We pray for fair compensation and an end to all types of employment exploitation and discrimination.

We pray for rhythms that allow for sabbath rest and delight away from work. May we see both labor and leisure as gifts.

We pray for balance in our work. May we not resent it, may it not consume us, may it not become our identity.

We pray for your help in making our work part of your plan for making beautiful and useful things. Forgive us when our work disparages, degrades, or wastes.

Whatever work we are called to, we pray we do it to the best of our abilities in order to honor you, our neighbors, and creation. May we feel a sacredness in all our labors, no matter where or when they occur.

In your name, amen.