A Prayer for Those Who Seek Employment

This is the first time I have ever attemped to write a formal prayer. It will be obvious I have been checking out Anglican and Catholic web sites. It seems like we Protestants are lacking in this area.

Lord God, Judge of our nation, we your people have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We have pursued our own desires, we have ignored your holy laws, and we have engaged in wickedness before your throne. Now, as our country and the world faces a time of great economic distress, we come before you in prayer, knowing you to be a merciful God who forgives sins and who restores those who repent of their sins.

Heavenly Father, there are many in our midst who suffer want and anxiety from a lack of work. Unable to provide for their families, their children suffer. Lord God, we would ask you to provide reasonable, meaningful, and appropriate jobs to those who seek honest employment. We would ask you to grant to them who suffer in this time, a just wage for their labors that they might care for their families in the manner that you have established in your Holy Word.

Merciful Father, we would ask that you guide and strengthen the hearts of all those who seek employment. We would ask you to grant them a special measure of strength, patience, and trust in your Goodness as they seek to best use their abilities in honest labor.

We pray for our political leaders and for those who command corporations both great and small. We would ask you to fill them with your wisdom and a spirit of mercy, so that mindful of your righteous judgment, they would make good decisions for the use of both public and private wealth. Lord God, touch their hearts, so that those who are able, would be willing to provide opportunities to their unemployed brothers and sisters to use their skills, abilities, and energy in a manner that would truly bring blessings upon us all.

Almighty God, we would ask that you speak to your Church and to the people who are named by your name. Teach us how to best share your bounty with others in a manner that would glorify your name and bring your blessings to many.

Holy Father, we confess that you are our great refuge in times of trouble. We confess that in your Holy Word you have both directed us to offer our prayers for sustenance and you have promised to provide for our daily needs. We ask that all people, those who walk in your light and those who walk in darkness, those who have suffered loss in this time and those who have been blessed would turn to you and call out your name so that we might be forgiven and once again see your blessings fall upon this nation.

We ask these things in the Holy name of Jesus our Savior. Amen