Is praying for employment Biblical?

"whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

John 14:13

There may be a limit to that, such as praying for the death of a romantic rival or something else that's patently immoral, but one's employment and living conditions surely are within the scope of this Bible verse.

Jesus doesn't need to pray for it - He IS it. (My question is why He felt the need to pray in the first place... To set the example I suppose?)

I mean, it'd be a very short bible if we didn't pray for worldly things. What would be the point of being here if we didn't? There must be a process we need to work through in *this* life for it to serve any purpose at all.

And wasn't Jesus a chippy? Pretty sure He built furniture and the such...

Of COURSE you can pray for a job! You NEED that to take care of your family.

Pray for God's will in the matter, direction, discernment, and ...... you can even pray for a sign if it's the right job.

Perhaps even more to the point, what did Jesus say when He was asked how the disciples should pray?

"Our Father...give us this day our daily bread...."

If that doesn't relate to a petitioner asking for help finding employment, I don't know what else could.

ReesePiece23 said:

Jesus doesn't need to pray for it - He IS it. (My question is why He felt the need to pray in the first place... To set the example I suppose?)

I mean, it'd be a very short bible if we didn't pray for worldly things. What would be the point of being here if we didn't? There must be a process we need to work through in *this* life for it to serve any purpose at all.

And wasn't Jesus a chippy? Pretty sure He built furniture and the such...

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Prayer is communication with God. Why wouldn't he want to commune with his Father? And we're all told to pray without ceasing. [1 Thess 5:17] Prayer is not merely periodic petitioning. Those who born again are now alive in the Spirit and constantly look upwards (mentally speaking) rather than "talk in their heads" or live in a head space consisting of only ego. Those old ways of just "talking to yourself" are gone. It is high awareness of God's presence. And as for individual requests - this covers all of that too. We bring everything to God. Both the large and small.

Pathfinder627 said:

Prayer is communication with God. Why wouldn't he want to commune with his Father? And we're all told to pray without ceasing. [1 Thess 5:17] Prayer is not merely periodic petitioning. Those who born again are now alive in the Spirit and constantly look upwards (mentally speaking) rather than "talk in their heads" or live in a world space consisting of only ego. Those old ways of just "talking to yourself" are gone. It is high awareness of God's presence constantly.

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Thinking in terms of the Trinity, isn't He more than less travelling on the same line? Jesus IS God by proxy to an extent.

I'm not arguing the point, I'm genuinely questioning. I've always found this particular subject baffling. I understand it but I don't understand it. (As annoying as that sounds.)

• Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. —Proverbs 6:6-11
  
  
• Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. —Proverbs 24:27
  
  
• I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. —Proverbs 24:30-34
  
  
• A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. —Proverbs 13:22
  
  
• But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. —1 Timothy 5:8

The principles of work are firmly established in the bible.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

LaBèlla said:

• I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. —Proverbs 24:30-34

~Bella

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This is actually one of my favourite bible verses. Top 10, if not top 5.

A job is not necessarily a worldly thing, and it is a perfectly legitimate thing to pray for as it is a bssic necessity for life.

fishmansf said:

Matthew 6:8-10 and Luke 12:27-40 make me wonder if it is truly Biblical to pray for the things of this world. I heard a great theologian once say, “did you ever read of Jesus praying for a job, a car, a house, or any material item?” I don’t recall who it was but they had a point. Do you believe it to be Biblical to pray for employment?

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Present your requests to God.. It doesn't say not to pray for certain things. I guess it is if your motives are right?

We need money to live. So nothing wrong with praying for a job or career or even for a successful welfare application of you would genuinely struggle in employment due to ill health etc

I think God wants to give good things to His children.

I actually don't think praying for luxuries e.g. a boat or a holiday etc is wrong per se and God may bless you with those things but those things aren't a basic need like a job is.

Some people.pray for a spouse or children . God doesn't mind, he happy to give us things to enjoy. I think as long as our attitude is grateful and not demanding or bratty, that is ok

Am probably going to get a lot of aggro for posting this but I actually find the whole "worldly" things vs "spiritual" things quite odd.

We live in bodies, in a fallen world, where we need food, shelter, money, rest etc. I don't think legitimate needs are worldly.

Yes we are told not to worry about them but to trust God for them. But when I read verses like "love not the things of this world" I interpret it this way "love not the sins of the world, worldly opinions, worldly priorities. "

We are not actually called.to live out of this world, that is, not until we die. We are told not to adopt worldly thinking and to deny worldly lusts.

Is it possible to love carnal things too much? Like food, career, family, holidays etc??? Yes. It is. I think many of us struggle at.times with this (if you don't please let me know your secret). But these things don't automatically.equal sin. It just means they aren't our first priority but the Kingdom of God is.

some Christians say don't listen to secular aongs, wear worldly clothes (brightly coloured clothes, lipsticks etc) don't read novels or anything without a ChristiAn theme....I personally don't see these things as worldly vs Christian anymore but instead am like is this song/tv show/book dishonouring God or bringing me down spiritually or is it helpful for me???

It all comes down to Paul saying all things are lawful for us born again believers but are they helpful??

I think certain harmless.activities could be and have been called worldly by some believers, even a game of ping pong!

But you.could use ping pong as part of setting up a youth group for unchurched teens so they can learn about God as well.as enjoying a game of ping pong, for example.

I read a devotional once about a lady who kept pet ferrets. Not sinful at all but some might be like "well, what is that to do with the kingdom?"
the lady was someone who wanted to evangelize but found talking to people.difficult . She decided she would host ferret parties! She invited some non Christian friends to her pad and they are cake and drank.coffee and she talked about ferrets and let them handle them. She found it easy to begin to talking about more important things like what God was doing in her life!

some believers are very gifted with a focus on spiritual things and are able to live full time for God like be pastors or full time missionaries but the majority of us have secular jobs or education or lives and we are called to live for Jesus and share Him in those jobs or degrees or schools or their child's playgroup even etc...

I think we need to bring God into everything we do and all our plans so our lives belong fully to Him whatever those things are.

ReesePiece23 said:

Thinking in terms of the Trinity, isn't He more than less travelling on the same line? Jesus IS God by proxy to an extent.

I'm not arguing the point, I'm genuinely questioning. I've always found this particular subject baffling. I understand it but I don't understand it. (As annoying as that sounds.)

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Jesus is God and Man. Not just God. And not just Man. The exact "workings" of that is the greatest mystery in the universe. I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who can explain it. Nobody is except himself.

Praying concerning employment

Certainly "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." II Thess 3:10

"Instead, remember that the Lord your God gives you the strength to make a living. That’s how he keeps the promise he made to your ancestors." Deu 8:18 CEV

Sure there are other Scriptures.

fishmansf said:

Matthew 6:8-10 and Luke 12:27-40 make me wonder if it is truly Biblical to pray for the things of this world. I heard a great theologian once say, “did you ever read of Jesus praying for a job, a car, a house, or any material item?” I don’t recall who it was but they had a point. Do you believe it to be Biblical to pray for employment?

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All prayers to God are Biblical.

fishmansf said:

That’s true! I also like how you called Him a chippy, I’ve never heard of that before .

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Oh, I think it's just something us Brits say.

Pathfinder627 said:

Jesus is God and Man. Not just God. And not just Man. The exact "workings" of that is the greatest mystery in the universe. I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who can explain it. Nobody is except himself.

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No, I appreciate the honesty. There's nothing worse than trying to blag an answer.