Prayers to make career decisions
By Chelsey Dematteis
Bible Reading:
“And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and your servant finds favor in your eyes, then you may send me to Judah, and in the city of my father’s tomb, I may reconstruct it” – Nehemiah 2:5 ESV
Read or listen to the following:
Much of our lives are shaped by these two things: fear and the opinions of others. This is not surprising, but we shake up when we realize that we have lived most of our lives through these two things. God has told us many times in His Word that we were created with purpose and placed in places where we have many intentions. If we believe this, it should change how we make all our decisions. Instead of fear and opinions that give way to “yes and no,” we offer every day, it must be our faith. When faith is called bold, faith is to be immobilized when called to stay, and faith is to rise up when opportunity presents itself.
I was sitting across the table from a dear friend who had recently been mourning about their work. What left me most unguarded was that their lament wasn’t dislike for their role. Their lament was that they felt as if their gifts were wasted. They felt overlooked and put aside. This caused disappointment and dissatisfaction to bind the confidence that Christ wanted to walk.
So I shared this story, and what we see unfolds for Nehemiah for his faith…
“In the month of Nisan, in the 20th year of King Ataxerx, 20 years old, when wine was brought before him, I took the wine to the king. I was not sad in front of him, so the king asked me. Then I was terrified, but I said to the king, “Might not live forever! The king said to me, ‘What is your request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven and answered the king.
Nehemiah did not make others’ opinions fear. His faith promoted him to move forward with boldness and humility on the next opportunity God has for him. What happens next in the Nehemiah story is incredible. God gave to Nehemiah to others and came with him to accomplish his work. When we are bold in the place where God has us, it has a ripple effect that can last a lifetime, and moving forward with others for the Kingdom is a gift.
I provided this same truth to a friend. Be bold and humble, and tell the people you work for what you want to do, how you want to grow, how you want to lead, how you want to lead, and how you want to be employed, and how you feel you are equipped. Open the door to God and let him pass you through with confidence with whom he has called you.
Let’s pray:
Father, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit that guides and guides us. Ask boldly what I can do as I navigate the unpleasant areas of my career. Please tell us about the humility to grow in a region where constructive criticism has been pointed out. Help us stand out as a leader trying to make decisions with the company’s biggest interest in mind. No matter how my work looks, I pray for a great faith. I pray for the opportunity to be Jesus’ hands and feet. Through relationships, I will be able to grow and grow in my field of work, and share Christ with those around me. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Photo credits: ©Getty Images/Delmaine Donson
Chelsea is the voice of my life, who lives a life of Christ in a world that is hardly podcasts and devoted to him for 52 weeks, who lives a life of Christ in a world that is centered around me. She writes Lifeway Women’s Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and Devotions for Ibelieve.com. She also writes a Bible Reading Plan for the Youversion Bible app. Chelsea lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and her website chelseydematteis.com.
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