Prayer For Those Facing Unemployment Now During Physical Distancing and Ongoing
Saturday May 9, 2020
New unemployment numbers have been released this week and numbers such as we are seeing right now have not been seen in many decades - some are saying that the unemployment rate in United States hasn't been this high since the time of Great Depression in the 1920's and 30's.
God created us to work and to make a difference by our efforts. We are to take care of things and to make them fruitful. Today we want to pray for those who have lost paid employment and for all of us to find the work today that God has prepared for us to do.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15
So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. Genesis 3:23
Heavenly Father, these are times of great suffering and uncertainty. So many people have been laid off or businesses have closed and they have no way to make a living and provide for themeselves and their families. We pray for your comfort and strength to fill each of these people. We give thanks for government financial assistance in the short term, and for those employers who are generously keeping on staff even though they are suffering financial losses themselves. But Lord our hearts today are with the many employees who have no guarantee of a job to return to. As they face an uncertain future, we pray God for faith to be raised up in them that with You they can face what's before them. It's too huge a burden to carry on our own but You are faithful to give us what we need to face what we find in each day.
We pray for businesses to be able to quickly make the adjustments needed as we enter into the "new normal" or physical distancing until there is an effective vaccine for this virus. Help them to "think outside the box" for ways to create safe and effective work environments so as many as possible can return to the work they are currently trained to do. We pray for new industries to be able to help the unemployed use their skills and training in new jobs that this new environment requires. As that wonderful verse in Psalms reminds us, we pray today God that Your favor would rest on us and that you would establish the work of our hands for us.
We pray God for the emotional toll this takes on people and ask that You will lift them up today and give them the ability to trust You and find the focus for their thoughts to do all they can. You've promised that when we bring You into the middle of whatever we are doing - even seeking new employment - that You would establish our plans. We pray for willingness to be flexible and do things differently or be involved in a different field of labour than previously. We pray especially for youth that they will be willing to get involved in work that's different from what they originally planned because that work is not currently available. We pray for the kind of commitment to a new, unfamiliar, and maybe not even first choice of employment that makes the most of what's available.
Whatever work any of us do for wages that support us and our families, we pray that all of us will see employment in it's proper place. We pray today to do the work that leads to eternal life - having minds and hearts that offer connect our work with You, God, that offers our efforts to You, that entrusts our future to You and works with grace and focus today. Help us to keep eternity in mind and trust You in these temporary circumstances, even though times are tough. Jesus you said that the heart of all of who we are and what we do is to believe in You and that's what we pray will result from these times of change and unemployment. We pray that we will all see You more clearly, come to You first with everything that is challenging in our lives, and trust You with all the uncertainties because You really do care for us.
We cover all these prayers with Your promises God:
and
God created us to work and to make a difference by our efforts. We are to take care of things and to make them fruitful. Today we want to pray for those who have lost paid employment and for all of us to find the work today that God has prepared for us to do.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15
So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. Genesis 3:23
Heavenly Father, these are times of great suffering and uncertainty. So many people have been laid off or businesses have closed and they have no way to make a living and provide for themeselves and their families. We pray for your comfort and strength to fill each of these people. We give thanks for government financial assistance in the short term, and for those employers who are generously keeping on staff even though they are suffering financial losses themselves. But Lord our hearts today are with the many employees who have no guarantee of a job to return to. As they face an uncertain future, we pray God for faith to be raised up in them that with You they can face what's before them. It's too huge a burden to carry on our own but You are faithful to give us what we need to face what we find in each day.
We pray for businesses to be able to quickly make the adjustments needed as we enter into the "new normal" or physical distancing until there is an effective vaccine for this virus. Help them to "think outside the box" for ways to create safe and effective work environments so as many as possible can return to the work they are currently trained to do. We pray for new industries to be able to help the unemployed use their skills and training in new jobs that this new environment requires. As that wonderful verse in Psalms reminds us, we pray today God that Your favor would rest on us and that you would establish the work of our hands for us.
We pray God for the emotional toll this takes on people and ask that You will lift them up today and give them the ability to trust You and find the focus for their thoughts to do all they can. You've promised that when we bring You into the middle of whatever we are doing - even seeking new employment - that You would establish our plans. We pray for willingness to be flexible and do things differently or be involved in a different field of labour than previously. We pray especially for youth that they will be willing to get involved in work that's different from what they originally planned because that work is not currently available. We pray for the kind of commitment to a new, unfamiliar, and maybe not even first choice of employment that makes the most of what's available.
Whatever work any of us do for wages that support us and our families, we pray that all of us will see employment in it's proper place. We pray today to do the work that leads to eternal life - having minds and hearts that offer connect our work with You, God, that offers our efforts to You, that entrusts our future to You and works with grace and focus today. Help us to keep eternity in mind and trust You in these temporary circumstances, even though times are tough. Jesus you said that the heart of all of who we are and what we do is to believe in You and that's what we pray will result from these times of change and unemployment. We pray that we will all see You more clearly, come to You first with everything that is challenging in our lives, and trust You with all the uncertainties because You really do care for us.
We cover all these prayers with Your promises God:
and
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