The prayer life of a Christian can sometimes become tiresome, especially if you don’t feel like praying. We hope our simple prayers centered around everyday life will provide some guidance and help you grow in your prayer life. 

I Don’t Want to Go to Work

There’s life-giving hard work and then there’s toil. Life-giving hard work is when we work hard for a purpose, and get to the end of the day “good tired.” It doesn’t matter what we do—flipping burgers or speaking at an event—it’s simply a good, hard day’s work where the world is a better place for what we’ve done or who we’ve spent time with. 

Aaand then there’s what Ecclesiastes calls “toil under the sun”— a rhythm of meaningless and restless strain, over and over again, that leaves us burned out. It’s digging a ditch only to fill it back in. It’s how we feel when it seems that nothing we do matters to anyone. 

Any job can feel like toil. 

So, what do we do when we run into seemingly meaningless tasks that drain our energy and our enthusiasm? We meditate on this Scripture and pray this prayer. 

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it…So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:15,19).

A Prayer for Those Who Toil

Creator Gardener, you turned wild and waste into fruit trees. Word of God, you shaped clay into creatures and brought them life with your breath. Master Carpenter, you carved wood and stone into tools, furniture, and houses. You invited us to be like you, and work wonders with our bodies, for the good of the world and for your glory. But, sometimes, I feel like all I’m doing is sweating under the hot sun of insignificance and meaningless work. Help me find work that matters, or help me see how the work I do brings you joy. Amen. 

Visit this page for more practical, everyday prayers to help you connect with God in the ordinary, extraordinary, everyday moments of life!