Orthodox prayers for finding a job

For finding a job, the Russian Orthodox Church has its own prayer, from a service approved in 2023. Nehemiah’s prayer suits the minutes before an interview.

Picture: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Ruth in Boaz’s Field, 1828

3 prayers and 2 to the saints

While you look

Prayer for a job

Plain English only: no traditional English wording is given for this prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,Maker of the world and our Creator,You receive the sighs of all who are in need,and You know what we ask for before we ask.In the depth of Your wisdomYou order all things in Your love for mankind,and You give to all what is good for them.

Now we humbly pray to You:give Your servant (name) good work,so that they may do all that is useful,for Your glory and for the good of their household,and may receive the fruit their labour deserves.

Then, growing in Your commandments and in Your love,may they sing to You and give thanks to You,and to Your Father, Who has no beginning,and to Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit,now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

Now I humbly pray to You:give me, Your servant, good work,so that I may do all that is useful,for Your glory and for the good of my household,and may receive the fruit my labour deserves.

Then, growing in Your commandments and in Your love,may I sing to You and give thanks to You,and to Your Father, Who has no beginning,and to Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit,now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

A priest reads it at the end of the Russian Church’s service for someone looking for work. It asks God for good work, done for His glory and the good of a household.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic; no English translation was found. How the wording is made.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

Before an interview

Nehemiah’s prayer for success

Lord, I beg You,let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servantand to the prayer of Your servantswho delight to revere Your name.

Please give Your servant success today,and let me find mercy in the sight of this man.

Traditional wording, 1611

O LORD, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant,and to the prayer of Thy servants, who desire to fear Thy name:

and prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.

Nehemiah asked God for success and for mercy “in the sight of this man” before he went to the king with a request. It is short enough for a waiting room.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Hebrew, with the King James Version beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

The King James Version has “grant him mercy”. Nehemiah means himself, so the plain wording says “me”.

Where it comes from, and the original

After months of trying

Peter’s prayer at the nets

Master, we have worked hard all nightand caught nothing.But at Your wordI will let down the net.

Traditional wording, 1611

Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.

Peter had worked all night and caught nothing, yet he let down the net once more because Jesus told him to. His words fit a search that has gone on for months.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek of Luke 5:5, with the King James wording beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

To a saint · St Spyridon

Troparion of St Spyridon

You were shown to be the champion of the First Counciland a wonderworker, Spyridon, our God-bearing father.And so you called to a dead woman in her grave,and you changed a snake into gold.And as you sang your holy prayers,you had angels serving with you, most holy one.

Glory to Him Who glorified you!Glory to Him Who crowned you!Glory to Him Who works healing for all through you!

Traditional wording

At the First Council you appeared as a champion of Truth and a Wonderworker, O our God-bearing Father Spyridon.For you spoke to one dead in her grave, and transformed a serpent into gold;while chanting your holy prayersyou had Angels serving with you, most holy one.

Glory to Him Who glorified you.Glory to Him Who crowned you.Glory to Him Who, through you, grants healing to all.

The Russian Church’s service for someone looking for work asks the prayers of St Spyridon, together with St Nicholas and the martyr Tryphon.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek, with the Orthodox Church in America’s translation beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: Orthodox Church in America, Troparion and Kontakion of St Spyridon, on its website.

The Greek calls him the champion of the First Council. The OCA’s English adds “of Truth”.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

To a saint · St Xenia of Petersburg

Troparion of St Xenia

You turned away from the empty things of this worldand took up the cross of a homeless wanderer’s life.You did not fear sorrow or going without,or the people who laughed at you,but you came to know the love of Christ,and now in heaven you delight in that love.Blessed Xenia, wise in God,pray for the salvation of our souls.

The kontakionYou lived on earth as a strangerand longed for the homeland in heaven.The foolish and the unbelieving took you for a fool,but the faithful know you to be most wise and holy,and God crowns you with glory and honour,Xenia, mature in mind and wise in the things of God.And so we cry out to you:Rejoice, for after your wandering on earthyou now live in the Father’s house.

Traditional wording

Spurning the vanity of this earthly world,thou didst take up the cross of a homeless life of wandering.Thou didst not fear tribulations, deprivations and the mockery of men,but didst come to know the love of Christ,wherein thou dost now delight in heaven.O divinely wise and blessed Xenia,pray thou for the salvation of our souls.

Abiding on earth like a stranger,and sighing for the heavenly homeland,thou wast accounted a fool by the foolish and unbelieving,but art recognized by the faithful as most wise and holy;wherefore thou art crowned by God with glory and honor,O Xenia of manly mind and divine understanding.Wherefore, we cry out to thee:Rejoice, for after thine earthly sojourn thou dwellest in the house of thy Father!

The Orthodox Church in America says St Xenia is known for helping people who seek jobs. In her lifetime shopkeepers counted a visit from her a blessing on their trade.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic, with a traditional English Menaion beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: an unnamed translator, English Menaion for 24 January, All Saints Eastern Orthodox Church.

Where this English says “of manly mind”, the plain wording says “mature in mind”, following the modern Russian that Azbyka prints beside the Slavonic (“having a perfect mind”).

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

Patron saints of finding a job The saints people ask for help with this, their stories and their prayers.

Scripture for this

⁷Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 7:7-11 At its service for someone seeking work, the Russian Church reads Christ’s words to ask, seek and knock.

¹Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways! ²For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalm 128:1-2 The psalm of the same service promises the one who fears the Lord that he will eat the fruit of his labour.

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4 The service also reads James on trials. They test faith and teach endurance, and a long search for work is such a trial.

²And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied. ³So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Ruth 2:2-3 Ruth went out to find work in the fields, hoping someone would be kind to her, and came to the field of Boaz.

²And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. ³When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did, ⁴Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.

Genesis 39:2-4 The Lord was with Joseph in a foreign master’s house and made him prosper, so his master put him in charge of everything.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

A psalm for this

May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Psalm 20:4

St Athanasius told Christians to pray Psalm 20 over people in distress. It asks God to give them the desires of their heart and make all their plans succeed.

Psalm 20 Read the whole psalm, with St Athanasius’s advice on when to pray it.

Close to this

All prayers

Quiz What prayer do you need right now? A few honest taps about where you are, and a prayer of the Church for exactly that. 8 questions, about 3 minutes. Start

Suggest a correction