Workday Prayers: Prosper the Work of Our Hands
Scripture Reading: Psalm 90:16-17 (NRSV)
Let your work be manifest to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands—
O prosper the work of our hands!
Focus
God is the first worker. One of God’s first works was to create human beings in God’s own image. Therefore, we are workers. We will work well when we pay attention to how God works. Most of all, we will work well when God causes our work to prosper. Our fruitfulness in work depends upon God’s favor.
Prayer
Gracious God, we see your work all around us, in skies and seas, in deserts and forests, in animals the creep and birds that fly, and in people who bear your image. Help us to pay attention to your work, Lord, so that we might praise you for your goodness and so that we might imitate your justice as we do our own work.
You have created us with the capacity for work. You have called us to do good work, work that honors you and stewards well your creation. As we do our work, we recognize that we need your favor, your grace, your help. Yes, we can work hard. But without your blessing, our work would soon be ineffective.
So we ask you, Lord, to prosper the work of our hands. May we be fruitful in our labors. May what we do make a difference that matters. May our work serve our neighbors and glorify you, O God. Amen.
Ponder Throughout the Day
God is doing good work today. By God’s grace, you can do good work too.
For Further Reflection
Let me encourage you to read all of Psalm 90.
Also, I expect you will deeply appreciate a song called “Establish the Work of Our Hands” by the folks of The Porter’s Gate. Where the NRSV asks God to “prosper” the work of our hands, the NIV uses “establish.” So “Establish the Work of Our Hands” gives expression to Psalm 90:17. You can catch a version of this song here.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Commentary on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Working in a Fallen World (Psalms 90, 101)
Subscribe to Life for Leaders
Sign up to receive a Life for Leaders devotional each day in your inbox. It’s free to subscribe and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...