Doing ordinary work in the name of Jesus.
English · 1911 source
Traditional prayer collection · 4 prayers
Traditional Prayers for Work, Study, and Discernment
Bring your daily work, study, and important decisions to God. These prayers offer your actions to Jesus, ask for grace to do what pleases Him, and seek His guidance in choosing a way of life.
Browse the prayersA place to begin
Before a task, pray the Prayer Before Any Good Work. Before studying, turn to the Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas Before Study.
Begin with one prayer, or choose another below for your intention. Each prayer is given in full on its own page.
Prayers in this collection
Seeking truth honestly and putting learning at the service of God.
English · 1911 source
Honest work, patience, and purity of intention.
English · 1911 source
God’s guidance in decisions and one’s vocation.
English · 1911 source
Questions about this collection
Is there a short prayer before a task?
Prayer Before Any Good Work is a short verse offering your life and actions to Jesus. You can pray it before beginning your work.
What does the Prayer for Divine Direction ask?
It asks God’s guidance in important decisions, especially the choice of a vocation or state of life, and invokes Mary’s intercession. The prayer page explains the older expression “state of life.”
Historical sources
These prayers come from the books named below. Each prayer’s page links to its source. Notes explain unfamiliar older expressions where needed.
About our prayer sources