This prayer is for the hours before a job interview, when nerves are high and the questions you might be asked keep running through your mind. Pray it the morning of the interview, in the car on the way there, or in a quiet moment just before you walk through the door. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and put your own words to the same concerns.
Prayer for a Job Interview
Lord, you know how much this interview matters to me. You know the bills on the counter, the hope I have for this role, and the fear that I will freeze when someone asks me the one question I was not ready for. I bring all of that to you now instead of carrying it alone into the room. Settle my thoughts and steady my hands. Help me remember what I have actually done and learned, so that I can speak about it clearly and without bragging or shrinking back.
Give me honest answers and the courage to give them. If there is something about my experience I wish were different, help me describe it truthfully and with confidence in what I bring. Let me listen well to the people across the table, so that I hear what they really need and not only what I want to say. Keep my mind clear when the conversation takes a turn I did not expect, and let my voice stay calm.
Whatever the outcome, I want to walk out of that room trusting that you were with me in it. Help me to be kind to the people I meet, gracious to the interviewers, and at peace about the result, whatever it may be. I place this opportunity in your hands. Thank you that I do not have to earn your attention or your help. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Father, my heart is racing and I need you right now. Calm my nerves, clear my mind, and help me remember what I know. Let me answer honestly and listen carefully to the people in front of me. Whatever happens in the next hour, I trust that you are with me. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
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Paul names anxiety directly and tells us to bring it to God in prayer with thanksgiving. Before an interview, you can turn each worried thought into a specific request, and then give thanks for the peace you are asking God to give.
James 1:5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
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When you are unsure what to say or how to handle a hard question, ask God for wisdom. Pray this verse as an honest request, trusting that he gives generously and without finding fault.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
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Use this verse to release your need to control the outcome. Ask God to direct your steps through the interview and to make your path straight, even where you cannot see how it will turn out.
Colossians 3:23
And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men…
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Pray that you would give your best to the conversation because you are ultimately working for the Lord. This takes pressure off the result and puts your effort in a larger frame of faithfulness.
Psalm 121:1-2
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
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Lift your eyes from the pressure of the moment to the one who made heaven and earth. Pray this psalm as a reminder that your help comes from the Lord, not from how well you perform in the room.
How to Pray This Prayer
Try praying it in the car before you go in, or sitting in the parking lot with your hands resting in your lap. Some people find it helps to hold something small in their hand, such as a pen or the folder with their résumé, as a physical reminder to hand the day to God. If you are nervous about your breathing or your voice, slow your breath for a few seconds between sentences of the prayer.
You might also ask a friend, family member, or someone from your church to pray for you before the interview. Ask them to pray the same concerns in their own words, and if you can, pray for them too. Having someone else carry the request with you can make the morning feel a little lighter.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord go before you into that room and stand beside you as you speak. May he give you clear thoughts, a steady voice, and a peaceful heart whatever the outcome may be. May you walk out knowing you were faithful, and may the God who has held you this far keep holding you.
