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Summary
- Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, prayed for days and again in the moment of asking before he requested leave to rebuild Jerusalem, and the king granted it and asked when he would return (Nehemiah 1:11; 2:4–6).
- Short prayers cover writing the application, speaking to a manager, waiting, approval and refusal.
- Further prayers fit sick leave, caring for a family member, a new baby, bereavement and burnout, with crisis lines for anyone on leave for depression.
- Prayers for colleagues covering the work, for the time away and for the return; the 1888 Catholic Manual of Prayers asks that “every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee.”
- Scripture pairs work with rest: the Sabbath gave rest to servants (Deuteronomy 5:14), Jesus told the apostles to “rest a while” (Mark 6:31), and Elijah was given food and sleep (1 Kings 19:4–7).
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (1611), text of Project Gutenberg eBook no. 10 (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 18:18; Deuteronomy 5:14; 1 Kings 19:4–7; Nehemiah 1:4, 11; 2:2, 4–6; Psalm 31:15; 90:17; 127:2; Proverbs 21:1; Matthew 11:28; Mark 6:31; Luke 5:16). https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10
- A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity, prepared and published by order of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. New York: Catholic Publication Society, 1888. Thanksgiving after Communion, prayer “Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions.” https://archive.org/details/AManualOfPrayers1888
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. https://988lifeline.org/
- Samaritans. “Contact a Samaritan.” https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
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