The balance between home and work life is a real struggle. Nobody really tells you that until you are in it. Well, okay maybe some working mommas may have mentioned it, but you really had no idea the ways your heart would be torn in two, until you are actually – well, working.
I remember when my two oldest daughters were 1 and 3, and I had just finished my master’s degree in Advanced Literacy. Oh, how I was chopping at the bit ready to live my dream as a reading specialist. Before that, I had been in a master’s program pregnant in the first year, and with a newborn in tow the following year. Yep, it was interesting, to say the least! I was completely exhausted, running on fumes, and still have no idea how I managed some days to get any work done. So very thankful for understanding and sincere professors.
However, once I finished those two years and got hired on at a school with some pretty incredible people, I knew this was God’s doing. It was a part of His plan for me and our little family. I guess you could say I have always had a working momma spirit. But, in all transparency, for the longest time, I held a bit of guilt in that. Momma guilt as a working mom is harsh and was a brutal reality for me. Maybe you can relate?
Yet, in time, I learned that my role as a mother and my role as a reading specialist didn’t have to compete with one another. God called me to both, and I knew in the depths of my heart that He would see me through both of those roles.
Now, I work from home as a writer. I can assure you that I still feel the same. My heart is still torn. I still battle with guilt. I face all the insecurities. But, I also know this is where God has me, and I have full faith in that. So, on the hard days or in trying moments, you want to know what really gets me through? It’s simple, really. It’s my lifeline to God through prayer!
Friend, if you are a working momma who is trying so hard to juggle it all, walking the tightrope between work and home life, and have a tender heart that is torn in two, I get it! But, I also invite you to lay it all at His feet. Do it today!
Below is a list of whisper prayers you can lift up to the Father at a moment’s notice. Whether you’re at work, at home, or in transit, let’s get your heart in the right place and believe the Truth of where God has placed you on this beautiful motherhood journey!
A Prayer for Your Confidence
Father, I ask that You grant me the confidence today to carry out all the duties I have at work and home. I need Your strength. When I cave under pressure and bend to the lies that I am not enough or unable to fulfill this list of demands, please fight on my behalf and ward off the enemy. I am so thankful that You are my safe refuge and place to retreat when I lose sight of my worth and value (Psalm 91:1-2). Amen.
A Prayer for Guidance
Lord, if I’m honest, sometimes I think I can do this on my own without any help, and so I put up a brave front. I know You know this, so please help me place my trust in You with all the choices and daily decisions I must make. Offer me guidance and wisdom and a soft heart to accept Your help when I am in over my head. I so desperately need and want to follow in the direction that You have for me because I know that Your plans are good (Jeremiah 29:11). Amen.
A Prayer for Your Family’s Protection
Lord, with each new day, I ask for Your fierce protection around each of my family members. While my children are at daycare and school, please help them feel loved and cared for, while placing a hedge of protection around them, guarding them from any harm. I ask that You do the same for my husband and myself. Give us safe passage to and from our various destinations to our humble abode (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Amen.
A Prayer to Be Intentional
O God, thank you for the gift of my darling family. I am so grateful that You have given me the means to help support them in this manner. As I try to juggle my work life and home life, please help me be mindful of my time and intentional with my actions. Give me the ability to stay focused at work and to be wholeheartedly invested in my family when I am at home (James 5:12). Amen.
A Prayer for When Guilt Hits
Gracious God, thank you so much for the ever-flowing abundance of Your mercy and grace. Please extend that grace to me when this insurmountable and sneaky momma guilt creeps in and wants to wrap around me, smothering out the calling You have placed on my life. When I feed into those lies, set me back on the path towards Your righteousness, reclaim my heart, and restore Your will in my heart. I love you and want to serve You alone (Romans 8:1). Amen.
A Prayer for Friendly Co-Workers
Jesus, You have given us such a beautiful example of how to be a good friend. As I make connections in my line of work, please help me walk in Your loving example. Give me the courage to step outside my comfort zone and create a community for co-workers to become friends while fostering meaningful relationships. When the time arises, give me the courage to share my story and be a witness for You (1 John 1:7). Amen.
A Prayer for All the Responsibilities
Father, You have given me the strength that I need to carry out these responsibilities. I know this because You have called me to them. Yet, many times, I feel the stress build, and worry captures my heart. I can so easily get led astray, and questions flood my weary heart. So, I seek Your help. Grant me the strength to be a good steward in my work and at home while granting me permission to rest and seek peace in You (1 Timothy 1:14). Amen.
A Prayer to Be Content
Lord, thank you for the blessing of my job and to be able to work for You in this way. I ask that You give me a place of contentment as I do my job and only seek after what You would have me seek after. It is so easy (and human) for me to long to chase after more, to wish for more, and to want more for myself and our family. Please safeguard my heart so I only have eyes for what You lay before me (Hebrews 13:5). Amen.
A Prayer for Patience and Peace (With Yourself)
Peace. I am so grateful that You, O God, are a God of peace. As I perform all my tasks at work and come home to my precious family, please give us all peace of mind, body, and soul, and grant us a sense of calm in our home as we gather around to discuss our day. We seek Your comfort and pray that You grant us Your unsurmountable peace when life feels heavy and our burdens become too much to bear. Thank you for being our source of serenity (Colossians 3:15). Amen.
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Alicia Searl is a devotional author, blogger, and speaker that is passionate about pouring out her heart and pointing ladies of all ages back to Jesus. She has an education background and master’s in literacy. Her favorite people call her Mom, which is why much of her time is spent cheering them on at a softball game or dance class. She is married to her heartthrob (a tall, spiky-haired blond) who can whip up a mean latte. She sips that goodness while writing her heart on a page while her puppy licks her feet. Visit her website at aliciasearl.com and connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
