By Hal Pickus · · 5 min read
A prayer for a job interview (for the night before and the morning of)
You've got the interview tomorrow. You've rehearsed your answers in the shower, googled the company twice, and now you're lying awake running worst-case scenarios. Maybe you need this job badly — rent is due, or you've been looking for months, or this is the one you actually want. Praying about it isn't a backup plan for when your preparation runs out. It's the most steadying thing you can do tonight.
Give it to God before you give it your best
There's a verse that's basically made for the night before an interview. It says: do the work, and hand the outcome over.
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Proverbs 16:3
"Commit thy works unto the LORD." You prepare — research, practice, show up sharp — and then you place the result in hands bigger than yours. That's not laziness; it's the thing that lets you sleep.
A prayer
Father, I've done what I can to get ready, and now I'm giving the rest to you. You know I need this, and you know my fear about it. Calm me down tonight so I can rest. Tomorrow, help me think clearly, speak honestly, and be myself. And whatever the outcome, help me trust that you're the one really providing. Amen.
The morning of
When you wake up and the nerves hit, this is the verse to carry into the building. God said it to Joshua before the biggest assignment of his life, and it still holds:
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9
"Whithersoever thou goest" — including a conference room or a video call. You don't walk in alone.
A prayer
Lord, my stomach is in knots. Steady my hands and my voice. Take the fear and trade it for your peace. Help me listen well, answer clearly, and let the real me come through. You're going in there with me. Amen.
When you're afraid of the answer
Part of what makes an interview so heavy is everything riding on it. Here's the promise to hold when your mind jumps to "what if I don't get it":
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11
"Thoughts of peace, and not of evil." God isn't rooting against you. Even a closed door, in his hands, is part of leading you somewhere — sometimes the no is a mercy, steering you toward a yes you can't see yet.
And when the nerves spike right before you walk in, don't carry the worry into the room. Hand it over:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6–7
A prayer
God, I want this, but I don't want to want it more than I trust you. If this job is right, open the door wide. If it's not, close it gently and lead me to the one that is. I'm trusting your plan over my panic. Amen.
One last thing: you don't have to walk into tomorrow with only your own nerves. Write it down and let some people pray you through it — there's real strength in knowing others are asking God to go before you while you sit in that waiting room.