God at Work

A short daily practice for starting and ending your day with God — not just your to-do list, but your whole self.

Your day is full of tasks, people, and expectations — some you're looking forward to, some you're not. God at Work is a short daily practice to help you bring all of it before God: the things on your list, the feelings underneath them, and the interactions you're not sure how to navigate.

Part One: Preparing for Your Day

Step 1 — Return to Your Secure Base

Before you list anything or plan anything, pause. Close your eyes. Take a slow breath. Scan your internal world for a moment.

What is present in you right now? What is creating noise or weight in your soul?

Sit with what you notice — without trying to fix it, dismiss it, or push it away. Simply bring it before God. He is not waiting for you to have it together before he meets you.

‘Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ — Matthew 11:28

Step 2 — Name Your Day

Write out the tasks, commitments, and people you expect to encounter today.

Step 3 — Bring Each One Before God

One at a time, bring each task and person on your list before God. As you hold each one in mind, notice what comes up in you before you pray:

Is there an instinct to draw close, keep distance, or manage? Is there anxiety, a sense of obligation, or something you're hoping for or dreading?

Offer that honestly to God. Ask him to lead your prayer — not just for the interaction, but for your own heart in relation to it. Listen for anything he wants to say or remind you of, and make a note of it.

Step 4 — Relinquish Your Day

Release the entirety of your day to God — including what's on your agenda and what isn't, the people you're expecting and the ones you're not. Include in your relinquishment not just your tasks, but your relational expectations: the outcomes you're hoping for, the interactions you're dreading, and anything you're tempted to control.

Step 5 — Receive Protection and Empowering

Using the authority Christ has given you, pray for protection over yourself, your day, and each interaction. Ask God to fill you with his Spirit — with his love, peace, and humility — and to empower you to be genuinely present to the people you'll meet today.

Step 6 — Set a Midday Anchor

Choose a moment in your day when you can briefly return to God — a between-meetings gap, a walk to a lecture, a lunch break. Put a reminder in your phone or place a physical cue somewhere you'll see it. When that moment comes, take a minute of quiet and ask a single question:

‘God is with me. What do I need from him right now?’

Part Two: Reviewing Your Day

This review, rooted in Ignatius's Prayer of Examen, can be done at the end of the day or the following morning. Take each question to God slowly. Listen as you go.

  • How was your day?

  • Where did your protective patterns show up?

  • Where did you experience comfort or support today?

  • Who or what helped you feel safe enough to grow or try something new?

  • How did you sense God's secure presence throughout your day?

"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10

End with a few minutes of quiet. Rest in his presence and in his love for you.

Based on "God at Work" by Ellen Burany, Novo Mission Inc., with elements from Relational Spirituality Academy™, adapted for Grow for Good by Thomas Kirven.