How do we know we’ve overspent our passion and lost the balance between rest and work? Slow days with no ideas. Questioned goals, meaningless purpose. No clear direction. Losing love in what we do. If we’ve been experiencing all these lately, we may be burned out. Many of us feel these things at certain phases in life, and while they’re normal, they can be frustrating. Overworking can kill our passion too early and make us lose track of our true goals and purpose. It can even lead us to pursue things that are not even what we want because of the lack of clarity and motivation.
May these motivational prayers refresh our souls and renew our purpose. Talk to the Lord and ask for rest and, after that, encouragement to carry on.
Motivation prayers
Motivation at work
Lord God,
I am ever grateful to You for setting me on the right path toward a promising career full of fulfillment and lifelong learning. Without Your sufficient grace, I wouldn’t have a job that nourishes my potential nor a livelihood that is able to provide for my needs and those of my loved ones who need me.
However, I cannot deny that I’ve been drained and exhausted lately. As confusion and lack of inspiration continue to slow me down, I pray that You will recharge my energy and help me get back on track. This experience taught me to see rest and reflection as important aspects of progress, too, in addition to consistent work.
I know that life will have many more challenges in the future and that You have set them before me to build me into a stronger, wiser, and better person. I pray that in the years ahead, You will continue to encourage me and offer Your wise counsel in times when I can no longer rely on my own focus and capabilities. I pray for growing passions, a thriving career, and continuous progress and personal growth.
Amen.
Motivation at school
Lord God,
Tearfully and with great tiredness, I approach You. In the past, when it came to my academics, I once reached for the stars and dreamed of the many things I could accomplish at school. These days, however, I find it hard to exert effort in my academics. The sleepless nights are too draining, and the difficult lessons are too demotivating. I am lost, and I need Your help and guidance.
Mighty God, give me strength and motivation. Let no exam season or difficult assignment stop me from exercising my potential and pursuing what sets my soul on fire. Alone, I can never excel and graduate, but with You lifting me up, I know that I will achieve things that are greater than what I originally dreamed of.
One day, I will achieve the career and personal success I’ve been dreaming of. I still have a long way to go, but with You strengthening my heart and giving me direction, I will attain all my academic goals. Be with me as I work toward my dreams.
Amen.
Short prayer for motivation
Almighty God, I come to You with a weary body, confused mind, and despairing soul seeking Your divine encouragement and wisdom. Lord, I faithfully and trustingly lean upon Your arms as I rest and recharge for a little while. I pray for the motivation, strength, and self-love that I need to keep moving forward toward my goals. Amen.
The Word of God
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 6:31-34 NRSVUE
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant, so your faces shall never be ashamed.
Psalm 34:4-5, 8 NRSVUE
O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.
Intercessory prayer to Saint Francis Xavier
Saint Francis, gifted and blessed,
You awakened the talents God gave You and enthusiastically offered them to the Lord, telling the world of His love and glory. May the Lord continually bless your name and the legacy of humble accomplishments and service that you left behind.
On this dark day, my will is at its weakest, and I am slowly losing track of my purpose and path. As I sink deeper into despair and as my exhaustion saps at my remaining motivation, I beg you to help me regain my passion and motivation for work and life. I pray that you will give me encouraging words that will inspire me to persevere even during the hard days.
Join me with the Lord, and let my pleas be heard by Him. There is no glory in dwelling on my woes, fears, and hindrances, but there is glory in striving on and putting my faith in Him, the One who conquers everything.
Saint Francis, pray for me. Amen.
Further reflection
If we’ve been running low on motivation lately, it might be a sign that we need to stop and think about what we’re doing. Ironically, asking questions can bring clarity about our current situation and our feelings. Is our work still aligned with our personal goals in life, or do we do it just to fit into the expectations of other people? Do its challenges encourage our growth or our downfall? Does the journey bring us meaningful satisfaction and happiness, or is it only the idea of the destination that we’re after? What have we learned from past mistakes and experiences that we can apply now? Do we merely need to realign ourselves, or do we need to change course completely?
From there, it’s a lot easier to identify the problem. Are we losing motivation because our job is getting too hard or tedious? Find a smarter and more enjoyable way to do things. Are we no longer happy with what we do? Find alternatives. Do we find our job boring or seemingly fruitless? Develop a reward system to treat ourselves for all our hard work and motivate us to do even better each time.
Continuous work and no rest can be dangerous and is a great way to quickly lose motivation in what we do and learn to hate it. Slowing down once in a while and reflecting on ourselves can encourage progress more than nonstop effort. It can seem like a depressing phase but know that God is with us. Talk to Him through prayer, and let Him direct our path and set it straight.
