{"id":1228,"date":"2010-08-07T07:59:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-07T14:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/?p=1228"},"modified":"2010-08-23T09:07:54","modified_gmt":"2010-08-23T16:07:54","slug":"how-to-help-students-and-families-pray-for-the-unemployed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/how-to-help-students-and-families-pray-for-the-unemployed","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Students and Families Pray for the Unemployed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Labor Day is a month away, but for many people there will be little to celebrate this year. As the following video shows, unemployment is a serious problem everywhere in the U.S (See a better quality version here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

Many students will struggle with trying to understand why their parents can’t find work. One way to help them through this difficult time is by giving them the chance to express their fear, anger and hope in prayer. Students could be encouraged to write their own prayers for a classroom service. The prayer service might begin with the following passage from the prophet Jeremiah:<\/p>\n

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you.<\/em>” (Jer 29:11-12)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Psalm 23 (“The lord is my shepherd…”) would also fit the occasion.<\/p>\n

Finally, you might provide prayers like the following to students and their families:<\/p>\n

Dear Lord Jesus Christ<\/strong>,
\nYou wanted all who are weary
\nTo come to You for support.
\nLord, I am worn out
\nBy my inability to find work.<\/p>\n

Guide my steps to a righteous path;\"\"
\nGive me the patience
\nTo find opportunities with a future.
\nCalm my worries and fears
\nAs my financial responsibilities mount.
\nStrengthen my resolve;
\nEmbolden my heart to open doors;
\nOpen my eyes to see life beyond rejections.
\nHelp me believe in me.<\/p>\n

Let me realize other ways
\nTo bring about Your kingdom on earth.
\nLet me grow as a person
\nThat I may be worthy
\nFor Your greater glory.
\nIn the name of the Father\u2026Amen.
\n
\nSource: catholicemploymentnetwork.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Our Father<\/strong>, in praying for the unemployed we
\nthink especially of those who through no fault of their
\nown have lost their jobs and are now searching for
\nother work for the sake of their families.
\nMay they not grow despondent or come to regard
\nthemselves as useless.
\nHelp them to employ their skills and gifts in other
\ndirections and to find a measure of fulfillment in the
\nservice of the church or community till employment
\ncomes their way again.<\/p>\n

Frank Colquhoun<\/em><\/p>\n

Prayer to St. Joseph for Employment
\n<\/strong>
\nDear St. Joseph<\/strong>, you were yourself once faced with the responsibility of providing the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary. Look down with fatherly compassion upon me in my anxiety over my present inability to support my family. Please help me to find gainful employment very soon, so that this heavy burden of concern will be lifted from my heart and that I am soon able to provide for those whom God has entrusted to my care. Help us to guard against bitterness and discouragement, so that we may emerge from this trial spiritually enriched and with even greater blessings from God. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Labor Day is a month away, but for many people there will be little to celebrate this year. As the following video shows, unemployment is a serious problem everywhere in the U.S (See a better quality version here). Many students will struggle with trying to understand why their parents can’t find work. One way to … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “How to Help Students and Families Pray for the Unemployed”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[74,13,48,73],"class_list":["post-1228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spirituality","tag-economics","tag-prayer","tag-social-justice","tag-unemployment"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/prZ8V-jO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3154,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/catholic-school-students-get-experience-producing-videos-commercials","url_meta":{"origin":1228,"position":0},"title":"Catholic School Students Get Experience Producing Videos, Commercials","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"March 27, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Al.com reports on a Catholic school video journalism class: Students in McGill-Toolen Catholic High School's video journalism class are getting hands-on experience with real-time news: they produce segments which are aired daily on the school's closed circuit television system. 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He or she had to draw a picture of the Station and write a prayer or reflection for it. Two sessions\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spirituality"","block_context":{"text":"Spirituality","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/category\/spirituality"},"img":{"alt_text":"Digital Stations of the Cross","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Screen-Shot-2013-03-28-at-6.26.07-AM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3047,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/more-back-to-school-prayers","url_meta":{"origin":1228,"position":3},"title":"More Back to School Prayers","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"August 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"A Concord Pastor Comments is a must-read blog, and today Fr. 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