As women of faith, we pray about many things in life for ourselves, for our loved ones, for the world and even our “enemies”. But in all of my years of gathering with people to pray, I don’t ever recall hearing someone asking for prayers for their purpose.

Your purpose is not just a pie in the sky dream that you maybe could ponder on if you have time or inspiration. Your God-given purpose is a real, pre-planned, personalized calling that God has specifically designed for you to impact the world and glorify His name based on how He made you.

So it is our spiritual responsibility as believers to be listening, looking and sensing what is being revealed to us about our purpose through God and by observing ourselves and our lives. Fulfilling our God-given purpose is not only a service to other people, but we also reap benefits in our own lives from the inside and out when we begin to pursue our calling. God desires for you to desire to fulfill your purpose–His purpose for you.

He is not in a rush such that you should feel any pressure. But as you grow in your faith, character and intimacy with Him, He will whisper clues to your calling into your spirit, heart and mind. And when you have decisions to make that affect the path of your life, you will be in tune with His leading and less likely to make a decision based only in emotions that could make walking in your purpose more difficult.

It’s helpful when you are intentional to try to be aware of His voice within you and other ways He speaks to you. But even if you are not yet used to recognizing His prompting in your soul or around you, saying prayers for purpose and direction can help you to stay focused on seeking His responses and how He is moving in your life to draw you more into alignment with His will.

God is faithful to answer prayer in His time in His way. Growing into your purpose is a process–a journey from exploration to discovery to preparation to building momentum to fulfilling in different ways in different seasons of life depending on what God is calling you to at the time.

And throughout that entire process, seeking God’s direction, wisdom, strength, peace, provision and all of your needs through Him will be critical to effectively walking in your purpose in the ups, downs, uncertainties, changes and transformations that come on the path.

Wait on the Lord While You Offer Prayers for Purpose and Direction

As a woman in midlife, you may be eager to figure out what direction you should take in focusing your time and energy in this season. But we must be patient because our purpose is usually revealed in parts and may not be revealed to us right away. You may be led in a certain direction, but not yet know the significance of it to your future calling.

You may or may not have an idea of what your purpose might be based on experiences or exploration earlier in life. But it’s ok. God sees you and hears you and knows right where you are. And He will give you direction in your life that navigates you toward your purpose even if you are not clear on it yet.

You may be in a period of preparation spiritually, personally or even professionally before God shows you your next step. In the meantime, you can explore who you are through self-reflection, self-assessments or life purpose coaching to gain more insights into your design and how your life experiences may hold clues to what you may be called to do.

However, just because you don’t yet know what your purpose is, it doesn’t mean that you should not be praying for things related to purpose. In fact, it is more of a reason to begin prayers for purpose and direction in your life so that you can start to know who you are based on God’s unique design–personality, strengths, gifts, talents, passions–and which path you should take when opportunities arise.

So there’s no need to be anxious if you don’t have revelation yet. Instead patiently wait on the Lord and enjoy your journey of connecting with God and learning more about Him, yourself and how you will partner together to make the difference in the world you were born to make.

And remember that because your purpose springs from who you are, the more you learn about how God made you, the more you will begin to integrate aspects of purposeful living into your daily life even if you don’t yet know the specific calling or long-term direction to take.

Preparing Your Heart for Prayers for Purpose and Direction

When the desires of our heart become the same as the desires of the heart of God, then our prayers will naturally align with God’s will. And thus what we pray for will more than likely be something that God has in His plan to provide for us. He may not answer in the time we desire or the way we prefer, for He knows so much more about the present and future than us and will do what is best for us and His plan for our lives.

We must make our primary focus becoming the person who God desires us to be by mirroring His heart, modeling His son, and following His Spirit. This is how we begin to take delight in who He is, in our relationship with Him, and in living our life for His glory and not our own. Then as we pray for purpose, we will be led to pray God-centered instead of self-centered prayers.

He may not tell us everything for which we should pray, but if we are focused on what He is calling us to do, our desires in prayer will be that which leads us closer to His will and He will begin to reveal the direction we must take in different areas of our life so that we can move farther on the path of purpose.

We may tend to think that if God has a purpose for us, then it should just fall into our lap and doors should open without effort from us. But since God is the source of our purpose, we are partners with Him in carrying out our purpose, and He also provides for our needs, so it is necessary for us to come to Him in prayer for His revelation, wisdom and provision.

Prayers for purpose are by nature going to be focused on God’s will and not your own–unless you have aligned your will with His. So if your core motives are to achieve personal success, recognition, financial prosperity or other self or worldly focused benefits (though these could possibly come along with walking in your purpose depending on what you are doing), this may possibly hinder the revelation of, provision for and fulfillment of your purpose until your heart and mind are aligned with God’s motives and thoughts.

There are many benefits intrinsically and externally from walking in your purpose. But external rewards should not be the driving force for wanting to be successful in fulfilling your calling or life’s work. Your genuine and deepest desire should be to partner with God to use your unique design to bring Him glory as you serve others in the world. If you don’t feel this, then that can be your first point of prayer.

It is true that at times God will supernaturally move in your life and your purpose when He desires to, but in James 2:14-26 we see that both faith and works together are needed. So it is not only necessary to ask in prayer with faith for what you need, but also to set goals and take action steps in faith to start to move forward.

And as we take steps to pursue our special calling in life. we will have to remain intimately connected with Father, Son and Spirit in order to bear the fruit that we are intended to in our lives and the lives of others. We may bear some fruit on our own, but it may not be the type or amount of fruit that God meant for us, so to truly accomplish His purposes, we must be in relationship and communication with Jesus and be led by the Spirit.

Of course there are times we will step out on faith without having clear confirmation of direction, but if we are connected to our Source, then we will receive guidance and course correction as needed. And prayers for purpose and God’s direction in our life decisions are key to hearing from God.

Prayers for Purpose and Direction Wherever You Are on Your Path

There are things to pray for related to your general purposes as a believer and to carrying out God’s purposes in your daily life that are important. You can find out more about these purposes  in my article 5 Areas to Seek God to Find Purpose as a Christian Woman. But here we will focus on your specific God-given purpose, or calling.

Below are focus verses and specific, practical prayer points for seven different stages you may be on in your path of purpose. You can use these as a guide to ask God for what you need no matter where you are along your path of pursuing God’s specific purpose for your life. Some aspects of these prayers can be used in more than one stage besides the one for which they are listed, as some needs may come up again as time progresses, and there are of course other needs you will have specific to your situation that are not listed below.

If you struggle to believe that God has a special purpose for your life…

• Father, help me to believe your Word that I am fearfully and wonderfully made for purposes that you had in mind for me before I was born.
• Lord, renew my mind to recognize and replace with truth the thoughts I have about myself, my life and even You that are not the same as Your thoughts.
• God, bring into my life people and opportunities that will begin to reveal to me the uniqueness and value of who You made me to be as a person.

If you know you have a purpose, but don’t have any idea of what it is yet…

• God, my Creator, help me to become aware of the unique details of how you specially designed me inside and out.
• Father, I ask You to reveal the passions and dreams that you have planted within my heart.
• Lord, direct me in ways to explore how I am naturally equipped to serve others and bring You glory.

If you have an idea of what your purpose might be, but need more clarity…

• Father, help me to see how You have been preparing me through my life experiences to do works that you have planned for me.
• God, reveal to me how these desires planted in my heart can grow into an expression of the purpose You have for me to make a difference in the world.
• Lord, lead me to initiate or find activities that can bring me clarity and validation of what I am being called to become and fulfill for Your glory.

If you know your purpose, but don’t feel prepared or confident to step out into it…

• Jesus, may my spirit, heart and mind be like yours to make carrying out the will of the Father greater than my own will based in my humanity.
• God, empower me to make the spiritual and personal transformation to prepare to walk in my calling, and to move forward in what I am ready to do.
• Father, fill me with confidence based in who You are and help me to trust you with the outcome so I can have courage to step out into what You are calling me to do.

If you know your purpose and feel prepared, but need a plan to start walking in it…

• Father, give me clarity of direction so I can plan my next steps according to Your will and not my own.
• Lord, I trust You to provide the financial and other resources I need, and the patience to wait, or wisdom and creativity to move forward, as You lead me.
• God, lead me to connect with trustworthy like-minded people who will support me in the ways I need most to move forward.

If you are trying to walk in your purpose, but obstacles are hindering your progress…

• Lord, give me wisdom, strength and provision to overcome the internal and external obstacles to the next steps on my journey.
• God, show me how You are leading me to learn and grow in this situation so that I can be more effective as well as bring you glory.
• Father, give me patience to wait on You to reveal Your wisdom on when and how I move forward, as well as who or what I need to help me in this situation.

If you know your purpose and have already started the path to fulfill your calling…

• Jesus, help me to reflect your love and humility, as well as the Father’s will, in all of my choices and interactions with others to bear much good fruit.
• God, lead me to effectively balance my time, energy and resources between fulfilling my purpose and other priorities in life.
• Lord, make me sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide me in what You want me to do next on my path of purpose.

Pray specific and practical prayers for purpose and direction as you progress in pursuing your God-given calling. Ask God for what you need on your path. Seek His will to find purpose and direction. Knock on spiritual doors to open earthly ones to move forward. Consistent and intentional prayer, action, and partnership with God will help you to effectively explore, discover, grow into, and fulfill your purpose to transform your life and make an impact on those you are called to serve.

If you need spiritual and practical support in walking in your purpose, I invite you to contact me to schedule a complimentary “From Tried to Inspired’ Strategy Session to explore where you are now and identify what next steps will help you to more effectively partner with God on your journey.