Stress has become a word that is synonymous with life, induced by daily events, activities, planning or interactions, expectations, and responsibilities, and melding with fear, anxiety, or general nerves.

A professional career—for all its benefits—can heighten this state of tension. Deadlines. Performance. Frustrating bosses. Frustrating co-workers. Frustrating employees. Balancing work with family, friends, spiritual activities. Tasks that may bring discomfort. Not to mention the additional pressures of earning money, climbing a ladder, gaining trust.

Sometimes work makes life more stressful. Other times, stress from life bleeds into work, impacting performance or even attendance. But given the responsibility and the divine goodness of work (God instructed Adam to tend and keep the garden before the fall, Genesis 2:15), one cannot simply forgo work. Yes, considerations about companies, industries, and priorities can be made, but action must still be taken. The stress will never entirely go away. In life or work.

The key is not allowing it to overwhelm us. As Christians, the solution to managing stress may seem obvious.

Prayer.

Matthew 11:28–30 reads: “Come to Jesus when you feel tired and heavy loads weighyou down. He will give your soul rest.”

However, as professionals, rest may temporarily mitigate stress. But in and of itself, it does not necessarily generate the ideas, solutions, or strategies required to combat the root problems causing said strain.

But if the Bible describes prayer as an actionable method to find peace (Phillipians 4:6–7), it cannot be overlooked or discounted as a vessel to managing this tension. Instead, a tailored approach is needed to experience the true power of prayer and allow it to overcome stress and impact our work culture.

First, seek peace

The verses above do not promise solutions or an absence of troubles. They speak of rest and peace.

Before anything else, one must step back and breathe. Beyond preventing a spiral further into stress, clearing our minds opens us to listen for God, not only speak to Him. Taking time to discern His voice is the beginning of a power shift; instead of trying to push through trials with earthly will, let God—a force more powerful than stress—in.

Find Counsel in Scripture

Once you have found some form of peace, you will not be crying out to God, pleading for your troubles to be taken away. Instead, you can switch to a problem-solving mindset, looking for what He shows you.

Scripture is both divinely inspired and written by people who dealt with everyday struggles and immense stress: The stress of preserving humanity based on completing a boat. The stress of leading a civilization out of slavery and through the wilderness to a promised land. The stress of bringing the Word of God to the nations.

Such anecdotes of leadership and wisdom are inspirational and to some extent, relatable. Finding scripture that speaks into your predicament and situation is crucial to gaining the confidence necessary to overcome it.

Isaiah 41:10 reads: “Do not fear. God is with you. He will make you strong and help you.”

Time to Pray

After taking the time to listen for God and gaining conviction and strength through scripture, it is time to bring your burdens to Him.

But now, rather than declaring your stress, you can declare what is causing it, and with scripture-driven confidence, pray for direction.

Under profound stress—the souls and salvation of humanity—even Jesus sought direction. This provided Him with clarity of action, knowing exactly what He had to do—allow Himself to be arrested and crucified.

Coming to God in a calm state with the desire to overcome a trial will put you in a position to discern a course of action.

Prayer From Others

Though the previous steps may allow stress to be managed in the moment and reveal a path forward, as life continues and issues are not immediately solved, it can be easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed again.

Seeking prayer from others is a necessary step to remember that you are not in the fight alone, that others understand what you are experiencing, desire what is best for you, and are willing to go to the Highest Authority on your behalf.

By coming together at this stage, Christian professionals can hold each other to a higher standard—not one that praises overlooking prayer and encourages powering through on our own, but rather an approach that prioritizes prayer, both personal and as a community, and views it as a divine tool to overcome the trials of the world that seek to distract us from our marketplace mission and derail our Kingdom purpose.