4 Inspiring Prayers for Happiness to Make Your Life Feel Better

Inside: These four heartfelt prayers for happiness at work and in life will lift your spirits and gladden your heart. Use them when you’re stuck on what to say, or when you need to refresh your vision for happiness in your life.

My life felt like a colossal mess.

Sure, it looked great from the outside. But between my difficult relationship at home, my discontentment with my job, and my frustration with God, it was nothing but a disaster behind the scenes.

OK, maybe it wasn’t a total wreck. But as you may have realized by now, trouble in even one of these areas usually bleeds unhappiness into your entire life.

Meanwhile, I tried to fix each problem, to no avail.

I went hard trying to pin down my purpose. If I could just figure out what God wanted me to do with my life, I could solve my work problem, right? So I said countless desperate prayers for happiness at work, went down dead end after dead end grasping after it, and missed it every time.

I went hard trying to change myself. If I could just become the woman my partner wanted me to be, I could solve my home problem, right? So I said countless desperate prayers for happiness with myself, tried every solution out there, and stayed stuck in misery.

And I went hard trying to get God to fix my life. But all my desperate prayers for happiness gave way to prayers for an answer—any answer!—when all I got from Him was a deafening silence.

Coming out on the other side of the messiest season of my life, I now know where I went wrong in my prayers for happiness. Here’s how you can take your happiness prayer to a whole new level.

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get this free printable download—Your Faith & Trust Reboot. It gives you 5 simple tweaks to power up your prayers for direction so you can triumph over doubt and fear.

But First, a Warning

The world would have you believe a lie. It says you should pursue happiness and this will lead you to a good life.

Do what makes you happy, the world tells you. Follow your bliss and do what feels good, it says.

Sounds familiar? It sure sounds good! Except for one thing.

It’s all hogwash and isn’t biblical. Like, at all.

I get why you’re skeptical but here’s the truth. Lots of things that bring you genuine happiness—like pleasing God—sometimes don’t feel good or blissful. Not even a little bit.

In fact, some things that bring lasting joy can be downright uncomfortable, sometimes even painful. Jesus dying on the cross, for example. He pleased God but suffered torture and death to do it. I bet Jesus didn’t feel good while He was securing your place in eternity, but He did it anyway. Not because he was pursuing happiness but because it was what God wanted Him to do with His life.

Here’s another thing to remember. True joy—real happiness, not circumstantial pleasure—persists through pain and difficulties. Yes, even if you’re wading through the mess of your life. Even if you’re wondering how on Earth you’ll ever make your dream lifestyle real.

Related: 3 Simple Strategies to Find the Best Answers for What Makes You Happy

Given all this, it’s important for you to know 3 things before you start saying your prayers for happiness. They’ll change the flavor and tone of how you pray.

Then I’ll give you 4 joy-inducing prayers for happiness to lift your spirits and make you feel better.

1. Your life’s purpose isn’t to be happy.

It’s also not to pursue happiness, or to do whatever it takes to make you happy, or to live in unending bliss. This is true even if you’re still trying to uncover your God-given dreams.

2. God’s purpose isn’t to do what makes you happy.

This isn’t to say God doesn’t want you to be happy.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

I dare you to feel hope without also feeling joy, even a tiny spark of it. You can’t do it!

So no, happiness isn’t your purpose, and you’re setting yourself up for misery if you make happiness your end goal. But!…

Even though God’s purpose for your life isn’t for you to be blissed out all the time, His plans for you include hope, which therefore includes joy.

3. The purpose of your life is to glorify God however He sees fit.

If you dig into various scriptures about purpose, you’ll see that your purpose is to glorify God through your Christian walk. It’s also to glorify Him through His specific purpose for you. And this is where you’ll find true happiness.

Related: How to Know What Your Calling Is from God (It’s Life’s Ultimate Joy!)

If you let them, these 3 truths can renew your mind and change your whole life.

This is why these prayers for happiness won’t ask God to magic away your dissatisfaction and zap you with some overdue bliss. Instead, you’ll say each prayer for happiness with these truths as your new, solid foundation.

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get this free printable download—Your Faith & Trust Reboot. It gives you 5 simple tweaks to power up your prayers for direction so you can triumph over doubt and fear.

3 Crucial Tips for Your Prayers for Happiness

These 4 prayers for happiness are complete prayers but they’re also meant as a guide. So you can say them exactly as they are or adapt them to your particular situation as you talk to God.

Related: 9 Helpful Lessons from 3 Inspiring Bible Stories about Prayer

But before you dive into the happiness prayers, keep these prayer guidelines in mind.

1. Prayer is meant to be two-way communication between you and your heavenly Father. So as you say your prayers for happiness, pour out your heart knowing God hears our prayers, always. But also be quiet and listen so you can start hearing God’s voice.
2. Begin each prayer with praise, remembering who God is, not only what He can do for you. This way, you’ll enter your prayer time with a submitted heart instead of only trying to use God to make your life feel better.
3. God isn’t your genie in a bottle, waiting to grant every desire of your heart. And just because you want a thing, this doesn’t mean it’s what God wants for you. So don’t expect God to magic up your wish once you’ve prayed about it. Let God be God and trust Him.

Each prayer for happiness starts with a Bible verse to help you say your happiness prayer from a place of seeking God’s will instead of yours. Don’t skip over them because they’re your best bet for asking God for what He wants to shower on you.

Prayers for Happiness at Work

If you’re miserable at work, believe me when I say, I get it! I spent years heaving endless prayers for happiness at work up at God only to watch them plummet into the abyss between Him and me. Because through it all, God didn’t seem to answer my prayers.

Well, not in any way I wanted to hear.

To be honest, He answered me clear as day by impressing on me a desire to leave the well-paying job I hated. But He didn’t give me a roadmap for what to do next so I ignored His answer and kept praying for Him to magic me up some happiness in the job I was clinging to.

You may be there too. Stuck in a work situation you’re desperate to escape but feeling trapped and without viable options.

Related: How to Know What Your Calling Is from God (It’s Life’s Ultimate Joy!)

But here’s what God’s word says about your work.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)

This is a tough pill to swallow so let’s pray about it.

Your Prayer for Happiness

Lord, I’m truly grateful for my work, mainly because it earns me the money to keep a roof over my head, food in my belly, and the lights and wifi working. But although I’m grateful for my job, Lord—You know I am—You see my current struggle to find joy in my work circumstances.

I try to pray away my negative feelings but it doesn’t make me struggle any less as I drag myself from bed every morning. Plus I have no idea how to work as unto You right now, so throwing myself into my work the way I usually do is also a struggle.

I know true happiness doesn’t depend on perfect circumstances. And I know my joy comes from a wellspring within me that I control and feed with my faith in You. My head knows all this but my heart isn’t on board with it yet.

So I submit my work life to You in faith, Lord. I submit my unhappiness at work—a sign You’re pushing me into something better—to You. And I submit my will to You. If You want to move me into a new purpose, I’m here for it. And if You want me to hang on a while longer, I’m here for that too.

In all honesty, I don’t understand Your timing. Still, I know what You’re unfolding will be far better than anything I could cook up for myself.

So please help me to see the purpose in my current daily work struggle, Lord. Strengthen me to stay in Your will as I keep my eyes peeled for new doors and windows You’re opening. And give me the courage to walk through them when the time comes. In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Prayers for Happiness and Strength

To this day I can’t tell you how I made it through my toxic relationship. I spent countless hours on my knees saying prayer after prayer for love and happiness at home.

But by the time the relationship chewed me up and spat me out—after almost a decade of feeling not good enough for him—I was a shell of a woman who was a pro at feeling unworthy.

I can only say I made it through with the tatters of my self-esteem by God’s grace. If not for Him, my strength would surely have failed me.

Because when you feel as if your strength is failing in a difficult situation like this, it’s easy to throw in the towel just so you’ll have some precious peace.

But I’ve found that this happens mainly when you forget where your strength comes from. And spoiler alert: it’s not from you.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

Let’s pray about it so you can re-train your eyes to look to your true Source.

Related: 25 Who I Am in Christ Affirmations You Need to Know

Your Happiness Prayer

Lord Jesus, I’m struggling. I feel like I’m drowning in the overwhelming unhappiness of my circumstances. I’ve tried everything I can to fix it, to solve it, to make it better. But nothing I’ve tried works. At least, not for long.

I don’t even have the words to express how exhausted I am from all this, Lord. I’m weary to the depths of my soul. Some days the burden of my unhappiness is so heavy, I live from minute to minute. All I want to do is make it to bedtime so I can curl up, escape into sleep, and sink into blessed numbness. Just for a little while.

On days like this—like today—saturate me in Your peace that passes all understanding, Lord. Because on a day like this, Your peace is the only place where I can find joy.

On days like this—like today—help me remember one thing: You work all things together for the good of those who love You, as I do, and are called according to Your purpose, as I am. Then I’ll remember to stop letting my circumstances control my feelings and give You back control instead.

On days like this—like today—help me remember my true identity, the woman I am in You, Lord Jesus. I’m Your representative and You’re my boss. I have my Father’s work to do where I’m planted and I’m empowered by the Holy Spirit.

And because You revive me with Your strength, I’ll triumph over the difficulties on a day like this—like today. Because I’m more than a conqueror through You.

Thank You, Lord, for strengthening me to keep blooming where I’m planted. Amen.

Prayers for Happiness and Success

When you’re used to calling the shots in your life and making decisions based on your own wisdom, it kinda sucks when nothing you try helps you kick your unhappiness. Then you turn to God with prayers for happiness as a last resort.

But here’s what God’s word says:

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

What an awesome promise! But it’s an easy one to misunderstand.

This promise doesn’t mean you’ll get whatever you want as long as you ask God for it. Not even if you think it’s the best way for you to go.

Instead, this promise kicks in when your plan is to walk out God’s will for your life. So let’s pray for insight into what He wants for you.

Your Prayer for Happiness

Father God, I’m beyond grateful for all the blessings in my life. For the basic stuff, of course, like food, shelter, and clothing. But I’m also grateful for the above-and-beyond blessings, like being able to support kingdom work through charitable giving.

And because I’m so blessed, I feel like I shouldn’t ask You for more. But You’re my Almighty God of the universe and nothing is too big or too much for You. So here goes.

Lord, I yearn to spend my days fulfilling Your call on my life. And if I set aside my fear and am one hundred percent honest, I know Your call will take me in a new direction. I don’t know where this can go but because You’re in it, I know it will be huge, even if it starts small.

I also know my happiness doesn’t depend on my success with this. Instead, my happiness lies in walking out Your will and glorifying You. So as I gather my courage to step onto this path, please help me close my eyes to people’s approval and material success. Instead, help me keep my eyes fixed on only You.

I  commit my plans to You now, Lord. If You tell me to change them, I will. And if you send me in an unexpected direction, I’ll go. Because I may find a measure of success and happiness in going my own way but I’ll find true joy only when I follow Your way.

My work is Your work, Lord, and Your work never fails. Thank You for the words You’ll speak to me now as I get silent and listen for your next direction. I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Prayers for Happiness In Life

Here’s the thing. When my life was at its messiest, I didn’t immediately turn to God to help me solve my problems.

First, I tried to figure it out myself. Then, since I was hiding my misery from everyone I knew, I bypassed asking my friends for their advice and went right to counselors, TV talk shows, and online courses.

When none of those worked—not a single one—I finally turned to God and started hurling prayers for happiness up at Him.

Turns out, I had it all backward.

How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3 (CSB)

All the ingredients for you to have a happy life are in these 3 short verses. So let’s use them to say a prayer for happiness now.

Your Happiness Prayer

Lord, sometimes I feel awash in guilt for being unhappy in my amazing-looking life. Other people I know would fight to have it but I’m not, and I feel ungrateful because of this.

The thing is, I know I’m unhappy because I’m not walking in Your plan for me. And until I get with Your program, I won’t find true happiness in life. But I also know You don’t promise an easy or problem-free life. And I know my happiness won’t come from a change in my circumstances. Although, honestly, right now I think it would help a lot.

What You do promise is a fruitful life as long as I stay planted in Your word. So this is what I’m committing to.

Lord, You’ve created me for a specific purpose, which I’m still clueless about and frustrated over. The lack of living this purpose is part of why I feel like I’m drowning in unhappiness. And even though I know true happiness doesn’t lie in finding my purpose, it does lie in serving You.

So I submit myself fully to You, Lord. Instead of going my own way and figuring it all out on my own, I abandon myself and my life to You.

Speak to me, Lord. You promise to answer if I faithfully seek You. So answer now while I listen for Your voice. I pray all this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen!

Get Your Free Printable Prayer Power-Up

Trusting God isn’t so easy when you’re struggling to find and feel happiness in your life, is it? At times like this, depending on your fickle feelings is the worst thing you can do.

Instead, use this guide to help you pray for faith and trust in God. You’ll get 5 simple tweaks to power up your prayers plus Bible verses to inspire you as you pray.

1. Get the free guide. You’ll get the printable guide and join my weekly newsletter. Just click here to get it and subscribe.
2. Print. Any type of paper will do.
3. Keep your guide where you can easily grab it when you need it, like with your prayer journal.

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Your Turn to Say Prayers for Happiness

The truth is, my life really was a giant mess. I was unhappy at home, unhappy at work, and unhappy with God. Because of all this, I felt awful from the moment I cracked my eyes open each morning until the second I sank into blessed oblivion at night.

Back then, I didn’t know how to say effective prayers for happiness. All I could do was pray on repeat, “God, please take away my unhappiness. God, please make me happy!” But not one of those prayers worked because I had shut my ears to God’s answers.

Thank God I know better now. These days, when I feel unhappy I know to shift my gaze from the world’s terrible happiness advice and seek God instead.

Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:2-3 (AMPC)

These days, my prayers for happiness are deeper and based on God’s own word. And because they are, I soon find my way back to happiness.

As for you, use these 4 prayers for happiness to ground you in whichever area of life you’re struggling through.

As you pray, remember one thing: True happiness doesn’t lie at the end of a mysterious rainbow or in the goals you’re chasing. Instead, true happiness lies in living for God and walking out His purpose for You.

Will you give yourself this incomparable joy?

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