A Prayer for Real Estate Agents: Before the Calls, Before the Contracts

I recently read a beautiful prayer called “A Liturgy Before Fishing” by Ben Palpant. It was written for a quiet moment before casting a line into the water, but it spoke deeply to me about real estate, serving people, and how we show up each day.

Real estate can be loud. The calls, the contracts, the negotiations, the pressure, the emotions and the uncertainty can all pile up quickly. This prayer reminded me that our work is not just about getting business. It is about serving people well, carrying ourselves with peace, and being a light when people are open to it.

I'd encourage you to find the full liturgy and read it slowly. The more I sat with it, the more I realized how much it applies to the daily life of a real estate agent. We may not be standing beside quiet water every morning, but we are stepping into conversations, appointments, negotiations, showings, listing presentations, inspection repairs, emotional decisions and uncertain outcomes. Before we do any of that, we need the right heart.

1. Lay Down What We Were Never Meant to Carry

“I relinquish the pursuits, the conflicts, the frustrations…”

That is a powerful place to begin. In real estate there is always something to worry about. A listing that hasn't sold. A client who is frustrated. A buyer who is nervous. A deal that may or may not close. A phone that isn't ringing enough. A market that keeps changing.

We are called to work hard, but we are not called to carry everything as if we are in control of everything. There is peace in doing our part with excellence and then laying the outcome at God's feet.

2. “Perform What I Cannot”

That line may be one of the most honest prayers an agent can pray.

We can price carefully. We can market creatively. We can negotiate skillfully. We can communicate clearly. We can show up early, follow up faithfully and tell the truth.

But we cannot control people's decisions. We cannot force timing. We cannot make every buyer act, every seller listen, or every closing happen exactly as planned. Our responsibility is faithfulness. God's responsibility is the part we cannot manufacture.

3. Patience When Plans Go Awry

The prayer asks Christ to “teach me patience when plans go awry.” That sounds a lot like real estate.

Contracts change. Inspections surprise us. Appraisals come in low. Buyers get cold feet. Sellers get nervous. Lenders need one more thing. Closings move.

In those moments, people are watching how we respond. Do we bring more pressure into the room, or do we bring peace? Do we react emotionally, or respond with wisdom? Do we make it about us, or serve the people in front of us?

Patience is not weakness. In this business, patience is strength under control.

4. Success or Failure, Give Me Perseverance and Gratitude

Real estate is full of highs and lows. One day you're celebrating a closing. Another day a deal falls apart. One week everything is moving. The next, you're wondering where the next opportunity will come from.

This prayer doesn't ask only for success. It asks for perseverance and gratitude no matter what comes. That is a different way to live.

5. Quiet Hearts Serve People Better

“O God, quiet my heart… give rest to my soul.”

That may be one of the most needed prayers in our industry. A rushed heart has a hard time listening. An anxious heart has a hard time leading. A desperate heart has a hard time serving.

But a quiet heart can hear what people are really saying. A quiet heart can slow down enough to ask better questions. A quiet heart can tell the truth with kindness. People don't just need agents who know contracts. They need agents who can bring steadiness into uncertain moments.

6. Being the Light Without Forcing the Light

For those of us who follow Christ, our work gives us daily opportunities to reflect Him. Not by being pushy. Not by forcing spiritual conversations. Not by trying to sound religious.

But by being honest. By being patient. By serving when it's inconvenient. By telling people what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear. By caring about the person more than the paycheck.

Sometimes people are open to deeper conversations. Sometimes they aren't. Either way, we can still be a light through how we work, how we speak and how we treat people.

7. Re-Entering the Waiting World

I love the ending of the prayer. It asks God to equip us so that when we re-enter “the waiting world,” we carry something peaceful back with us: “the hush of wild things.”

That is the goal. To leave our quiet time, our prayer time, our morning walk, our fishing spot, or even a simple moment of stillness better prepared to serve the people waiting for us.

Our clients may be waiting with questions. Our team may be waiting for leadership. Our families may be waiting for our presence. Our community may be waiting for people willing to serve with humility and integrity. And we get to choose what we carry back into those spaces.

Final Thought

Real estate is not just about homes, signs, contracts, showings or closings. It is about people. People in transition. People making big decisions. People under pressure. People trying to figure out what comes next.

My hope and prayer is that we would not simply chase business, but serve people well. That we would work hard, tell the truth, stay humble, remain grateful, and trust God with the outcomes we cannot control. And when people are open to it, may we be ready to point them toward the source of the peace we carry.

Before the calls, before the contracts, before the appointments, before the negotiations, may we first quiet our hearts and remember why we are doing the work.

If you're an agent and this resonates with you, I'd love to talk. Call or text me at (910) 395-1000, or read more articles on the blog.