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DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Let Your Forgiveness Flow in Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. Worship is valuable for so many reasons, but there is nothing believers long to receive more than the assurance of forgiveness. You distribute your gracious gift of forgiveness to so many in so many different ways. May it provide peace to those who are struggling with shame. Use it to uplift those who never feel like they are enough. Let it ease consciences burdened by guilt. Wherever and by whomever your forgiveness is needed, lavish it richly. Let it ring loudly through songs and hymns of worship. Let preachers proclaim it. Let the readings of Scripture declare it. Let the Supper serve it. Pour out your forgiveness Lord, and through it, build up and equip your church. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Preparing to Worship

Lord God,
What happens – or doesn’t happen – the day before can determine how Sunday morning worship goes. This is often true of everyone involved in worship, from those planning, to those participating, and even the ones preaching. When details are left until the last-minute, the goal shifts from preparing for excellence to just scrambling to get it done. When practice or rehearsal is neglected, it is often reflected in worship. When Saturdays are jammed with activities and there is no thought or attention given to the Sunday morning ritual of getting ready for church, that seems to be when there are no clean clothes, there is nothing for breakfast, or the car needs gas. Then, when worshipers show up for church, they bring unnecessary stress and irritation with them, which can negatively impact their attitude and demeanor in worship.

Guide all worshipers to be mindful of all these considerations so that as much as possible, humanly speaking, we remove all barriers and hindrances to the powerful Word as we come into your presence. And, even when we fall short in our preparation, Lord, let our time in your house nonetheless always edify our spirits and enrich our faith.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Bless My Downtime

Selfless Savior,
Bless my downtime. I look forward to open time on my calendar when nothing is scheduled, but I can also mismanage it if I don’t have any ideas in mind about how I plan to use that time. Then, in contrast to the eager anticipation of looking forward to that time, I look back and regret it if I feel like it was wasted.  

Using your Word as my guide, help me to establish priorities and values that can help me feel as if my downtime is managed well. Let me be OK with simply doing nothing on occasion, and allowing my mind and body to recharge and reset. This is a blessing from you! At the same time, give me the discipline to manage affairs and responsibilities so that I don’t neglect them when I have extra time to take care of things. Activities and hobbies can bring fulfillment, too, as well as simply spending unscheduled time with friends and family members. Guard me from being too rigid when managing downtime, but let my use of it honor you, bless others, and be a blessing to me.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Encourage Children to Use Their Gifts

God our Father,
Children are a blessing in many ways, but we often underutilize their gifts. While they are capable of contributing in our homes, congregations, and communities, we easily overlook them. Sometimes we don’t want to deal with the grumbling and complaining that accompanies these opportunities; other times we don’t feel up to the added time and energy it takes to prepare for their involvement or explain all the details to them. 

Either way, we miss valuable opportunities to instill in them not only the importance of serving and using their gifts, but also the satisfaction and healthy pride that go along with the privilege of making a difference. Using their gifts in their younger years also helps them learn responsibility, become familiar with their limitations, and know when they can and cannot push themselves harder. It also allows them to get a feel for their unique gifts and the variety of ways in which they might enjoy serving. And, when others see children use their gifts to serve, it fills them with hope for an optimistic future as well. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Support Women and the Use of Their Gifts

Loving Lord,
While many in the world have a tragically twisted view of your perfectly established genders, you have created men and women with unique and complimentary gifts. Your design was for male and female to work together in perfect harmony, faithfully carrying out their respective roles. To that end, I ask you to help me be more aware of the many gifted women all around me, and to seek to utilize their gifts in every way possible. Lead me to look out for them, support them, and encourage them. Keep me from treating women with anything less than the full respect and honor they deserve. Use me to speak up for them and defend them when other men won’t. Let their gifts be a tremendous blessing in the work of your church, too, as they are raised up and equipped to serve you and the body of Christ.    

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Appreciate the Gift of Time

God of perfect timing,
I frequently feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day. When I consider what is on my plate each day, what didn’t get finished yesterday, and what is still coming tomorrow and right around the corner, it can be overwhelming. I can get frustrated or anxious, feeling like I’ll never get it all done. 

Yet, both your timing and your gift of time are perfect, and in that perfect wisdom, you established seven 24-hour days to make up each week. Let me take to heart your reminder that I do not need to worry about yesterday or tomorrow, as each day has enough to worry about on its own. Grant me the resolve to trust your promise to daily provide all that I need, so that I can focus on doing what I can get done well each day – no more and no less. Lead me to a deeper appreciation of your gift of time, striving to enjoy it in pursuit of productivity and pleasure. Keep worry far from me, so that it does not rob me of the joy of the present. And, while I will never successfully get everything done, I rejoice that you did on my behalf – especially that which matters most: my salvation!  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Future Leaders

Faithful Father,
Throughout history you have raised up strong leaders to guide and direct your people. While there are certainly natural gifts and abilities that you grant people in those roles, you ultimately are responsible for developing and equipping remarkable leaders. Continue to bless your church with reliable, trustworthy, and faithful leaders. Keep them also humble in their work.

Help congregations to consider how they identify, train, and equip individuals for leadership. Give them men and women willing to take others under their wings and invest the time to necessary to mentor and model for them. Provide outlets for potential future leaders to serve so that they come to realize that they may have certain gifts that are well-suited for leadership. When they do, increase in them a godly desire to spend more time with Jesus in his Word, so that they shadow him and imitate his life and ministry. Fill them with encouragement and support as they grow into leadership positions, and help them to embrace their shared role in continuing to develop leaders for the future. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For a Clear Flow in Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. There are many elements of worship every time we gather in your house. The goal of each of those elements is to highlight Christ and draw our attention to him. In doing so, the Holy Spirit creates, sustains, and strengthens our faith.

However, sometimes the variety of elements in worship can seem disconnected or confusing. This can be so overwhelming that any theme or main point is unclear or lost altogether, resulting in frustration or discouragement for worshipers. Guide pastors and worship planners to be aware of the importance of establishing a clear focus and connected flow in worship. Where encouragement can be given, may it always be done with a loving spirit and a concern for the whole body of worshipers and not simply personal taste or preference. In all our worship planning and efforts, lead us to continue to keep Christ at the center of worship. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Honesty

God of All Truth,
When I speak, whether it’s an internal dialogue in my mind or an external conversation with others, let me always speak the truth. Honesty is a dying virtue as many deem truth to be relative. We settle for “half-truths,” and “untruths,” which are just nicer sounding terms for lies. If my word is going to matter, my reputation is going to remain intact, and I wish to be trustworthy, then honesty is not an option, but a necessity. 

Guard me from any temptation to lie or be dishonest, especially when I am tempted to justify it in response to others who may lie or slander my name. If you are the way and the truth and the life, then as your follower, I want to reflect that in my life and speech. Give me the courage to have honest conversations when they are needed, and the wisdom to be clear and direct so that the truth is not hidden or blurred. Let honesty always win out, out of love for you, love for others, and love for my own spiritual health.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Manage My Time So I Can Serve Others

Selfless Savior,
There is a much to be said for being productive and efficient, as we want to manage your gift of time well. However, if we seldom pause to reflect on why we are driven to get more done in less time, then we easily end up simply filling that extra time with more work. Grant me the blessing of setting aside margin and moments to reflect on how I might use time for more than just getting more done.

Time is one of the most valuable blessings we have, and it isn’t just about getting more done, but about what we get done in that time – and how we serve others with it. Sometimes just spending time with others who are lonely can be a tremendous gift. Serving others through acts of service that are difficult or impossible for them to carry out on their own can refresh their spirits. Taking care of mundane or menial tasks for those who are busy caring for others uplifts and encourages them. Help me then, to continue to strive for productivity and efficiency, but not for my own sake; rather, let it free up time for me to bless and serve others in meaningful ways that matter to them. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.