Tag: Prayers

For the Blessing of Work

Dear Lord,
For many, Monday marks the beginning of the work week. It can be challenging to shift back into gear for work after being off for the weekend. Instead of dreading Mondays, lead us to be grateful for them as reminders of the blessing of employment. Use us in our workplace to let our light shine and to be of service to others. Fill us with determination to give our best, remembering that we are ultimately serving you through our work.

Others are without work or facing the uncertainty of being let go or cut back. Assure them of your ongoing promise to provide for their needs. Open doors of possibility either for them to maintain their current employment or find it elsewhere. Help all of us this week to see work as your gift to us, and our faithful labor as our thank you to you. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

To Hallow Your Name

Almighty Father,
Sundays are sacred. On this day of the week, believers all over the world gather together around your Word so that you may feed their faith and strengthen their spirits. 

Yet the daily battle against my sinful nature so often seems to intensify on this day! My flesh wishes me to forsake worship and succumb instead to one of so many other enticing options. 

Give me the resolve to commit to the one thing that matters, that I might be forgiven and refreshed for the week ahead. Help me to hallow your name by hearing your Word along with your people in your house on this day. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

To Pray More

Every-present Father,
You have wonderfully created us with an innate desire to provide solutions and fix problems when we encounter them. What a blessing this can be at times! However, it can also leave us reluctant to ask for help, not only from others, but also from you.

You invite us to call on you in the day of trouble and promise to answer us. Lead me to take advantage of this invitation by seeking you out in prayer more frequently. Instill in me the desire to crave your counsel and guidance in my life more often. Draw me into your Word so that I know what to pray for, and through it develop and deepen my prayer life so that I – along with others – may be abundantly blessed by your answers to our prayers. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

To Be Real

Heavenly Father,
In an effort to impress, we often present a pretend version of ourselves to others. We attempt to hide our flaws by highlighting our feats. We distract others from our shortcomings by redirecting them to our successes. We are insecure and afraid of not being respected. 

Forgive us for being overly concerned with the thoughts and opinions of others to the degree that we would ever compromise our integrity. When we know who we are in you, we can be real with others. We can let go of the self-imposed pressure of trying to measure up. We can let others see the real us – the forgiven fakes and purified pretenders, who are now free to be real.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

For Properly Placed Confidence

Lord God,
So much in our lives revolves around performance and productivity. These metrics also tend to serve as points of comparison when we wish to see how we measure up against other guys. 

Guard our hearts from allowing such metrics to also serve as a basis for determining where we stand with you. Such a path can only result in one of two pitfalls: overconfident pharisaism or insecure despair. 

Instead, lead us always to look to your cross for confidence. Your life was not a performance; it was perfection. While your death appeared to be anything but productive, by it and by your resurrection you brought about eternal life for us. Assure us that through you alone we stand forgiven. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Keep me from being judgmental

God of all grace,
The world is filled with judgment and condemnation. I, too, am guilty of standing in judgment of others without being fully aware of their situation or charitably assuming the best of their words and actions. 

Yet in your mercy, you do not treat me the same way. Instead of judging me as I deserve, you justify – declare me “not guilty” – on account of Jesus! 

Through your forgiveness, fill my heart with your charity and grace. Grant me the patience to avoid rushing into judgement of others before understanding the whole picture. In a judgmental world that is too comfortable tearing down, use me instead to build up and encourage others.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.