Tag: living

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Your Righteousness to Produce Righteousness in Me

King of Righteousness,
You came to be my sin and credit to me your righteousness. I now stand before you cleansed of all sin – because of you. I now stand before you in perfect righteousness – because of you. How can this be, but by faith! 

But my faith is not finished. Secure in your righteousness, my faith is driven to continue its pursuit of living in righteousness. Keep me in step with your Spirit, so that I do not wander from your paths. Strengthen my heart with the readiness and resolve to do the right thing, in everything, for you, my King. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Prioritize My Belief Over My Behavior

Loving Lord,
While discipleship certainly includes the desire to follow you and walk in your footsteps, keep me from ever prioritizing my behavior before my belief. Where my own righteous living could never save me, yours did. Where my own sacrifices could never please God the Father on their own merit, your sacrifice did. Help me first and foremost to trust these truths, as you reassure me of these realities through your Word. Press these promises firmly into my heart so that as you build up my belief, then allow it to flow into godly behavior in my daily living. Help me overcome any unbelief or any struggles I have with your Word, then through that same Word, equip me with everything necessary to honor you and love and serve my neighbor with my whole life. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Appreciate and Care for All Living Things

Creator God,
When you spoke all of creation into existence, you gave mankind the responsibility of overseeing and caring for it. Carrying out this duty diligently is an expression of thanks for giving us such a variety-filled and fascinating world to discover and appreciate. Let us be informed consumers, aware of products and processes that are irresponsibly and unnecessarily harmful to the environment. Give us an appreciation for how you provide for all living things around us as we also care for things like gardens, houseplants, and pets. It is no small thing when you bring to life and sustain it. Neither should we take for granted when you heal or restore anything living that was damaged or unwell. Thank you for this world and for all that lives in it. Help us tend to it well.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Live Godly and Holy Lives

Holy Spirit,
Thank you for interceding on our behalf when we offer up our prayers. And thank you for equipping us as we grow in faith to carry out that for which we pray. With that in mind, guide me as I seek to live in godliness and holiness. Begin by increasing in me the desire to strive for your high standards of Christian living. While protecting me from a self-righteous spirit, instill in me a genuine desire to stand out from the rest of the world by my living. Not only does that honor you, but it also serves to reflect you to others. Keep me from succumbing to any shame or ridicule from others as I look to live for you more and more. Instead, let my example of godly and holy living lead others to aspire to live more honorably as well.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Produce Pleasing Fruit

Christ the Vine,
When we remain connected to you, we bear fruit. Apart from you, we can do nothing that is pleasing in your sight. But through faith in you, you bring about abundant fruit in our lives. Bring forth that pleasing fruit, which shows itself in our general behavior, our kind words, and our thoughtful actions toward others. Enable us to know you better, too, since the more we listen to you and walk with you, the more aligned we are to your will and ways for our lives. Let your gospel always be the source of fruit in our lives, that we never slip into any foolish thinking about our works making any contribution to our salvation. Let our forgiveness and the freedom we have in you inspire us to yield ripe fruit that builds one another up and draws others to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Live a Life Worthy and Pleasing to You

Perfect Savior,
We know that our worth before you isn’t earned or acquired through any effort of our own, which would never amount to anything of value. Instead, we find supreme comfort in knowing that our worth is based entirely on your perfect life, sacrificial death, and made certain through your triumphant resurrection. How can I ever question my worth before you when you paid such a price for me?!

In gratitude I now seek to measure up to the high worth you placed on me by giving up everything for me. Though I will never come close to it, let my whole life be a continual effort at offering a pleasing sacrifice to you. I want to be intentional about honoring you with my thoughts, words, and actions. And, since it is only through faith in you that you delight in me, increase my faith so that it flows into an abundance of holy living. You treasure me; let me also show through my whole life how much I treasure you. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Bless My Easter Plans

Holy Father,
Tomorrow we celebrate the greatest victory the world will ever know: Jesus’ victory over Satan. Along with that victory you have removed the sting of death and its permanence, as well as the slavery of sin and its condemnation.

Whatever Easter plans are in place for tomorrow and the days ahead, I pray that they are not a distraction from my Easter joy. Instead, as those plans are in motion, may they serve as reminders to make me even more mindful of your Resurrection. Guard me from being so caught up in any planning, preparation, or misplaced priorities that would rob me of Easter joy instead of expanding it. Keep me from any stress that would steal the peace and calm of knowing that the Resurrection has secured my eternal rest. Bless my celebration of your victory – for your victory is also mine!

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Grateful Living

Loving Redeemer,
By your innocent death, you paid the greatest price for my freedom. You have set me free from slavery to Satan, from the condemnation of sin, and from eternal punishment in hell. No show of thanks could ever adequately express the gratitude that I feel and that you deserve.

But you haven’t just set me from from those things, but also for the good that you already determined and laid out for me. Therefore, I have countless opportunities each day to live a grateful life as a living expression of thanks to you in all that I think, say, and do. Let gratitude flow out of me like a dam bursting forth, so that I embrace daily living as an endless thank you. Season all my conversations and my every act of service with thanks for all that you have both freed me from and for. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Grow in Christian Living

Gracious Lord,
When it comes to my knowledge of Christianity, while there is always room to grow, I am thankful for being quite knowledgeable about the Bible. However, when it comes to putting it into practice in my daily life, it is a struggle! Send your Holy Spirit to help me live what I know, since Christian teaching and Christian living go hand in hand. Guide my thoughts and actions to reflect the truths of your Word. Where I struggle with a mismatch between the good that I know and want to do with the bad stuff I keep on doing, lead me to repentance and refresh my guilty conscience with forgiveness. Renewed and restored, align my daily walk with your divine Word, so that I reflect your light as brightly as ever in this dark world. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Knowing –> Loving –> Living: Living and Listening (Sermon)

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What is the best way to live for the Lord? There is no better way than to start by listening. Listening to the Lord and living for him are inseparable. Do you really want to live more for him? Start by listening. This is the final sermon of a six-week series, Knowing –> Loving –> Living.

“Living and Listening” (Matthew 17:1-9 sermon), was preached at Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS) on Sunday, February 23, 2020.