DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Strive for Truth and Love

Loving Savior,
You direct us in your Word to speak the truth in love. While this should go without saying, it quickly becomes clear to me how difficult it is when I deliberately try to apply it! I have spent endless time and energy in my own mind trying to massage and bend the truth to suit my own purposes. Other times, I circumvent the truth to avoid difficult or uncomfortable conversations. While I consider myself an expert in telling when others are lying, I gloss over my own expertise in lying and deceiving. 

All of this also exposes my shortcomings in the second part of the command, for if love always directed my words and speech, the truth would never be in question. Instead, either selfishness replaces love, resulting in half-truths and white lies, or I am too eager to speak the truth because I know it will negatively impact someone else’s reputation. For all of this, I thank you for speaking the truth in love to me by being blunt about what my lies and lack of love really deserve from you, but also for being relentlessly devoted to making sure I know and believe the truth of how covered in your grace and forgiveness I really am. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For My New Relationships This Year

Friend of Sinners,
Thank you for the new relationships you brought into my life this year. Help me view others as you do and to value each one of them as precious in your sight. Allow me to make meaningful contributions in these relationships so that others feel known and appreciated. While some of these relationships will develop into more meaningful friendships than others, help me to be trustworthy and reliable for everyone across the board. I want others to know they can count on me. Through all of this, give me credibility, so that as opportunities arise to witness and let my light shine, others are attentive and willing to listen. Let me serve as a great neighbor to them in whatever way they need. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Clothe Me with Kindness

Kind Savior,
Simple acts of kindness can make a big difference in the lives of others, not just those on the receiving end, but also those who are witnesses. One kind gesture can encourage and inspire more of the same from others. We never know what burdens people are bearing at any given point and how impactful a kind word or action can be. Nevertheless, even if our kindness toward others goes relatively unnoticed or unappreciated, that doesn’t make it any less significant in your eyes. It’s how you call us to be in general when you call us to live lives of love and gratitude in response to your eternal kindness toward us. May we therefore always put your kindness on display in how kindly we treat others. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For Husbands to Prioritize Their Wives

Gracious Savior,
Marriage is one of the most tremendous blessings you have given to mankind. Yet we often and easily overlook it, take it for granted, or neglect it. When this happens, it’s not just the marriage relationship that suffers, but we are also missing out on a unique relationship which you established to lead us to a deeper understanding of our relationship with you.

Lead husbands to renew their devotion to their wives and to focus on developing their marriage relationship. Help them manage their days and schedules in a way that prioritizes their time with and attention to their wives. Grant grace to husbands to make them eager to meet the needs of their wives and to be willing to live sacrificially for them. Move them to have hearts of service that follow in Christ’s footsteps and put the needs of house and home before their own. Through all of this, richly bless not only wives, but husbands as well, as they continue striving to become more and more like you.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For the Certainty of Salvation

Saving Lord,
While each day has plenty of uncertainties and unknowns of its own, I thank you that my eternal salvation is not one of them! The Bible spells it out so clearly that even a child can understand and believe that you love us so much that you sent Jesus into this world to live and die for us. In Jesus every perfect requirement of heaven has been met. In Jesus every condemning sin has been paid for and canceled. Though faith in him I am never wondering where I stand with you, because he came and carried out all that was necessary for me. Let me find joyful security in my salvation every single day, and lead me to make it known to others in every possible way.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Live and Lead with Kindness

Caring Savior,
Help me to live and lead with kindness today. If I become frustrated or irritated by some personal issue, do not allow me to let that justify my impatience or meanness toward others. When others say or do something that is unkind or uncaring to me, keep me from responding to them in the same way. Regardless of the circumstances, let kindness color my thoughts, so that it may also permeate all of my words and actions. Let my considerate gestures, thoughtful compliments, and friendly demeanor toward others be a blessing to them and a delight in your eyes. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Boast in You Alone

Christ My Savior,
Whenever you grant me success and whatever it looks like, may my response always be the same: to boast only in you alone. All that I am and any good that comes from me is worked through you. Through the Spirit, you provide me with a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, along with all other spiritual gifts and blessings. You build your church through Word and Sacrament, equipping your saints to be salt and light in the world. When I am inclined to think too highly of myself and take credit for your work, humble me and prompt me to praise you instead. Only your name saves, so let yours alone be the name that I magnify and exalt. You have done, still do, and will keep on doing great things for those who are yours. Let others know about it through my boasting.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Guide Me in Self-Discipline

Sanctifying Spirit,
Along with power and love, you equip us with a spirit of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Apart from you we only know darkness and are enslaved by sinful and rebellious attitudes. Without your enlightenment, the evil one deceives us, hiding our lack of discipline behind a false freedom that convinces us we’re in control and in charge of our lives.

But, when your grace opens our eyes to see the truth, we see how blind we truly were. Only by faith do we welcome and embrace a spirit of self-discipline. We desire to turn away from temptation and go to war against wickedness. We are eager to rebuke unrighteousness in our own lives and shield ourselves from Satan. Intensify the spirit of self-discipline within us so that we are determined to establish sound spiritual boundaries in our lives to help guard and protect ourselves. Guide us to pursue what is good and pure and noble in your sight, so that we magnify you with our whole lives. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Let Your Love Flow Through Me to Others

Loving God,
Not only have you equipped me with a spirit of power, but also of love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Without first being on the recieving end of your love, I would struggle mightily to love others as you call me to. This is obvious because even with your love I have a hard time loving others well! 

Therefore, whenever I find it challenging to love my neighbor, shift my thoughts away from my own inadequacy and instill in me the confidence of your Spirit working in me. Jesus’ perfect love overcomes my lacking love. And, just as Jesus was equipped with the Holy Spirit, so am I. So let the love of both the Spirit and the Son wash over me and flow through me to others. Lead me to focus less on my flawed love for others, and more on being a conduit for your amazing love to be extended to others through me.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Extend Kindness to Others

Kind Savior,
In the always-busy, hectic pace of life by which our society lives, it’s so easy to forget about how we treat others. Even unintentionally, we can give people the impression that we don’t care about them or that they are unimportant to us, to say nothing of the times we deliberately mistreat or ignore others. 

Help me counter this trend by slowing down my own pace, allowing more margin for and in between my daily activities, and then consciously and intentionally looking for opportunities to be kind to others. Sometimes it may simply be a smile. Other times a nod or an affirming look. A kind gesture or act of kindness that is only a small or simple thing to me may end up being the highlight of another person’s day. Move me to be eager about spreading kindness, and free me to do so by focusing less on myself and more on how you might use me to bless others. Help me to show the gratitude I feel for your never-ending kindness to me by expressing kindliness toward others.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.