Tag: service

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Eagerly Serve My Home

Selfless Savior,
Just as you gave Adam the responsibility to lead his wife and family in the home, so you call all men to do the same. But, since we cannot possibly measure up to this calling on our own, we need you to lead us and equip us. For any man to lead successfully in his home, he must first be willing to be led by you. 

When men see their marriage, family, or home as something from which they need to escape or avoid, correct their view. Whatever challenges they face in any of those situations, you have also placed them there to address those issues and take the lead in working through them, rather than ignore them. Bring repentance where needed, and gospel restoration to redirect and strengthen them for the road ahead. Be their guardian and guide, providing an example of what sacrificial service for others looks like, and also compelling them by your grace to imitate you in their marriage and home. Use them to build strong and sturdy homes, solidly grounded on the powerful promises of your Word. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Eagerly Serve My Church

Selfless Savior,
While most people think of Sunday morning worship when they think of church, the local congregation is really about so much more. Yes, worship is the highlight of the believer’s week, serving us Word and sacrament, and providing a foretaste of what awaits us in the future, but you build up the body of Christ is in so many other ways, too. Churches carry out your work through schools, Bible studies, and various other ministries and acts of service both internally and externally.

While we are grateful for church workers who are called to guide and equip us for this work, help each of us to see the important roles we have in helping carry this work out. Service isn’t about official roles or titles, but about a willing spirit – a spirit willing to imitate Jesus and wash my neighbor’s feet. Move men everywhere to demonstrate servant leadership in your church, looking to serve first rather than be served. When opportunities or needs arise, grant us the faith-focused desire to get our hands dirty and eagerly jump in. Lead us to support our church workers and each other by making their work a joy and not a burden. Compel us to serve our congregations because through our service, you’re not just getting work done through us, but also in us. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Special Occasions in Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. At times, the weekly blessing of gathering in your presence with fellow believers is amplified even more by the celebration of special milestones. What a joy it is to highlight festivals from church history, recognize special observances in the church year, and celebrate ministry milestones! Thank you for these and all memorable occasions and for the chance to draw attention to them through our worship. They often provide us with welcome variety in worship and additional ways to express our gratitude. Thank you for the gifts you’ve given to those who plan special services like these to edify and build up so many. Bless all such occasions with a Christ-centered focus that leaves worshipers continually longing to rejoice in the Lord!

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Volunteers

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the gift of volunteers. Many services and organizations that offer so much for so many often depend on the assistance of volunteers to function. It’s no small thing for people to willingly offer to use their gifts and their time in service to others without receiving some sort of compensation. On top of that, volunteers make many other sacrifices that go unnoticed and unappreciated, all for the benefit of others. 

Let their service bring them fulfillment as they meet the needs of others. Bless others through their volunteering, leading them also to express their appreciation for those who make a difference in their lives through their volunteering. May the service of volunteers also inspire others to give of their gifts and time selflessly, so that they, too, may find true joy in putting others first. In that way, help them to better grasp your selfless sacrificial service for all people. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Honor Retired Called Workers

Lord God,
Many have dedicated their lives to the public ministry as pastors and teachers. Thank you for their willing sacrifices and for the ways you used their gifts to build up your church. Just as we honor veterans for their years of military service, let us remember to honor our retired pastors and teachers as well. Help our churches and schools to consider how their gifts and experience can continue to be tremendous blessings even in retirement. 

When our retired called workers struggle with finding their place after public ministry, remind them that their identity was never anchored in their ministry, but in their baptism, by which you called them and made them yours. Give them wisdom and discernment to distinguish between supporting called workers who have come after them and inserting themselves into a calling that is no longer theirs. Bless them in their later season of life to be able to see the ministry of the gospel continue to thrive in your church. Let their service in retirement – whatever that may look like – be a source of joy to many.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

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

adbLeave a comment

To Serve Others as You Serve Us

Loving Savior,
On this Holy Thursday we see your heart for service. In a beautiful act of humble service, you washed your disciples feet and called them – and us – to lovingly imitate your willing spirit to serve others. Forgive us for continuing to fall for the foolish lie that fulfillment comes from the selfish service of putting ourselves first. Open our eyes to see and believe the truth that our hearts find true fulfillment in loving and serving our neighbor.

On this night you also served not only your disciples in the upper room, but also your church for generations to come. You did this by transforming the Passover meal from just a meal of remembrance into the sacred Supper by which you serve your very body and blood for forgiveness. Still today, whenever we receive the bread and your body, the wine and your blood, you serve us the food that fortifies and fills up our faith. Serve us always, so that through your service to us, we find all that we need to also serve others. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Imitate Joseph and Mary

Precious Lord,
You chose Joseph and Mary to carry out the important role of parents to the Savior of the world. In humility, they were willing to overcome obstacles and adversity, both within their own relationship as well as difficult external circumstances. On top of this they had to bear the burden of scrutiny that would come along with parenting the Savior. Their faithful servant hearts provide fine examples for us to follow.

When you call me to serve, no matter what that may look like, grant me the necessary humility to faithfully follow through. When I feel inadequate or unqualified, boost my confidence with the reminder that when you call me to serve, you always provide what is needed to carry out that service. And, as Mary took time to reflect and ponder after the birth, lead me to do the same whenever an act of service is completed. Help me to see how you used my service to be a blessing to others and to me, filling me with gratitude for the privilege of being considered worthy to serve. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Our Veterans

Compassionate Lord,
Sadly, on this day of remembering our veterans, we acknowledge how often and how easily they are also forgotten. Many who are struggling – often as a direct result of their service to our country – do not receive the care they need, whether it be physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. Provide them with those much-need resources, as well as the knowledge and ability to access them. Extend to them the healing and support they require to overcome any struggles or setbacks they are facing. Through all of these outlets of compassion, may they know how much they are valued and appreciated.

Thank you, Lord, for the sacrificial spirit of our veterans. They stand out in a me-first society that is more inclined toward individualism than what is best for the greater good. They were and are willing to submit and follow orders that frequently result(ed) in the displacement and relocation of their families to different states and even other countries. Being deployed and apart from spouses and children meant many family milestones were missed. Finally, many also faced the cruel tragedies of conflicts and battles, and saw and experienced unforgettable anguish and trauma. May we always be grateful to our veterans for all of these sacrifices, and for so many other sacrifices they’ve made of which we are unaware. Bless them with your favor for their service today and always.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Those Who Serve on Sundays

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. While many of us are focused on the typical Sunday morning routine of waking up, getting dressed, and arriving at church on time, there are others for whom Sunday worship is an opportunity to serve. Thank you for the many who not only get your house ready for worship, but who also serve before, during, and after worship so that we can be fed the Bread of Life. Fill those serving with a godly pride as they embrace the privilege of serving you in these ways. Give them meaning and purpose as they carry out their work faithfully, and grant them the satisfaction of a job well done in your name. May their service to you be a blessing for them as well as other worshippers.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.