Tag: word

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Take the Time to Rest in You

Dear Jesus,
So much of our lives is spent trying to make a good impression on others. We vie for our parents’ affection as we compete with siblings for the coveted status of favorite child. We aim to impress the teacher as the star student. We want to get noticed by the coach to get playing time. 

How different is our relationship with you, Lord! It isn’t based on our performance or perfection, but on your grace. You chose us to be yours and made it so. You worked it all out so that every requirement, down to the smallest detail, was satisfied. I know and believe this to be true, but I also take it for granted and rob myself of the peace and serenity that flow from your completed work on my behalf. Move me to embrace the place you secured for me in your family, and to daily de-stress by seeking you for rest. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Hear and Do

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. My prayer today for worship is that I do not merely hear your Word, but that I also consider how to put it into practice. You provide so much guidance and direction for my life, as well as countless powerful promises. Yet, as powerful as your Word is, when I allow it to merely go in one ear and out the other, without applying it in my life, I am testing more than I am trusting. Build up my trust by spurring me on toward action with your gracious promises this week. Let your Word flourish in and through me as I strive not just to hear, but also to do. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Light More Candles

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(Matthew 4:12-23)

It’s one of those quotes that has been attributed to so many different individuals that it’s quite uncertain who the original author is. I am also quite certain I’ve referenced the quote at some point in a previous sermon or post. Perhaps you’ve heard it: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” If you’re really concerned about determining who ought to be credited with the saying, feel free to research it and let me know. For my part, and for the purpose of this post, I’m more interested in seeing the quote put into practice than I am in knowing who said it. 

Isn’t light what the world needs more of? I don’t think there would be too much pushback if I shared the opinion that the world is a dark place. Regardless of what your views on anything are, you won’t have any trouble on any given day coming across a story or headline that has you convinced things are going in the wrong direction. The world is going down the toilet. The world is dark.

What’s especially sneaky about the darkness is that we tend to get used to it. It’s called dark adaptation. You’ve experienced this when you’ve left a lighted room and entered a dark or poorly lit room. At first, it’s difficult to see where anything is. In a relatively short time, though, one’s eyes adjust and become accustomed to the dark. We can see things clearly enough to get around, and we get used to it.

You’ve experienced the same thing with sin. At first it shocked you. Now… not so much. Initially, it was absolutely wrong. Then, after a while, it became more of a gray area. It was clearly sinful way back when, but if it has become so common and normalized today, can it still be so bad? We get used to the dark. We get used to sin. 

But getting rid of the darkness isn’t a matter of somehow decreasing the dark. You can’t “put out” the darkness. You can’t take the dark away or remove it. Darkness only disappears in the presence of light. When light is removed, that’s when darkness results.

A piece of paneled artwork in a room at our church depicts this. As your eyes scan from left to right, you notice the piece of art starts out completely covered in a golden light. There is no darkness. That was the world as God created it. But when is the darkness introduced? When sin enters the world.

That may give the impression that the darkness, which dominates the nine middle art panels until the final one, is the introduction of sin in a fallen world. In one sense, yes, but as you consider what sin does, what really happened? The light of holiness and perfection was removed. When that was all the world knew, it was covered in light. But once sin entered, the light of holiness and perfection exited the world. 

But, throughout the artwork, a thread of light is woven in the darkness. This is the good news of the gospel, or the promise of purity and perfection restored. The initial step in that promise has been carried out by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, which is reflected in the center of the artwork. The final step, when that promise of purity and perfection will be fully delivered – and the golden light with it – will take place in the Revelation imagery when Jesus returns on the Last Day. When he does, complete light is restored, as it is in the final panel of the art piece. The new world ushered in by our Savior will not know darkness because the light of purity and perfection will be all there is.

So as we anticipate that radiant renewal, how do we handle the darkness in the meantime? What is the solution to the darkness we see in the world? When light is reintroduced, darkness disappears. We don’t “fix” the darkness; we shine the light.

Isaiah’s prophecy revealed when that light was going to be introduced into the world. “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (v.15-16). The light had come into the world at Jesus’ birth, and it was now beginning to get brighter with Jesus’ ministry. The light would shine its brightest in the darkest moment of Jesus’ death on Good Friday and in the full splendor of the empty tomb. The Resurrection would ensure that the darkness would be defeated. 

But the Messiah didn’t just come to save; he came to proclaim. The Messiah had a message: the gospel. If no one had ever heard the message of the Messiah’s salvation, who would have benefited? No one! The message had to be heard. A fully operational light switch with a working light bulb still needs to be turned on to be effective. So it is with the message of the Messiah’s salvation – it needs to be heard and believed to be effective.

So it wasn’t just the Messiah, but a Messiah with a message. “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’” (v.17). Jesus’ message was to turn around, to change your thinking, to realize that the way you were going on your own was only going to result in an eternal dead end. Why? Because a better way – the only way – had arrived. Jesus was there to shine the light of salvation for all. 

The word “repent” tends to get a bad reputation in our day and age. It evokes images of hard-line fundamentalist Christians, protesting and picketing, who seem to find more joy in condemning sinners than in pointing them to Christ.

But another way to think of that word repent in the context of light and dark is simply to acknowledge that we’re in the dark. When that happens, we realize how much we need – and appreciate – the light that has come.

So when we’ve become comfortable in the darkness of sin, we repent. When we see the darkness of sin around us, we repent for simply looking the other way or ignoring it. When we see the darkness of sin in our loved ones, we repent for permitting it. 

And then we’re ready for the light. We’re ready for the light of God’s grace in Jesus to dispel the darkness. We’re ready for the gospel to beam so brightly into our hearts that all darkness is gone. We’re ready for the good news that Jesus preached and carried out to reach our ears, too. Then we see the blessing of being in the light. We see how pleasing and pleasant it is to walk in the light. And we want it for others, too. 

See, it wasn’t just a Messiah with a message, but also a Messiah making messengers. Matthew makes that connection clear for us by first revealing the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, then choosing to write about Jesus calling his disciples. “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him” (v.18-22). The Messiah proclaimed his message, then he called his messengers. Why? So that more candles could be lit.

It’s easy for us to forget that we are called to light candles. We are messengers. We are the solution to the darkness. We are the ones to spread the light. We are the hope for a world blanketed in darkness. So let’s practice.

Someone brings up the latest crushing headline. We acknowledge it. We lament it. We share our frustration and disappointment over it. But then what? Do we just leave it at that? No, let’s get into the habit of asking each other, “How can we light a candle?” What can we do – because we are not powerless! – what can we do in response to the news just discussed? How can we light a candle to put out that darkness?

I can light a candle by praying right then and there. I can light a candle by ensuring that my children grow up in their faith and develop a relationship with Jesus that I wish I had started earlier. I can light a candle by bringing Jesus into the conversation with my friend who is going through a divorce. I can light a candle by making a difference in my neighborhood simply by getting to know my neighbors and building bridges to Jesus. I can light a candle by volunteering and supporting good causes in my community. There are countless ways for us to light a candle daily!

Call out the darkness. Identify it. Name it. But don’t waste your time or energy cursing it. Ask how you can light a candle instead. When that happens, darkness is replaced with light, and others can see its source – Jesus – more clearly. Brothers and sisters in Christ, “[we, too!] have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Mt. 4:15). Let’s light more candles! 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Trust You Wholeheartedly

Providential Father,
Your promises, which are always trustworthy and true, assure me that you will provide for all of my physical and spiritual needs. But, even though I believe it, I still struggle to trust it. Doubt and worry come so naturally and so easily to me, prompting me to think I’m just better off taking matters into my own hands and controlling the outcome on my own. This usually results in my experiencing the all-too-familiar lesson of how foolish it is to pretend I could care for or provide for myself better than you. Therefore, I ask you not to improve my prowess in providing, but rather to increase my trust. Steer me away from self-reliance and toward a deeper confidence in you. Lead me to lean on you not hole-heartedly, but wholeheartedly.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Families with Little Ones in Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. But worship is a unique challenge for parents with little children. Thank you for the Christian parents who prioritize bringing their little ones to worship. Some mornings, before they even pull into the church parking lot, they have already experienced a day’s worth of stressful wear and tear. Provide them with the strength and determination to follow through with worship, and through it, rejuvenate their spirits. Fill the members of their church families with compassion to know when to lend a helping hand to frazzled moms and dazed dads. Direct congregations to consider how they might become more family-friendly. Give parents the discernment and discipline to raise their children to view worship with reverence and respect. Through these formative years in church, lay a solid foundation in children that paves the way for a lifetime of faithful worship attendance, so their hearts remain saturated by the gospel. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Lead Others Spiritually

Faithful Father,
You have made us your disciples by your grace, through your Word. Discipleship includes continuing to personally grow in that grace through your Word. And, as men, our discipleship also includes leading our wives and families in their growth, too. I have so much room to grow! Guide and direct me first and foremost to grow in my own personal faith, so that as I do, I am better equipped to lead others. Since discipling includes discipline, grant me the motivation and discipline to prioritize my spiritual leadership. Dispel my fears with faith, and fill me with the Spirit’s zeal and confidence to embrace my call to lead. Where I see my own shortcomings, help me see your strength. Where I see my inadequacy, help me see your infallibility. Build others up through me so that we all may boast more in you.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Keep Christ at the Center of Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. We keep them sacred – holy – by coming together with fellow believers to be fed by your Word. Prevent all efforts at supplanting your Word and gospel with anything else in worship. Your house is not the place for political rallies or protests, but for the proclamation of your Word. Let Christ alone and the hope of salvation through faith in him be the focal point of worship in Christian churches everywhere. Guard the walls of churches from false teaching, but also from anything that doesn’t serve to advance your glorious gospel. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Seeking, Sharing, and Serving the Savior

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(Matthew 2:1-12)

Immediate family members, sure. Grandparents and other extended family members, at their earliest convenience, perhaps depending on travel distance. Close friends, eventually. These are the types of guests you’d naturally expect relatively soon after the birth of your child. There would be nothing out of the ordinary about those closest to you – who care about your family and have been kept in the loop throughout your pregnancy – visiting that soon after the birth of your child.

But it would be weird if random strangers with gifts showed up at your door. If you somehow found out that they were asking around about you and where to find you, that would increase the cringe factor significantly. And, if you knew the long distance they traveled just to see your child, that would make it even more awkward. No prior existing relationship with anyone in the family – just there to see the kid. Weird indeed.

But Jesus was not just another baby. We can appreciate the details Matthew shares, emphasizing that the child the Magi were seeking was no ordinary child. He tells us his name – Jesus – the name Joseph had been commanded to give to the One who would save people from their sins. There was only One to whom that name could be given.

The wisemen from the east also refer to him as “king of the Jews,” a title not just anyone could claim. Then they tell Herod they saw “his” star, not just a star or even the star, but his star. Who is worthy of having his own star??? And they explain that they aren’t there just to pay him a visit, but “to worship him” (v.2).

Then Matthew, never one to miss the opportunity to connect the prophetic dots for us, details how the chief priests and teachers of the law discovered the prophet Micah’s revelation that the birthplace would be Bethlehem. Finally, they didn’t just make a quick stop at the Dollar Tree or some gas station convenience store to pick up a last-minute gift, but brought along with them their very best gifts. No, in light of who this Child was, there was nothing odd at all about strangers from the east paying him a visit. In fact, in light of who Jesus was, we might be surprised that he didn’t welcome even more visitors!

As much as the Magi receive a lot of the attention on the Epiphany, what really stands out is that they aren’t the only ones searching for Jesus; everyone is! Everyone is seeking Jesus – the magi, Herod, the chief priests and teachers of the law – they’re all seeking Jesus. And in a sense, they represent the general types of people still seeking Jesus today.

Sadly, there is no shortage of Herod-type skeptics. Matthew reveals Herod’s true colors upon first hearing the news about Jesus: “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed” (v.3). Herod was not interested in a king to replace him, let alone a Savior. Neither are those who follow in Herod’s footsteps today. They aren’t seeking Jesus out of a need or desire to confirm that he is their Savior. Rather, they are seeking to discredit and undermine him. Any attempts at highlighting all of the ways Scripture reveals Jesus as the Savior for such skeptics are often met with frustration. That’s because for Herod-types, Scripture is viewed not as the divinely inspired Word of God, but as a book filled with holes and contradictions that is to be disproven and discredited. They seek Jesus not to trust him, but to troll him – and all believers who follow him.

Somewhat similar to the skeptics are those who might fall into the category of scholars. When Herod had called the religious scholars of his day together, “he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel’” (v.4-6). They were searching for Jesus, but not because they were looking for their Savior. It was their job. They were the academics, the scholars. 

There are plenty of these types today. They have the Bible right under their nose, but it is nothing more than a textbook. It is a writing of men to be studied and dissected by men, stripped of the supernatural and divine, leaving whatever relative, subjective meaning one may find. But their degrees and PhDs blind them to the reality of a Savior. They’re too smart for their own good to see any place for humbly being open to the possibility that the Bible or the God in it could in any way offer them something they could not come by or figure out on their own. 

The third type of seekers are the magi-types. They are genuinely curious. They sense there are limitations to their own understanding of the world around them and are searching for answers. They haven’t been successful in addressing the innate awareness of their own lack of goodness. They are aware of their inability to remedy the guilt and shame of their wrongdoing. They are open to the idea of religion and God, even quite convinced of their place, but aren’t sure where to begin looking or how to determine which is the right path when there are so many. So they are looking. They are seeking. They have some of the pieces of the puzzle, as the Magi did, but are still exploring. 

Each of these three types, regardless of the motivation for their seeking, all have the same thing in common: they all need the Savior. We all need the Savior. For that reason, we never stop seeking him. We are always searching to know him better, to deepen our faith.

Right? If not, when we stop seeking the Savior, that is when we start suffocating our faith. The child of God who insists on or is content to remain just a child of God. If he is not interested in maturing and growing in faith and understanding, he is leaving the door open to allowing his heavenly citizenship to expire permanently. So it isn’t just unbelievers, but also those who already belong to Jesus, who need to keep seeking him. 

Because everyone needs the Savior, it is necessary that we share him with others. While we don’t know all of the details, at some point, the news about Jesus was shared with the Magi. They may have come to learn of the God of the Bible from men like Daniel while the Jewish people were taken to Babylon. 

I love hearing stories about God’s people sharing their Savior. Some of you are very comfortable discussing the basics of salvation and Christianity with others. Some of you are amazing at sharing what you love about what Jesus is doing through your church and school, eagerly inviting others to be a part of it. For others, it’s more challenging, but you are patiently playing the long game with family or friends, dripping Jesus here and there over time, still sharing him in that way.

But, if we don’t ever share Jesus, then we’re showing something else: that we don’t really think too much of him. If the thought of sharing him never enters into my conversations, if it never crosses my mind, if the name of Jesus rarely leaves my lips except occasionally when I’m in church, what conclusion would an unbeliever draw about how important Jesus is to you? Seeking Jesus and sharing Jesus are not optional add-ons to the Christian faith; they are evidence of it.

Seeking and sharing don’t just stop there. Eventually, as God chooses to work through those efforts and bring others to faith or strengthen our faith, it leads to serving. Listen to Matthew describe how the Magi planned to serve their Savior with their gifts in verse 11: “Then they opened their [leftovers] and presented him with gifts of [crumbs from the bottom of the chip bag, some pocket change, and the doggie bag from their last meal at the restaurant].” Wait, that’s not right. It was gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Magi served their Savior with their best gifts, not their leftovers. 

What does he get from us? Firstfruits or leftovers? Some of us spend more on coffee than we do on Christ. Some went all of 2025 without once thinking about how they serve Jesus with their financial gifts and haven’t considered what their giving will look like in this new year. Some convince themselves that their serving or volunteering is somehow in place of regular offerings, as if God’s grace to us doesn’t warrant service through offerings and volunteering. Some will always leave the work of ministry to others, ignoring that the very definition of ministry is service. Some will spend the better part of their Christian lives content to serve Jesus with leftovers. 

But thankfully, that sad reality is not reflective of God’s love for us. Christmas reminds us of that. It wasn’t just the magi who gave their best gifts; so did God. He gave us Jesus. He gave us his absolute best. And Jesus came to do all of the things we’re called to do, too.

Jesus came to seek, to share, to serve. He came to seek the lost. He came to share his heavenly inheritance and all that accompanies it with us. He came to serve us. And he did all of this perfectly, without fail or flaw. And in doing so, he did much more than just set the perfect example for us to follow; he provided the very perfection we needed to be right with God. He also paid the price we couldn’t by his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus came to seek, to share, and to serve, and through all of this, he came to save us. 

What prompts us to imitate Jesus through the first three: seeking, sharing, and serving? It’s that we can’t do the fourth – saving; only he can.

And he did. We don’t have to save ourselves (not that we could!); he came to do that for us. The same Savior who welcomed the visitors from the east will welcome us into his eternal presence as well. Until then, how will you maximize your remaining time here on earth seeking, sharing, and serving the Savior, in 2026 and beyond? 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Everyone to Keep Seeking Him

Light of the World,
This week of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. With so few details revealed about their travels, we can only imagine the kinds of sacrifices they made to seek out Jesus. Lead us to follow their example continually, never tiring of seeking him, no matter how well we feel we may already know him. Let us be willing to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to keep seeking him. In the process, deepen our understanding, elevate our faith, and solidify our trust. By whatever means you see fit, compel the lost to seek him, too, that they might find the light of their salvation and their eternal hope and joy. Reward all who seek you with the peace that only you can provide. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Churches to Warmly Welcome Visitors

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. In this new year, many have made or will make resolutions to go to church. For some, this choice is fueled by a penitent awareness that they have sinfully been neglecting worship. For others, this commitment reflects a curiosity and desire to explore the Christian faith and learn more about it. Regardless of the reason, lead churches and regular church attenders be ready to greet with open arms any and all who walk through their doors in this new year. Let these visitors feel warmly welcomed by radical and loving hospitality extended by your people. Let law and gospel be clearly proclaimed in worship and allow the forgiveness and salvation of Jesus to be central to it. Send your Spirit to work in the hearts of all these visitors and use your Word to draw them closer into your church, the body of Christ.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.