Tag: Prayers

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Weekend Blessings

Gracious Lord,
Thank you for weekends. Not only is my job a blessing from you, but so is the time off, which allows me to return to work rested and refreshed. Lead me to manage my time well this weekend, realizing that how I do so is always an opportunity to honor you and serve my neighbor in love. If time together with friends and family is scheduled, use that time to cheer and uplift us, and give me ears to listen and the words to speak according to the needs of others. If I have time dedicated to projects or hobbies grant me the satisfaction of making meaningful progress and/or bringing them to completion. Help me to use any media or entertainment in moderation and in a way that restores and uplifts my spirit, rather than exposes me to that which would negatively influence me. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Love Those Who are Challenging to Love

Merciful Lord,
Today I pray for the compassion and capacity to love the challenging individuals(s) in my life. The reasons vary, and the level of hurt or the damage done may have been extensive, but I don’t want to hang on to bitterness or resentment. Where I seek healing from these past wounds, help me to find in you what I need, for I may never receive it from those who caused it. But by your grace I can choose forgiveness and love.

I marvel at the love that flowed from your dying lips as your heart was not concerned about revenge against the very hands that crucified you, but was instead focused on forgiveness. I crave this compassion, but I cannot extend it to others unless your unconditional love and mercy first directed at me brings about that change in my heart. Let your no-strings-attached love flow freely to me, that it might then flow through me to others – especially those most difficult to love.   

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Redirect My Love

Loving Savior,
When I struggle to love others, it isn’t because I don’t know how to love, but because I’ve allowed my love to be misdirected. Most naturally that misdirected love is focused on me. I put myself and my priorities above your call to love and serve others first. 

But I also find my heart drawn to loving others things, not just more than my neighbor, but even more than you. Weed such idolatry out of my heart! In its place plant the seeds of your Spirit so that abundant fruit – especially love for others – may flourish and ripen in my words and actions.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To See the Opportunities to Love Others

Loving Lord,
As I seek to carry out your call to love my neighbor, I don’t always know what that looks like. Open my eyes to see all of the opportunities that surround me. 

Often I don’t have to look very far at all, as those opportunities abound right under my own roof. Other times those opportunities reveal themselves through the needs of my neighbor. When their needs require me to make sacrifices, may your love prompt me to follow your example of sacrifice and serve them in love however I’m able. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Help with Love

Gracious Lord,
As men it is easy to avoid talking about love, as we have a tendency to downplay things like feelings and emotions as not being very masculine. Yet Jesus himself was emotional! Jesus also calls us to love – both God and our neighbor. And, it is Jesus who first loved us, which then fuels us to love others. Help me to overcome any discomfort I may have around the topic of love, to embrace your call to love, and to daily put it into practice. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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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. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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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. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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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. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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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. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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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.