Tag: challenge

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Those in Support Groups

Gracious Savior,
Struggling with loss, addiction, or other adversities in life can be debilitating for many. Thankfully, there are many support groups that exist for people experiencing these kinds of challenges. Use these groups to be a blessing to all who attend them, if for no other reason than to let them know that others can relate to their struggles. Equip those who facilitate support groups with social awareness, compassion, and empathy, while also granting them the firm resolve to speak what needs to be said to those who need to hear it. Help participants discern when to share and when to simply listen. Use friends and family to keep encouraging those who are reluctant to attend, so they might eventually benefit from being a part of a community of people in a similar season of life. Whenever possible, use these groups – and the believers in them – to lead others to you, so they find unparalleled hope, meaning, and purpose to overcome their adversities.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Determination

Dedicated Savior,
Although you faced opposition and obstacles from both your enemies and those close to you during your life, nothing deterred you from carrying out your goal of securing our salvation. You were resolute. You were determined.

So often, we are not. When we encounter a challenge while trying to accomplish something, we get frustrated and give up. When the goal we set out to achieve is much harder to reach than we anticipated, we change our mind. The support we counted on suddenly isn’t there anymore, and we blame others for when we fail to see something through to the end. Give us your determination and resolve. Make us confident that you are able to reward our perseverance. Help us finish strong, grant us the satisfaction of getting things done, and let our efforts be a blessing to others. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Guys to Find Community

Lord God,
Connecting with other guys doesn’t always come very naturally for men. Many struggle when they live isolated lives and have very limited interaction with other guys. When that is the case, not only do we often limit our potential, but we also leave ourselves susceptible to making poor choices that lead to questionable or regrettable behavior. Of course, keeping the wrong company can also bring about the same damaging effects. Therefore, please provide positive opportunities and experiences for guys to find community with like-minded, godly, spiritually mature men. Lead them to want to be led and to have the courage to lead others, and through that leadership, heighten the level of respect shared among brothers. When those relationships exist, rich blessings will follow as men encourage, admonish, challenge, and support each other in powerful ways. Through all of this, raise up more men to bring greater glory to you through their righteous living.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Appreciate Adversity

Mighty God,
We don’t pray for hardship or struggle for ourselves or others, yet through them, you discipline us and teach us perseverance. Since these blessings would be rare to come by apart from adversity, thank you for allowing difficulties to come into our lives. Use them to build us up into what you need us to be. Make us resilient and ready for future challenges. Lead us to lean on you and into you for determination and direction.  Stretch our gratitude to more deeply appreciate the degree of suffering you obediently endured in our place.  Change our mindset about struggles into one that welcomes them as learning experiences that pull us in closer to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For the Elderly in Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. You gather people of all ages and every generation to breathe life into them through your Word. While everyone deals with different hindrances that could keep them away from worship, the elderly face challenges unique to their stage in life. Good sleep isn’t always a given, medications can have troubling side effects, and physical decline can slow everything down and result in frustrating limitations. When we consider all of these hurdles, we ought to beam with joy every time older believers faithfully fill a seat in your house. Continue to give them the strength and resilience to overcome their challenges and use them to encourage and model faith in action for younger generations by how they prioritize worship. Reward their time in worship with the treasures of Word and Sacrament, and let congregations show great honor and respect to these gifts to your church. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Marriages in Seasons of Change

Wonderful Counselor,
Guide and help husbands and wives who are navigating major seasons of change in marriage. While great marriages always require dedication and effort, certain times of transition can also be especially challenging. Newlyweds quickly become aware of each other’s behaviors and habits that may require extra time to adjust to and work through. New parents see how the blessing of a child affects not just their new responsibilities as father and mother, but also their relationship with each other. After investing so much time and focus in raising their children, empty-nesters are often surprised at the energy and attention needed to rekindle their own affections and desires for each other, which they may have allowed to drift while the demands of children took center stage in their marriage. In each of these seasons of change – and all other times of transition – provide husbands and wives with extra measures of patient understanding, clear and consistent communication, and gracious, willing-to-forgive spirits.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Growth Through Hardship

Loving Father,
When adversity and strife show up, you promise to work good in my life through them. Help me to believe this, especially whenever doubts creep in and I begin to question it. Sometimes you use these challenges to draw me into a deeper trust in you, and other times to correct or admonish, but the goal is always to draw me closer to you. I am grateful that you can turn these seasons of hardship into growth opportunities. Strengthen me to embrace them as such, and provide me with the endurance necessary to ride them out. Though I may not always be able to welcome such strife with the joyful outlook you call me to have when in the thick of it, change my perspective by letting my eyes of faith consider the good on the other side of it that you could be working through it.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Help Others Bear Their Burdens

Strong Savior,
Make me more aware today of the burdens others are bearing. Then, rather than dismissing their hardships in light of my own problems, keep my attention on them and prompt me to consider and pray about how I might address their difficulties, or at least help bear them. While we aren’t always able to fix people’s problems, sometimes just acknowledging them and helping carry them goes a long way. It is a blessing for others simply not to have to struggle alone. Though their burdens may be heavy, use my willingness to share the yoke as a reminder that you are the perfect burden bearer, who assures us that we never endure hardships alone. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Those Facing Persistent Problems

Mighty God,
Now that Christmas has passed, some are stuck with the reality that their problems still persist. Having temporarily avoided them or pretending the magic of Christmas would somehow make them all disappear didn’t actually fix anything. However, what Christmas can do is change our view of the problems we face. Having been reminded that you came into this world to overcome it and to defeat the devil’s work, our problems seem so much smaller by comparison. Give strength and determination to those dealing with ongoing issues and challenges, and remind them that the Savior born in Bethlehem is the Mighty God who is strong to deliver and save. Lead them to turn to you, to lean on you, and to trust in you to guide and direct them through their troubles. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

Thank You for the Blessings of Hardship

Giving Father,
Thank you for allowing bad things to happen in my life. As much as I may pray for you to take them away or hedge me from them, you often turn them into a blessing that enriches me in some way or another. With this understanding, reshape my prayer life while I am in the thick of difficulty. Open my eyes to see the potential for good that you might bring out of any given challenge, and let that inform my prayers. Grow me through adversity and mature me through the refining fires of hardship. Always draw me closer to you when struggles arise, reinforcing my trust in you and firming up my faith in your promises. Thank you.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.