Tag: difficult

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Confidence to Have the Difficult Conversation

Dear Jesus,
Today I pray for the courage to finally have a difficult conversation I’ve been avoiding for too long. I’ve played out how the conversation could go so many times in my mind, and I’ve allowed my fear of the possible outcome to paralyze and prevent me from actually initiating it. I know avoiding it is not the solution; it only prolongs the burdensome weight of unnecessarily carrying the extra emotional baggage around. Give me a spirit of self-discipline to lay out the steps necessary to finally have this conversation, and the humble confidence to patiently, lovingly carry it out. Guide me to trust you to provide the words I need, give me grace in speaking them, and grant that what I say is heard and received in a healthy way and with understanding. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Have the Tough Conversations

Holy Spirit,
Prompt me to have the difficult conversations. In an effort to avoid conflict or raise tensions, I so easily believe the lie that I’m better off steering away from tough talks with others. No matter how much I try to convince myself that an issue or concern will simply take care of itself eventually, the reality more often is that putting off talking about it only makes it worse. Give me the desire to be more assertive and insistent, not so that I would steamroll others or abrasively force conversations, but simply so that I prioritize having them. When I do, open my ears to listen first, grant me wisdom to process what I hear, and give me grace and patience to respond truthfully. Bless these difficult situations with resolution, and use them to make me a better communicator and enhance my interpersonal skills.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Dealing with Difficult Church Members

Lord of the Church,
You call us to gather together and unite with fellow believers to carry out our mission and ministry together. When this happens at the local congregational level, you use us both to be a blessing to others and to be blessed by others as the body of Christ. Thank you for the many influential believers you have brought into my life through my church family.

Yet, just as in all other areas of life, church is not without difficult people. While this doesn’t surprise us, knowing your church is made up of sinner saints, it can be a unique challenge because believers are called to hold each other to a higher standard. Forgive me first of all for the many times and ways I’ve personally fallen short of those standards and been difficult for others. Let me extend to others the same grace and patience that have so often been extended to me.

At the same time, don’t allow others to mistake that patience for permission when they are in the wrong or need to repent. Help me distinguish between spiritual immaturity and obstinance, and to separate ignorance or eccentricities from deliberate disobedience. Lead me to assume the best of all of my fellow church members, especially the particularly difficult ones. Guard any differences from becoming divisiveness, and continue to build up your church through the unique members of the body of Christ.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Dealing with Difficult Coworkers

Dear Savior,
Ever since the Fall, sin has tainted your blessing of work. Even when we are fortunate enough to be able to do what we love and are skilled at, still there are frustrations in even the most ideal situations. Sometimes those challenges stem from the responsibilities of work itself; other times our struggles have more to do with people. 

When faced with the issue of difficult coworkers, help me to navigate the tension that can exist between my own morality and ethics, which are established and guided by your Word, and a different moral compass by which the world and secular workplace often operate. Let me speak up when I see conduct that is not condoned or endorsed by my place of employment, since I have a responsibility to uphold the name and reputation of my workplace. When lazy coworkers take advantage of the strong work ethic of others by unfairly assigning them heavier workloads, bless the solid coworkers and rebuke and correct the lazy ones. When coworkers refuse to honor appropriate boundaries with others, let it be known and addressed. When/if I come under fire for my faith, let me stand firm and let my light shine as I am able to in keeping with the established policies. When I am feeling overwhelmed by the burden of difficult coworkers, give me the peace of mind and heart in remembering that I am working first and foremost for you above all else. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Dealing with Difficult Family Members

Loving Father,
Family relationships have the potential to be among the most treasured connections we have, as well as some of the most challenging. Since we generally tend to be as close to our family as we are to anyone else, that tight bond can amplify both the best and the worst of any relationships. Give me the awareness to recognize family members who manipulate the shared bond and twist it to induce guilt or shame on other family members. Grant me patience with difficult family members, as well as the courage to lovingly call them out whenever necessary. Let me be unafraid to call believing family members to repentance when they have sinned, and also unashamed to evangelize unbelieving family members. While I cannot change or control the behavior of my biological family, I am responsible for how I respond to them and handle them. Let me do so with a balance of firmness and grace, seeking always to do what is in the best interest of their eternal good.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Dealing with Difficult Friends

Friend of Sinners,
Friends are a special gift through which you provide many unique blessings. They can protect us from isolation and loneliness, we can enjoy events and experiences with them, engage in rich conversation, and share a variety of passions and interests together. Thank you for all that they bring into our lives.

Friends, though, like so many others in our lives, can also be difficult. Some struggle with confidentiality, passing along to others details of conversations that were shared in confidence. At times they can be unreliable, struggling to follow through or keep their word. There are also some friendships that are challenging because they tend to be very one-sided; we invest far more into them than we get out of them. When friends maintain destructive habits, reject our advice to their detriment, put us in bad situations, or tarnish our reputation, sustaining the relationship can be difficult. Give us patience and discernment when dealing with difficult friends, to know when we can make a sacrifice on their behalf, but also to avoid enabling them. Give us also the wisdom to be aware when it might be best for us to reconsider the friendship for our own good, and maybe theirs, too. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Dealing with Difficult Neighbors

Dear Lord,
When dealing with difficult neighbors, help me to keep in mind the importance of positive and productive interactions, since we regularly come into contact with our neighbors. If they are being inconsiderate or obnoxious, don’t allow that to justify an inconsiderate or obnoxious response from me. Instead, let me bring my concerns to them in humility and with a gentle spirit. When I feel they are being overbearing, nitpicking, or looking for reasons to complain about property upkeep or community guidelines, give me discernment in trying to alleviate their concerns with a level head. Lead us to strive to maintain peaceful relations for the greater good of the whole neighborhood, and let me be especially mindful of my treatment of them when seeking to build bridges to you. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Dealing with Difficult People

Lord God,
In our prayers this week, we’ll be looking to you for guidance and direction for dealing with difficult people in our lives. Hear our prayers, so that as we engage with hard people, we reflect you well and honor you in every interaction. Provide us with an increase in patience for all such communications. And, rather than viewing these discussions as a battle to be won, let the primary goal be arriving at the best possible solution for both parties.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Courage to Have Difficult Conversations

Holy Spirit,
When conflict arises or difficult issues requiring resolution become apparent, it is tempting to avoid them and hope that doing so will smooth things over. I either avoid the person or people altogether, or simply avoid bringing up the specific subject with them. But actively avoiding the issue not only fails to resolve the matter; it actually makes it worse! Either I unrealistically talk myself into pretending everything is fine, or I allow imaginary worst-case scenarios to begin taking shape in my mind. Neither option is helpful, but is instead quite disruptive.

Give me the determination to have the difficult conversations, not because I enjoy conflict, but because I desire the blessing of resolution. When I do engage, make me mindful of my tone and body language, too. Grant me patience, a spirit willing to listen, and the wisdom to speak words that are well thought out and winsome. Provide clarity to all involved in difficult discussions, to avoid personal attacks, talking past others, or getting off topic. Lead me to speak the truth in love, and create in me a genuine desire to build up, repair, and resolve in a way that is in the best interest of everyone involved.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.