Tag: emotions

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Manage My Anger

Lord Jesus,
When you saw your house being utilized as a marketplace for conducting business and carrying out transactions, rather than a place of prayer and coming into the Father’s presence, your righteous anger flared up. Such anger is truly only justified coming from you alone, as you alone are truly righteous. Therefore, your actions were not carried out in sin.

We can’t say the same. When our anger leads to sinful actions, we cannot claim any righteous anger or moral superiority. Sadly, more often than not, whenever my anger leads to sinful behavior, there’s very little room for any sort of excuse anyway (no matter how hard I might try!).

Remind me that I am the one responsible for my emotions and how I handle them. My rage isn’t permissible simply because someone else set me off. My temper isn’t anyone else’s fault but mine. Help me to control and manage my anger, to recognize when it is setting in, and to be cautious and thoughtful before allowing it to manifest into sinful words or actions. You, who had every right to direct your righteous anger toward every single sinner, chose grace and forgiveness instead. Help me choose the same.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Handle My Feelings

Caring Father,
You have created us to feel – not just physically, but emotionally as well. Feelings are powerful and can impact us in significant ways. The passionate love toward a spouse, the elation a fan feels when his team wins the big game, the pride parents feel when their children who succeed in their endeavors – these emotions are some of the natural highs we feel in life, and they can be wonderful to experience. But we also know the other side of emotions, disappointment when things don’t turn out as we had hoped, anxiety when the problems seem to pile up, and anger when others disagree or cause hurt. These emotions can all quickly bring us down and feeling pretty low in general.

While feelings are a wonderful part of the way you created us, you didn’t create them to control us. When I feel strong emotions, therefore, help me process them in a way that I don’t allow them to be responsible for any sinful words or actions. I want to manage my feelings in a way that ensures they don’t manage me. Help me work through them, be able to recognize what they are and why I am experiencing them, and respond to them with thoughtful consideration, and guided by faith. When this happens, I can more fully appreciate the full range of emotions I feel, while also steering clear of the temptation to use them to justify my sinful reactions. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Measure My Words

Gracious Savior,
When I allow myself to become angry or irritated, especially by someone else’s words or actions, that is when I am most likely to unleash an unfiltered and unloving response of my own, either verbally or from a keyboard. Such words have never contributed positively to better understanding or resolution, and they never will. Furthermore, that kind of communication isn’t just hurtful to my neighbor; it’s also sin against you, my God. Have mercy on me and forgive my many thoughtlessly spoken (or typed!) words!

Instead, help me to speak only what builds others up. Let my words be words of encouragement, that others may find them to be a breath of fresh air. Even when I am called to admonish or correct, the words I use, along with my tone and body language, should better reflect the loving motives of my heart. If I am to speak in a way that edifies others and honors you, I need to be able to first keep my emotions in check. Let your Holy Spirit guard and guide my heart, so that the words which flow from it serve my neighbor and are always pleasing in your sight.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Overcome Irritations

Patient Father,
Sometimes it doesn’t seem to take much to set me off. The littlest thing can irritate me. I want to have better control over my emotions than to let such trivial things get the better of me. When I become aware of anyone or anything that is starting to cause that kind of a reaction in me, give me pause and help me retain my composure. In those moments, remind me that while I may not have control over the things happening to me or around me, I do have complete control over how I respond. Redirect my thoughts away from the source of my irritation and toward anything else that is positive or uplifting. Grant me instead a spirit of gratitude so that I may be filled with peace. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Manage My Emotions

Patient Lord,
This time of year can be one that is filled with tension and stress. On top of the normal daily to-do’s, there are additional deadlines and added responsibilities at home, work, and school. All of these factors provide ripe opportunities for impatience to creep in and for my temper to flare. 

I ask you, therefore, to help me be aware of all this so that I am actively managing my emotions well and not letting them get the better of me. As I sense my irritability levels rising and my patience running thin, I know I need to take control of my thoughts and redirect them to thoughts of peace and serenity. Place your Word and many rich promises on my heart at those times, so that I may find refuge in them even when everything around me feels chaotic and out of control. By your Spirit, keep me calm and in control of my thoughts and emotions. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Emotional Intelligence

Gracious Lord,
Thank you for our emotions. We are grateful for the ability to love and feel loved, for the sense of unexpected surprise, for infectious happiness, and even for the sorrows of sadness. Emotions, and the ways we experience them and share them with others, are one of the many ways you set us apart from the rest of your creation.

As men, it can sometimes be more difficult for us to identify and sort through the emotions we’re feeling. We aren’t always very comfortable talking about them or sharing them with others. We also struggle to be aware of the emotions others may be experiencing as we interact with them. Help us to grow in our emotional intelligence, so that we might better understand ourselves and others, and come to appreciate the different ways you have made us. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.