DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For the Blessings Received by Faith

Spirit of Life,
Thank you for the gift of faith, by which we have the sure confidence of our salvation, completed in full for us by Jesus. Faith that is healthy and growing is faith that is blessed. When we listen to your Word and put it into practice, we see and experience the blessings you promise. While this should not surprise us, we often react as if these blessings came out of nowhere and could never have been anticipated – even though you so plainly promise them! How much room our faith still has to grow! Increase our faith so that we boldly expect you to deliver on your promises when we listen and act accordingly. And, fill us with humble gratitude for how richly you still bless us even when we don’t.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For a Faith That Acts

Spirit of Life,
Thank you for the gift of faith, by which we have the sure confidence of our salvation, completed in full for us by Jesus. Faith that is healthy and growing is faith that acts. When faith listens, its natural response is to act. However, since the Old Adam in me is bent on self-service, it opposes any activity of faith that is directed toward others. Therefore, take me back to my baptism, where that part of me needs to be drowned again and again, and raise me up in newness of life, eager to put my faith into practice. Whenever I hear your Word, allow my heart and mind to collaborate with my ears so that I am contemplating how I might put your Word into practice. Compel me to be not just a hearer of your Word, but also a doer of it. Moved by the power of your grace and grounded in the certainty of your gift of eternal life, grant me a hard-working faith.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For a Faith That Listens

Spirit of Life,
Thank you for the gift of faith, by which we have the sure confidence of our salvation, completed in full for us by Jesus. Faith that is healthy and growing is faith that listens to you. And, since you speak to us through your Word, drive us to it daily. Protect our ears and our hearts from any voices that aren’t yours, since rather than strengthening our faith, they only starve it. Help us become better at recognizing false teachers by growing more familiar with your true and trustworthy teaching. Shut out all the endless noise in our lives so that we can hear your voice clearly and feed our faith.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Guard Me From Hypocrisy

Loving Savior,
When it comes to hypocrites, or false believers, you didn’t mince words when warning them of condemnation while here on earth. And rightly so! Not only were they outside of the kingdom of God, but they also threatened others by potentially leading them astray and outside of your kingdom as well. 

Although we are not hypocrites in the strict biblical sense of being false believers, we do find ourselves acting hypocritically. We know your Word and will well enough, and do not hesitate to point out to others when they fail to live by it, but we ourselves can’t keep from breaking it. Lead us always to repentance when we are aware of this (and even when we’re not!), and guide us to grasp the importance of striving to match our words and our actions so that our hypocrisy would never turn others away from you. Rather than displaying a pharisaical hypocrisy, let your grace always abound and be evident both in me and through me.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For Honesty

God of All Truth,
When I speak, whether it’s an internal dialogue in my mind or an external conversation with others, let me always speak the truth. Honesty is a dying virtue as many deem truth to be relative. We settle for “half-truths,” and “untruths,” which are just nicer sounding terms for lies. If my word is going to matter, my reputation is going to remain intact, and I wish to be trustworthy, then honesty is not an option, but a necessity. 

Guard me from any temptation to lie or be dishonest, especially when I am tempted to justify it in response to others who may lie or slander my name. If you are the way and the truth and the life, then as your follower, I want to reflect that in my life and speech. Give me the courage to have honest conversations when they are needed, and the wisdom to be clear and direct so that the truth is not hidden or blurred. Let honesty always win out, out of love for you, love for others, and love for my own spiritual health.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Guard Against False Teaching

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. As believers all over the world gather on this day to hear your Word proclaimed, protect their ears from false teaching. Keep those preaching faithful to the promises they made to speak the truth as your representatives. Keep their preaching pure, free from the seeds of lies and deception sown by the evil one, whether blatant or subtle. Equip leaders and elders in your churches to distinguish between truth and error, so that they may correct or rebuke heresy, and raise up mature Christian members to share in that responsibility. Guard those preaching from the temptation of proclaiming what itching ears want to hear. Guide them in rightly handling the application of law and gospel. Through such faithful preaching sanctify your church and keep her in the one true faith.   

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.