Tag: forgiveness

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Courage to Do the Right Thing

Mighty God,
I regularly find myself in situations with the opportunity to do the wrong thing. I am invited to join in the gossip. I am nudged to have one more drink than I should. I am pressured to misuse your gift of sex. The list goes on. I don’t pretend that all of these are someone else’s fault, either, as I am well aware that I am only tempted by them because of my own sinful inclinations. As much as possible, therefore, give me the wisdom to avoid putting myself in those situations in the first place. Nevertheless, when I do face them, give me the courage of faith to do the right thing. Help me control my thoughts and desires. Curb any sinful urges within me. Provide a way out, as you promise to, and open my eyes both to see and to seize that way out. Create in me the genuine desire to be more eager to be a good and godly influence than to allow myself to be negatively influenced and misrepresent you. When I fail, be there with your grace to turn my forgiven failures into the motivation to do right the next time.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Delight in Holy Communion

Precious Savior,
Whether the burden of guilt I carry over my sin is heavy or light, deepen my love for the privilege of receiving the Lord’s Supper to lift that burden entirely. When I acknowledge and confess my sin in humble penitence, you invite me to remember the dear price you paid for that sin, along with its guilt and shame. In a miraculous way that defies intellect and demands faith, you bring together your body and blood with bread and wine, so that what I receive with my mouth also restores my soul. And, sharing this sacred meal with fellow believers united by the same confession of faith, conviction of sin, and confidence of forgiveness, edifies and encourages us collectively. Therefore, gather together the communion of saints regularly for Holy Communion, so that through their proclamation of your death, you refresh their spirits and rejuvenate them to faithfully carry out their Christian calling. Help me to hold this blessing close to my heart and treasure it always.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Rest

Loving Lord,
We are always on the go. We treat every gap in our schedule as a blank space that needs to be filled. We can’t stand missing out on the experience someone else (or someone else’s kids) had. Just one more thing. Just a little bit more. We are too easily deceived by the lie that we can pack 30+ hours into a 24-hour day.

We need rest – in our body, in our mind, in our spirit. Maintaining a breakneck pace in life takes its toll on our bodies. We cut out sleep and settle for a diet that leaves us undernourished. Our racing minds have lost the ability to unwind and unravel during even the slightest bit of downtime because our screens enslave us. Spiritually, you are often the last thing we try to squeeze in, and by that time, we’ve already exhausted ourselves. 

Forgive us. Refresh us. Renew us. Reframe our thinking so that we start with you and fit everything else after, for only in you will we ever find the kind of soul rest the world simply cannot provide.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Only Use Your Name in a Worthy Manner

Beautiful Savior,
Yours is the only name by which anyone is saved. Therefore, help me use it properly. Since salvation comes through you, let me make your name known to all, but… not as just another curse word. Not merely as an exclamation. Not as a thoughtless validation that I am telling the truth. Rather, let me set aside your name properly, to praise you, to pray to, and to give thanks. Let my mouth make your name synonymous with forgiveness and grace. Let others associate your name with what is good and right through my use of it. Let your name be known as the way, the truth, and the life, so that in you, others may find what I have, and what the world can’t ever offer: the joy, peace, and security of eternal life.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Free-Flowing Forgiveness in Marriage

Christ Our Savior,
In marriage, you bring together two people who are willing to commit to each other for life. When they exchange vows, they make promises to be faithful. However, whenever you bring two sinners together, commitments and promises are destined to be broken. For that reason, Lord, in addition to asking for your help and aid in keeping husband and wife committed to each other, equip them also to excel in the grace of forgiving. Allow your forgiveness to flow freely to and through spouses to each other, and put up your protective barrier around them to guard them from bitterness, grudges, and resentment. Finally, send your Holy Spirit to reinforce Christian marriages with a steady supply of apologies and absolution.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Gift of Holy Communion

Lord Jesus,
On this Thursday of Holy Week, we thank you for the sacred Supper you instituted. By it, we commemorate your death and recall the significance of the sacrifice you made for all. Together with the bread and wine, the very body and blood we receive in Holy Communion take us back to the cross, where you secured our forgiveness and eternal salvation. By the blood you shed for us on Calvary, you still forgive and cleanse us through this miraculous Meal. Feed your church continually with this sacrament, strengthening and sustaining the weak and the strong. Lead believers everywhere to treasure the Lord’s Supper and receive it regularly. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Be Real About My Sin and Your Grace

Forgiving Father,
There is no greater blessing than the assurance of salvation and knowing that it is a gift from start to finish. Sometimes, however, I allow that assurance to morph into overconfidence or arrogance, leading me to trivialize or downplay my own sin. When the certainty of my forgiveness convinces me to think that my sin is no big deal, I end up diminishing both grace and the gravity of your Son’s sacrifice for me. Let each of these be true: you loathe sin while also delighting in forgiving it. Guide me to have the same perspective, so that I despise my own sin and genuinely desire to overcome it, while also treasuring your generous, limitless grace and forgiveness.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Gospel-Centered Marriages

God of Marriage,
Your gift of marriage is not only a sacred institution, but also a high and holy calling. It is also one of the most unique and special blessings mankind can experience. Thank you for this special bond that is also intended to guide husbands and wives into a deeper appreciation for the gospel and the sacrificial love of Christ for his church. When your grace and forgiveness are the foundation of marriage, couples have what they need to flourish and thrive in marriage. Through a regular diet of law and gospel, strip spouses of selfishness and replace it with the genuine joy of putting each other first. Bring about this godly desire in marriage partners by clearly making known to them your sacrificial and unconditional love for them. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Relief From Sin’s Burdens

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. When we walk through the doors of your house of worship, we bring with us the spiritual and emotional baggage we have accumulated over the course of the past week. Through confession, lead us to own up to our self-imposed burdens, the ones brought on by our own sins. Remove also the hurt from sins committed against us. By the remembrance of our baptism, lighten our load. Where your Supper is served, feed hungry souls longing for the taste of grace and your assurance of forgiveness. While we may enter your presence bearing these burdens and heavy loads, ensure that we depart empty-handed, with lighter hearts and refreshed spirits, renewed and eager to love and serve you and our neighbor. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Heal Broken Marriages

God of Marriage,
You instituted the blessed gift of marriage. Through it, you provide husbands and wives with an opportunity to experience from each other small samples of the unconditional grace and unwavering commitment that you show to believers. Sadly, when infidelity or adultery shatters a marriage, it turns one of your greatest gifts into one of the most painful hurts. Where husbands have caused this hurt, lead them to true repentance and work in them both a genuine desire to reconcile, and also a willingness to show it by their fruit. Where husbands have been on the receiving end of this hurt, heal their hearts, provide them with an abundant measure of grace and patience, and lead them on a path that arrives at forgiveness. Wherever possible, provide those involved with the strength and courage to make every effort to repair and restore the broken marriage bond, so that by your grace, it might be stronger than ever, and Satan’s plans fail miserably.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.