Tag: forgiveness

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Be Excited to Forgive Others

Forgiving Lord,
Make me eager to forgive. You’ve entrusted to us the authority to forgive others who are sorry for their sin, and to warn those who aren’t that they are forfeiting your forgiveness. This is no small responsibility! Neither is it optional, since you build your Church on the gracious forgiveness that you extend to and through believers. You paid for all sin, not so that we would relish the times to refuse forgiveness for those with no remorse, but to delight in the privilege of announcing forgiveness to sorry sinners. Do not let me ever be the one to clog up the funnel of forgiveness you long to lavish on all people. Instead, grant me great joy in every opportunity to announce the peace of your forgiveness.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Your Law to Convict and Condemn

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. We rejoice wherever Christ is clearly proclaimed, for where the cross is, salvation is there with it. However, if we don’t know why we need Christ, then we may miss out on salvation. Therefore, let your law be preached, too, not as a slap on the wrist, but in all its terrifying severity, so that sin might be called out and exposed. Let your law hit its mark for those being deceived into thinking they can hide or harbor their sin. Where it convicts and condemns, use your law to bring about repentance so that sinners turn to you for rescue and redemption. Then, in your mercy, soothe their souls with the assurance that you declare them no longer guilty through faith in Jesus. Ease their troubled hearts with the peace of your forgiveness and the promise of restoration and new life in Christ.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Fathers to Be Present in Their Children’s Lives

Faithful Father,
Thank you for the blessing of fatherhood. And thank you for the blessing of forgiveness for failures in fatherhood. Without your grace and patience, fathers could never measure up. Daily, you are present with your pardon in the lives of fathers. Help fathers also be present in the lives of their children. Let their shared interests stem not only from what dads enjoy, but also from the fascinations of their children. Lead dads to regularly give their children the first fruits of their schedule rather than the leftovers. Strengthen the unique bond between fathers and children through shared experiences and joint projects, and connect them through thoughtful conversations. When earthly fathers are present for their children, they provide a powerful and illustrative reminder that you, our Heavenly Father, are always present for your children, too.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Grace and Peace for Mothers Troubled by Abortion

Lord of Life,
The privilege of pregnancy and the elation of embracing the child you just gave birth to are special experiences unique to mothers. Sadly, Lord, for reasons that range from deep trauma to mere inconvenience, many mothers have ended their child’s life by choosing to have an abortion. While we mourn the loss of the unborn, we pray also for mothers who have made this burdensome decision. Where mothers have hardly given the slightest thought to the life they ended, nor shown any remorse for their actions, work godly repentance in them that ultimately elevates their regard for your gift of life and eventually brings them to you. For all mothers who have had an abortion and are still carrying guilt, shame, and regret because of it, overwhelm them with your gracious gift of forgiveness and tender love for them. Protect them from the judgment and condemnation of others. Grant them complete healing and wholeness in you, and let them find welcome and support in the arms of the church. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Bless and Equip Parents

Loving Father,
When you bless a husband and wife with a child, you provide them with a special gift. Children bring a richness into marriage that simply cannot be experienced in any other way. Yet even as we thank you for these treasures, we acknowledge the added challenges and frustrations parents experience in raising them. Bless fathers and mothers with a unified approach in parenting styles. As they train their children together, help them always view each other as allies, not competitors or even enemies. When they carry out discipline, grant them patience and resolve, and an evangelically firm spirit. Ensure that they do not neglect the spiritual, emotional, or physical health of their children, but rather raise them to see the important and interconnected role that each of these plays in the overall well-being of their young ones. Let children experience a depth of grace and forgiveness in how their parents interact with each other and how they treat their kids. See that God’s Word dwells richly in the home, so that as children see and know their Savior’s love, they then grasp the blessing of gratefully carrying out joyful obedience.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Struggling Spouses to Keep Fighting for Their Marriage

Loving Lord,
When a marriage is healthy, it can stand alone as the most incredible relationship two people can experience. But when on life support, a dying marriage can feel like one of the most loathsome relationships imaginable. Today I pray for those in unhealthy marriages who are struggling so mightily that divorce seems imminent. Intervene, Lord, and in your mercy do whatever it takes to help them turn the corner. I pray that you guard and protect all marriages from the specific sins of adultery and desertion that can shatter a marriage and open the door to permissible divorce. Even when those sins do take place, though, lavish husbands and wives with an abundance of your grace to extend to each other liberally. Make them strong and willing to fight – not against each other, but for each other.  Give clarity to their communication, so they know what the real issues are, and where the real work needs to take place. Surround them with other couples in strong marriages who are willing to guide, counsel, and support them in any way. Provide them with hope and renew their love for and dedication to each other and to you, so they come to embrace their marriage as a treasure worth fighting for.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Those Getting Married This Summer

Lord of Love,
I ask you to bless the weddings scheduled over the course of the summer months. Let your hand guide the plans that are still in motion, so that everything goes as smoothly as possible for so many on their special day. Yet, even when there are hiccups or disappointments, equip the bride and groom with the resiliency to manage them, since they will inevitably encounter similar discouragements together in their marriage as well. Fill husband and wife with so much mutual joy and elation over each other that any slip-ups are easily overshadowed and forgotten. Cause their hearts to swell with gratitude as they experience your goodness. See that the message in the ceremony highlights the necessity and blessing of growing a marriage around you, centering it on your perfect obedience for them and building it on the foundation of the cross and empty tomb. Let such marriages be conduits of your love, overflowing with boundless grace and unlimited forgiveness, so that they beautifully mirror your loving, sacrificial devotion to your Church.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

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.