Tag: guys

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Prioritize Physical Fitness

Mighty God,
Spiritually speaking, you are and always will be my rock and my source of strength. Whether I am struggling with weakness in temptation or wavering in trust, your strength is the solution. 

But the blessing of strength is not limited merely to the spiritual. You have also given us flesh and blood bodies capable of growing physically strong. Since we are called to take care of everything that you have entrusted to us, our physical bodies are surely included. The many benefits of exercise and physical fitness are well-documented, and since we desire to maximize the time you graciously give us here on earth in service to you and others, we therefore want to strive to be in good shape.

Make our physical health a priority for us. Help us to be disciplined when it comes to any physical activity, realizing that something is always better than nothing. Make us as willing to push our bodies as we are to pamper them. Keep us from being stationary or overly sedentary for extended lengths of time. Along with a faith that moves mountains, grant us also a body that moves as well as you designed it to.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Avoid Judgment

Just Judge,
While I acknowledge and confess my sin of judging others, there is an even greater judgment about which all people need to be concerned: the verdict you will render against us when we stand before you in judgment. While we may be able to keep our sins hidden from others, they will all be laid bare before you. If you kept track of our every sin, we know full well our verdict would be “guilty” and our sentence would be condemnation. 

But as believers who know we have been bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ, we know our sins no longer accuse us before you. They have been paid for and we have been forgiven. Therefore, we will be able to stand before you in judgment with full confidence. We already know the verdict: “not guilty.” There is no condemnation for those who stand in your grace, which means there is no fear of judgment. Use me to lead others to know that they don’t need to be afraid of judgment, either.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Avoid Judging

Patient Lord,
Daily we face judgment from others. People judge us by the way we dress, the food we eat, our circle of friends, and so many other factors. We are constantly being scrutinized and assessed. We live in fear of how others will judge us.

Sadly, the very judgment we fear, we also perpetuate by judging others. We judge them on the basis of the same criteria by which they judge us. Forgive us all for constantly critiquing one another, and help us let go of judgmental thoughts. Instead, generate in our hearts both the desire and the ability to see the best in others. Replace our judgmental spirits with joyful ones, and helps us view others as Jesus views us: as friends. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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Thank You for the Elderly in Worship

Holy Father,
Sundays are sacred. Being able to gather for worship is a blessing often taken for granted. Use the example of elderly church members to encourage us in this regard. As we age, even the little details of daily life become more and more difficult to carry out. Coupled with that are chronic pains and other health issues that would be enough do discourage many from gathering for worship. Even transportation, which presents little challenge for many, can be an obstacle for those without the freedom of driving as a result of their age.

Yet week in and week out, they regularly gather in your house for worship. These faithful, experienced believers are such fine examples for so many each week. Let us imitate their dedication and commitment to hearing your Word and receiving the Sacrament. As they are a blessing to others in this regard, let others be a blessing to them by offering assistance and help whenever needed, as well as a simple “thank you” to them for setting such fine examples of Christian faith in action. Continue to develop many more dedicated disciples just like them, including me.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Take Action

Lord God,
There is a time for pondering, a time for planning, and a time for preparing. As important as each of these steps are, keep me from getting so wrapped up in them that I fail to take action. Too often I overthink instead of taking action. Too often I expect to fine-tune the plan until it’s perfect. Since it never is, I get stuck in the realm of inactivity. And, sometimes it is simply my own indecisiveness or procrastination that hinders my action.

Push me to be more deliberate about taking action. Even wrong or misguided actions allow for adjustments or corrections to be made, which ultimately result in greater progress than simply doing nothing. Make me bold to fail forward instead of failing flat-footed because I refused to act. Since in Jesus we already have our perfection, we don’t need to be perfectionists; we can celebrate progress. Since progress requires action, move me to take it more often. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Those Secretly Struggling

Omniscient Lord,
There are so many who appear to be fine on the outside, but in reality are struggling mightily on the inside. Rather than facing their struggles and processing them in healthy ways, they avoid them and focus more time and energy on masquerading as if all is well. They are ensnared by addictions. They suppress past trauma or abuse. They battle depression and wrestle with suicidal thoughts. The list goes on, as do the numbers of those secretly struggling.

Be their champion. Fight for them and refuse to let Satan pick them apart and prey on them. Protect them from serious emotional, physical, and spiritual affliction. Make others aware of their internal struggles and move them to intervene with aid and support. Heal their wounds and guide them along a healthy path of recovery. Build up their resiliency so that when they face similar troubles in the future, they are well-equipped to manage them and unafraid to reach out for help. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For All the Hardship I Never Experienced

Gracious God,
In this month of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for all of the hurts and the hardships that you kept me from experiencing in my life. I naturally get so hyper-focused on any difficulties or challenges that DO come into my life that I fail to comprehend how many you’ve spared me from over the course of my life. Even when I have had bad experiences, I can always thank you that they weren’t more frequent or extensive than they were.

Thank you for the injuries I never sustained, for the sicknesses I never contracted from someone else, and the accidents I was never involved in. Thank you for the heart-wrenching conversations that didn’t ever come up, the abuse and trauma that are not a part of my story, and the time in a hospital or a prison that I didn’t have to spend. Thank you for guarding and protecting me from so much more than I could ever know, and thank you for your promise to work good even out of the bad things that have come into my life. You are always good, and always good to me. Thank you. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Good Eating Habits

Blessed Redeemer,
When you paid the price to make me yours, you didn’t redeem only my mind and my soul, but my body as well. Since you paid such a great price to redeem my body, I want to take care of it properly. I want to have the physical ability to serve you and others in whatever way I am able, for as long as you extend my life here on earth. 

One of the most significant ways I can carry out this goal is by paying attention to the food I put into my body. So much of the food today that is fast, easy, and tastes good fails to provide the nutrition my body needs and also contributes to many health issues. If I do make those choices, let it be so in moderation. Curb my cravings for fatty and sugary foods that don’t serve my health goals. Guide me to make good choices and to enjoy the process of discovering food that is both healthy and tastes good. Make me mindful of my portion sizes and keep me from overeating and consuming in excess. Bless my efforts at focusing more on my diet as I honor you in caring for my body.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Struggling Congregations

Head of the Church,
There are many Christian congregations that struggling. Their struggles can be caused by many different challenges in different seasons of ministry. Some are without a pastor to shepherd your people. Others struggle to raise up strong leaders. A lack of financial support from generous offerings can limit essential ministry efforts. Declining attendance and/or disengaged members put a heavy burden on the faithful few who bear the bulk weight of congregational responsibilities. 

Yet when you are the Lord of the Church, the head of the body of Christ, there is always reason for hope. Answer the prayers of members in struggling churches, and do so in such radical ways that surpass even the loftiest of requests. Use their struggles to drive them into your Word and through that process draw them closer to you. Spur members on to share in the joys of ministry by inviting and engaging each other when service opportunities are available. Use them also to encourage their pastor when he is down by lifting him up with your promises. Lead them to see each and every victory you bring about in their midst, to celebrate them, thank you for them, and build on them as your grace allows. Make struggling churches into turnaround stories that become healthy, thriving congregations which are a testament to the power of your Word and the blessing of your grace. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Grace Over Guilt

Forgiving Father,
Sundays are sacred. As we gather with fellow believers for worship, may we never underestimate the amount of guilt many people bring with them into your house. There are so many burdens and so much baggage that are dragged into worship on Sunday morning. For that reason, as we fellowship and connect with one another each Sunday, help me to reinforce the good news of the gospel every opportunity I get. I want to be a part of sending off my church family for another week with forgiveness on their hearts and minds. May all those who arrive guilt-ridden depart grace-filled. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.