Tag: hardship

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Look After Pastors

Good Shepherd,
Thank you for the work you do to shepherd your sheep through pastors. Keep them well fed spiritually, so that they are always faithful to your Word and dedicated to the ministry. At the same time, let us remember that since they, too, are sinners in need of a Savior, their own lives will not be without struggles. Some may be self-inflicted, while others may be the direct result of Satan’s malicious efforts. He seeks to do great damage to your church by maligning ministry, and he knows that targeting pastors is highly effective. Therefore, lead pastors to be transparent about their burdens, to lean on fellow believers for strength and support, and to do battle against their own vices through confession and absolution. Do not leave pastors isolated in ministry and do not allow them to establish the habit of forsaking regular gatherings with other pastors. Let us be vigilant in keeping our eyes open for warning signs that could indicate the need for help, and let us be deliberate about praying for our pastors. In all of this, guard, protect, and bless pastors so that they can serve you and your people well. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Those Stuck in Struggle

God of Mercy,
Be merciful to all believers who are in the throes of any personal struggle so intense that they are hanging by a thread. Sometimes, such struggles have the negative effect of leading people to question their faith and ultimately fall away from it. Other times, hardships lead your people to lean into their faith, and you strengthen it through such adversity. For all those currently on the frail fulcrum of distress, use it to draw them to you rather than drive them from you. As their faith is tested, let your Word and the body of Christ be a stronghold and support. Infuse them with strength by your grace, and pour out your Spirit on them to see them through this time of trial.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Those Who Help Us Bear Our Burdens

Compassionate Savior,
It is an unavoidable reality that this side of heaven, we will all have burdens to bear. But, you also give us an unshakeable promise that we will never bear any burden alone. You will not abandon us. You will not forsake us. You will not leave us on our own for even a second. While that would be enough, your care and compassion go even further, for you place others in our lives to bear our burdens along side us. It may be another set of ears to listen while we unpack our struggles. It may be eyes to help us see the next step. It might be solutions to enable us to lighten the load. It might be prayers, words of encouragement, or simply being present when we’re weighed down the most. Thank you, Lord, for providing these fellow burden bearers in my life. Make me willing to be the same for others when they need it.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Those in Support Groups

Gracious Savior,
Struggling with loss, addiction, or other adversities in life can be debilitating for many. Thankfully, there are many support groups that exist for people experiencing these kinds of challenges. Use these groups to be a blessing to all who attend them, if for no other reason than to let them know that others can relate to their struggles. Equip those who facilitate support groups with social awareness, compassion, and empathy, while also granting them the firm resolve to speak what needs to be said to those who need to hear it. Help participants discern when to share and when to simply listen. Use friends and family to keep encouraging those who are reluctant to attend, so they might eventually benefit from being a part of a community of people in a similar season of life. Whenever possible, use these groups – and the believers in them – to lead others to you, so they find unparalleled hope, meaning, and purpose to overcome their adversities.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Determination

Dedicated Savior,
Although you faced opposition and obstacles from both your enemies and those close to you during your life, nothing deterred you from carrying out your goal of securing our salvation. You were resolute. You were determined.

So often, we are not. When we encounter a challenge while trying to accomplish something, we get frustrated and give up. When the goal we set out to achieve is much harder to reach than we anticipated, we change our mind. The support we counted on suddenly isn’t there anymore, and we blame others for when we fail to see something through to the end. Give us your determination and resolve. Make us confident that you are able to reward our perseverance. Help us finish strong, grant us the satisfaction of getting things done, and let our efforts be a blessing to others. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Hope as We Bear Our Crosses

Lord Jesus,
We know that trials, pain, and suffering are not only unavoidable in a world covered by a constant cloud of sin, but also that we ought to expect them as your disciples. You assure believers that hardships will be littered along our path throughout life as a direct result of our faith in you. So, Lord, rather than ask you to remove what you’ve already told us to expect, we ask you to reinforce us with the hope to endure as we bear these crosses. You have promised that no amount of suffering we’ll ever face is even worth being in the same conversation as the magnificent glory that awaits our eternity with you. And, rather than mere wishful thinking, this present hope we have of a glorious future is steadfast and certain, because it is anchored in the past reality of your suffering, death, and resurrection, which already secured our eternity. Galvanize us with this hope in the face of any cross you call us to bear.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Remember Those Dealing with Disabilities

Compassionate Lord,
In your loving care, provide protection and pathways for those dealing with any sort of physical limitations. We gratefully acknowledge the many advancements that exist today to aid people dealing with disabilities, and celebrate the doors that have been opened as a result. Nevertheless, these blessings are not available to everyone everywhere. And, even where they are available, real daily struggles still present challenges for so many. Help us, in Christian love, to strike a balance between respecting independence and offering care and assistance when possible. Grant us understanding minds and compassionate hearts, so that we are always looking out for our neighbors in need, and make us willing to befriend and bless them accordingly. In turn, use their resiliency, resolve, and determination to inspire and encourage others, being a blessing to them as well.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Appreciate Adversity

Mighty God,
We don’t pray for hardship or struggle for ourselves or others, yet through them, you discipline us and teach us perseverance. Since these blessings would be rare to come by apart from adversity, thank you for allowing difficulties to come into our lives. Use them to build us up into what you need us to be. Make us resilient and ready for future challenges. Lead us to lean on you and into you for determination and direction.  Stretch our gratitude to more deeply appreciate the degree of suffering you obediently endured in our place.  Change our mindset about struggles into one that welcomes them as learning experiences that pull us in closer to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Lean Into Our Living Hope

Risen Lord,
By your resurrection, we have the guarantee of eternal life locked in. And along with that assurance, we have a living hope to carry us through life’s hassles, hardships, and uncertainties. Our hope is not some wishy-washy “hoped-for” hope, but the complete confidence that we will not be overcome, and you will see us through every ordeal we could ever face. Since neither of our greatest enemies, death nor the devil, was able to undermine or overpower you, what other force is left to fear? Nothing! By faith we trust this promise; empower us with the hope to live boldly in it. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Growth Through Hardship

Loving Father,
When adversity and strife show up, you promise to work good in my life through them. Help me to believe this, especially whenever doubts creep in and I begin to question it. Sometimes you use these challenges to draw me into a deeper trust in you, and other times to correct or admonish, but the goal is always to draw me closer to you. I am grateful that you can turn these seasons of hardship into growth opportunities. Strengthen me to embrace them as such, and provide me with the endurance necessary to ride them out. Though I may not always be able to welcome such strife with the joyful outlook you call me to have when in the thick of it, change my perspective by letting my eyes of faith consider the good on the other side of it that you could be working through it.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.