Tag: joy

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Be Eager To Be Me

Gracious Lord,
Comparison has been called the thief of joy – and with good reason! When I cannot avoid focusing on the status or gifts and abilities of others, and I end up feeling inferior, I lack appreciation and gratitude for my own lot in life. As a result, my ambition and drive dwindle, and I struggle to accomplish anything while falling into a funk. 

Instead of comparing myself to others, lead me to rejoice in the unique and varied ways you have made all people. Move me to celebrate the gifts and abilities of others and be thankful for them. Give me the ongoing desire to develop my own gifts, and to operate on the basis of my personal strengths, finding satisfaction and fulfillment in who you have made me to be. Keep me from holding back, and let me give myself fully to you and to others.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Live in the Joy and Peace of Freedom in Christ

Precious Redeemer,
You have set me free! Because my sins have been forgiven and I am yours, I am free from the guilt of all my own wrongdoings. I am free from the terror of your wrath or retribution. I am free from being helplessly enslaved by Satan and his hold over me. I am free from the fear of dying and death. I am free from the futility of endlessly pursuing my own perfection or any other impossible standard that I’ve established in my mind. I am free! Grant me, I pray, the daily joy of believing it and the peace of mind that accompanies a life lived in freedom. And, as I embrace this freedom that is mine in and through Jesus Christ alone, use that to propel my whole life as a constant expression of gratitude and thankfulness in every way.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Never Take the Gospel for Granted

Light of the World,
This week of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. How were their lives changed once they returned home? How long did they bask in the wonderment of personally witnessing their Savior? Did they struggle with the return to routine and the monotony of life back to normal? Were their lives so radically impacted by their experience that even the most mundane responsibilities in life took on newfound joy?

While we cannot know the answers to such questions, we can boldly ask that the jubilation of our salvation would never be muted in our lives. We can boldly ask that the certainty of a Savior for all permanently pushes us to give our best and to give our very selves to all that we do, knowing that our labor in the Lord is never in vain. When we become complacent or unstirred by the gospel’s potency or primacy in our own lives, do whatever it takes to transport us back to the Epiphany. Help us see the Savior from the magi’s perspective, and spur on our spirit to give ourselves in wholehearted devotion to you and your gospel. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Keep Christ as Christmas Fades

Light of the World,
This week of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. It’s impossible to imagine the elation they must have experienced as the sight of their Savior with physical eyes merged together with their vision of him through eyes of faith. Surely they were overwhelmed with wonder! But eventually their visit had to end, and they needed to return home. How bittersweet to experience the longing for home tangled up with the urge never to leave the Savior’s side.

We know the bittersweet tug between not wanting the joy of Christmas to end while also craving the comfort of our structured schedules and normal routines. Be with those who are really struggling as the bright lights of Christmas fade. Caution those who are too eager to leave them behind in favor of workaholism or less meaningful pursuits. Allow the season of epiphany to continue shining the Savior’s light in its own unique way, and through it, reassure us that the Savior will never leave our side. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Joy of Christmas to Continue

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. Today provides another reason to be grateful after all of the bonus Christmas services this past week: we get to gather for worship yet again to celebrate the gift of your birth. On this fourth day of Christmas, keep the joy of the season shining brightly in and around us. As we engage in the rich blessings of worship, lead your people to confession and repentance, so that you might renew and refresh them with the assurance of their forgiveness and the joy of their salvation. Let the announcement of Jesus’ birth and the news of peace on earth be clearly proclaimed today, and let all hearts that hear it be awakened to faith or strengthened in the faith. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Those Struggling After Christmas

Joy of the World,
The day after Christmas can be a sad one for many. It can feel like it serves as the official mark of the holidays coming to a close. With Christmas in the rearview mirror, joy and anticipation quickly fade. No matter the cause, I pray for you to be with all who are down or struggling. The highs of the holidays can usher in difficult lows. Uplift those whose hearts are hurting or spirits are saddened. Turn their gloom to glee with good news and words of encouragement. Brighten their demeanor by fostering a grateful attitude in them, so they become aware of the many reasons they have to give thanks. Ultimately, whenever possible, I pray that you are not only enough for all people, struggling or not, but also that you become the source of their greatest joy.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Find Joy in Giving to the Needs of Others

Generous Father,
Although Thanksgiving is in our rearview mirror, giving thanks is nevertheless a routine part of our lives. Thank you for the additional opportunities this time of year provides for us to help others in need. Grant us a giving spirit, and one that is genuinely more interested in giving what is needed than in treating it as just another excuse to shop and spend. Fill up our hearts with contentment to guard us from getting caught up in consumerism. Move us instead to be generous as we are able, and let us find real fulfillment and joy in being able to help others as you have blessed us. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Peace Provided by Rejoicing

Gracious Father,
When we give our attention to all of the reasons that you give us to be filled with joy, the added benefit is that we are also at peace. That peace stands like a bodyguard on watch outside of our hearts. Let it keep anxiety away and worry at bay. When we are mindful of the joyful blessings in our lives, we better appreciate how good you are to us. The peace that exists between us gives us the assurance of where we stand with you, no matter what our sinful track record looks like at any given time in our lives. Thank you for a peace that surpasses any peace the world could ever give. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Joy to Replace Anxiety

Loving Father,
When we rejoice in you with prayers of praise and thanks, diminish and remove the anxiety from our hearts. When we do not focus our minds or direct our thoughts toward reasons to rejoice, worry and concern love to take up residence within us. Until they are replaced with rejoicing, they will find more and more reasons to be anxious. Let your Spirit equip us with the self-discipline to prioritize counting our blessings. As we do, fill our hearts with gratitude and joy, leaving no room for anxiety to dwell. Give us the faith of Paul, who, as you enabled him, could find reasons to rejoice even in the most dire circumstances.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Rejoice Always

Loving Lord,
While we are accustomed to rejoicing when the situation warrants it, you call us to extend it well beyond that – to always rejoice! This is a tall order, for we tend to attach our feelings to our circumstances. When things are going well, we have a positive and cheery disposition; when they aren’t, we sour and sulk. Help us detach our emotional and spiritual well-being from whatever is happening in the present in our lives and lead us instead to take to heart the truth that your return is nearer today than ever. Allow that reality to be the source of our rejoicing, enabling us to weather the ever-changing ups and downs in life. Lead us continually to your love, where we find countless reasons to rejoice. Always.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.