Tag: priority

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Make My Worry Work for Good

Providential Lord,
Don’t let our worry be wasted. Worry betrays our trust in you to care for us and provide for our every need. However, as you are able to work good in all things, I also pray that you help me take a win away from my worry. My worry reveals what I value. Since we don’t ever bother worrying about what is unimportant to us, when we do worry, it exposes potential idols in our hearts. Whenever I find myself worrying, in addition to turning to you in repentance for my lack of trust, let me also pay attention to the object of my worry, so that I may determine what good things are becoming god things in my life. When I identify them, let me replace them with what is most important: seeking your kingdom and righteousness above all else. When this is my priority, I worry less and less and see more and more how you keep your promise of providing for my daily bread.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Establish the Habit of Weekly Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. One of the most blessed routines we can establish is gathering weekly in your house for worship. Since we are creatures of habit, help believers dial in the habit of worshiping every week. When we settle for less than weekly worship, we are more likely to leave open the door of compromise and find ourselves more willing to favor other plans. While there are certainly extenuating circumstances that can keep your people away from your house on Sunday mornings, make those the exception and not the rule. Whether a worshiper is new to the faith or a mature Christian, graciously remove as many roadblocks as possible that keep your people from regular weekly worship. Finally, grant faithful attenders a rich measure of your spiritual blessings to fill up their faith as you draw them to you through Word and Sacrament. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

For Focus

Dear Lord,
As technology continues to advance exponentially and the world moves at an increased pace, our ability to remain focused has suffered tremendously. Tools and tech that are supposed to save us time end up deceiving us into thinking we can take on more and get more done. We are tethered to devices that are designed to distract us. We are acquainted with more people than ever, which also makes us aware of more problems and troubles than ever. 

Help us, Lord. First, lead us to set time with you as our non-negotiable priority. Then, provide us with clarity, discernment, and direction, so that we are empowered to take control of our schedules and days. Finally, fix our attention on the things that we have determined matter most, and keep us focused on each responsibility we take on. Let us be present when we are with people and aid us in concentrating whenever a task is before us. In these ways, Lord, equip us to give our best fully to you and others. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Bring Good Out of Disaster

Compassionate Father,
When natural disasters strike, in an instant, our lives are whittled down to what matters most. The worries that weighed so heavily on us for so long disappear in a flash and are replaced by what we care about more than anything: relationships. Our relationships – in marriage, with beloved family members, with treasured friends – are as valuable to us as they’ve ever been. And, especially when lives are lost at the hands of nature, our relationship with you is front and center. 

We pray for all of those directly and indirectly devastated by disaster. Console victims and care for the injured. Protect those still at risk or in danger of the aftereffects, and provide for all who are reeling from loss of any scale. Don’t allow suffering to be wasted, but work the good only you can through it. Use it to elevate our value of people over possessions, and open eyes of faith to see that when we have you, even when we’re stripped of everything else in this life, we still have all that we truly need.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Prioritize Growing in My Faith

Holy Spirit,
Prompt me to prioritize my spiritual growth. As with any growth or learning, spiritual growth doesn’t happen accidentally or unintentionally. If I don’t plan for time to read, study, and apply your Word, it’s rather foolish of me to assume I will grow in my faith. Guide me in sorting out my schedule so that I eliminate distractions and hindrances, including anything that may be harmless but not productive. Help me set up boundaries to protect my intentions to deepen my faith. Fill me with the necessary self-discipline to move forward in setting up and establishing these paths for pursuing your righteousness.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Prioritize Margin and Rest

Lord God,
In a culture that celebrates busyness as a badge of honor, it isn’t always easy to configure rest and margin into our schedules. We let the fear of being considered lazy or being perceived as not hardworking push us beyond our limits. But you created us to need rest – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You modeled it by resting on the seventh day after creation. Even Jesus prioritized prayer and alone time throughout his ministry. Guard us from consistently putting off rest and downtime until “later.” Help us instead to view it as an essential part of our calling, enabling us to serve you and others more fully. Reassure us that you have already completed the work of our salvation in its entirety, relieving us from that burden and freeing us to enjoy your gift of rest and recovery.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Seek First Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness

Lord God,
You promise me that when I seek your kingdom and your righteousness first, I don’t need to worry about the necessities, for you will provide for all of them. Nevertheless, even when my priorities are out of order, and I allow your kingdom and righteousness to drop down on my priority list, you still provide for me no matter what. How good you are to me! Let your goodness inspire my devotion and my dedication to you and to the labor that impacts and builds up your kingdom. Let spiritual concerns be on the receiving end of my best efforts. Empower me with your Spirit through your Word, so that I am equipped to effectively carry out my callings in and for your kingdom.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Prioritize Prayer

Caring Father,
You invite me to bring everything to you in prayer. Nevertheless, prayer too often remains the last resort in my mind. I calculate and ruminate on the weighty matters going on in my life, then I try to address them in the way I think is best. When things don’t go as planned, I troubleshoot and try again, only to end up disappointed once more. After I’ve exhausted my own solutions and failed attempts at fixing things, then I finally think to bring it to you in prayer.

Turn that around for me, Lord. Let prayer be the priority and first step in my life – not just when things go wrong, but at all times, in praise and thanksgiving as well. A healthy prayer life reinforces my trust in you by training me to depend on you for all things and to hold you to your promises with humble confidence. Use prayer also to drive me to your Word regularly to seek your kingdom and righteousness. Sharpen the focus of my eyes of faith so that I also see more clearly the many ways you graciously answer my prayers, leading me to rejoice all the more. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Become a Man of Prayer

Ever-Present Father,
You are always willing to bend your ear to our prayers. But your willingness to hear our prayers fails to be matched by our willingness to offer them. Too often prayer is a last resort. Too frequently we mindlessly mumble words of prayer while our minds are elsewhere. Too many times our prayers are not offered up to you with the mountain-moving trust that you deserve.

So it is with good reason that we routinely begin our prayers with repentance, confessing that our prayer lives themselves are not worthy of your time or attention. Forgive me and hear my prayers not for my own sake, but for Jesus’ sake. And since there are so many ways I can grow in my prayer life, I simply ask you to bless me with progress and growth in any one of them. As I focus my attention on the privilege of prayer this week, make me more and more a man of prayer.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

adbLeave a comment

To Bless My Downtime

Selfless Savior,
Bless my downtime. I look forward to open time on my calendar when nothing is scheduled, but I can also mismanage it if I don’t have any ideas in mind about how I plan to use that time. Then, in contrast to the eager anticipation of looking forward to that time, I look back and regret it if I feel like it was wasted.  

Using your Word as my guide, help me to establish priorities and values that can help me feel as if my downtime is managed well. Let me be OK with simply doing nothing on occasion, and allowing my mind and body to recharge and reset. This is a blessing from you! At the same time, give me the discipline to manage affairs and responsibilities so that I don’t neglect them when I have extra time to take care of things. Activities and hobbies can bring fulfillment, too, as well as simply spending unscheduled time with friends and family members. Guard me from being too rigid when managing downtime, but let my use of it honor you, bless others, and be a blessing to me.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.