- Christ our life – Oh Lord, I have tried so hard to do the right things so that you will give me new life. But now I see that from the moment I received you, you became my life. More importantly, I realize that you are available to live your glorious life through me. As you do, your life will be visible in mine as my own life, and your glorious character will be revealed through me. (Col. 3:4)
- You belong to God – Father God, I once thought that I was a self-made man, but not anymore. I now know that you are my Creator. Therefore, I am not my own; I belong to you. Thank you that you have made me in your image to express your life. Clearly, I am what I am “by the grace of God.” (Ps. 100:3)
- God’s point of view – Lord Jesus, my view of life sometimes gets distorted, and everything seems hopeless. Cause me to see things from your point of view. In you, there is always hope. You can enable me to overcome every situation. You will calm and comfort me through it all. So now, I place my hope in you, Lord! (Ps. 42:11)
- Trust God – Dear Lord, I thought I had to do all the right things before you would do anything for me. Now I understand that your way is always by grace through faith. You will be responsible for the performance, and my responsibility is to simply believe you. Therefore, I trust you to do what is necessary in my life. (Luke 1:45-48)
- Keep Christ in Christmas – As people around the world celebrate the birth of Christ, pray that fathers will be diligent to teach their children the truth about salvation through Christ. (Acts 4:12)
- Be moderate – During the Christmas season, husbands and fathers can be tempted to spend more money than they should. Pray that these men will model biblical financial principles to their families. (Prov. 22:7)
- Be generous – Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than receive.” Pray for fathers to encourage their children to respond to the needs of “the least of these” this Christmas season. (Matt. 25:40)
- He heals the brokenhearted – The holiday season can be very difficult for families of divorce. Pray that husbands, ex-husbands and stepfathers will display Christ’s love in every family interaction this Christmas season. (John 13:34)
- Let Christ love through you – Wives desire to hear affirming and cherishing words from their husbands. Pray that husbands will give their wives the gift of emotional love in special ways this Christmas. (Song of Sol. 2:10).
- Praise – We will praise you, Lord, among the nations; we will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. (Ps. 108:3-5)
- It’s not about us – Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness. (Ps. 115:1)
- Perseverance in ministry – “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Ps. 126:5-6)
- Contentment – “My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things to wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.” (Ps. 131:1-3)
- Pray for awakening – Most money given to Christian causes is in one way or another spent in areas where the name of Jesus is already well known. Pray that God will cause a spiritual awakening in his Church and burden our hearts with the many millions who don’t know the good news of the gospel. (Isa. 6:8)
- Pray for workers – Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matt. 9:37-38). Pray for God to mobilize believers, calling and equiping them for ministry.
- Be ready to go – When God calls you on a mission on his behalf, don’t be afraid to go. He will always equip you with strength, courage and whatever else you need for the journey. Pray that you will be available for him, willing to go whenever and wherever he wants to send you. (Phil. 2:13)
- Be an ambassador for Christ – Nothing is more precious in this world than leading other people to Christ. Pray that God will use you as his ambassador to bring good news to other people. (Mark 16:15)
- Be fruitful – Your mission field might be your family, your neighborhood, your social network or your workplace. In other words, your mission field is wherever you are in contact with other people. Pray that the harvest will be plentiful wherever your mission field is. (1 Cor. 3:6)
- Honor your wife – As men, we have a hard time admitting when our wives’ ideas are better than our own. But if you think of your wife as a God-given helpmate, who in addition to her sharp mind has intuition that many of us men lack, it will be much easier. Pray that you will consider your wife as your best partner, and honor her with your exclusive love and full trust. (Prov. 31:10-12)
- Learn to love – As men, we reduce life to basics and are often unwilling to discuss “unimportant details.” We so easily become workaholics and don’t develop our social and emotional skills. But God is love, the strongest emotion of all. Pray that you will love him with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor (including your wife) as yourself. (Matt. 22:37-39)
- Be a godly role model – As men, we have a God-given responsibility to lead our families. The education of children is the responsibility of the father (Eph. 6:4). As fathers, we have often accommodated ourselves to being just breadwinners and handymen around the house. Pray for wisdom and study Scripture to become the godly man your children need as a father.
- Make a difference – As men, we have a biblical mandate to be a decisive influence in our societies. Christ commands his disciples to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14). Pray that your testimony in words and deeds will reflect your identity in Christ and make you a witness to the truth and hope of the gospel wherever you are.
- Pray for government – As men, we are called to be intercessors for those in government. Because all rightful authority is given by God, let’s follow the admonition in 1 Timothy 2:1-8, which says, “I urge then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for the kings and all in authority. … I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.”
- Seek godly wisdom – As men, we are easily provoked to react fiercely against wrong. Put yourself under God’s control and pray for his peace to lead you in all you do. “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away” (Ps. 37:1-2).
- Be steadfast – Restlessness is the curse of sin. Be still in the Lord’s presence, and ask him to order your way. “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture” (Ps. 37:3).
- Love intensively – Pray for the Lord to purify your heart and to pour his love over you in great measure. “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4).
- God honors those who honor him – Don’t seek to impose justice by your own hands. Pray for the Lord to keep you focused on him. Trust him in spite of what others may do to you. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun” (Ps. 37:5-6).
- Be patient – Men like action, but being patient means remaining steadfast under the load we are carrying. Therefore, make time to be in God’s presence and trust him to carry the load with you. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Ps. 37:7).
- Let God control your temper – Road rage is a very common form of aggressive behavior in traffic. Pray for God’s spirit to control your temper whenever someone offends you. “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land” (Ps. 37:8-9).
- God is on time – Trust the Lord even when the going is tough. Pray for him to teach you his meekness and humility. Then your future will be bright. “A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace” (Ps. 37:10-11).
- God has the last word – Until the day of the Lord comes, evil will abound in this world. In the meantime, pray that your faith will not falter. May the Lord bless you richly in the new year. “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming” (Ps. 37:12-13).
