1. “For thus says the Lord … : ‘Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns’” (Jer. 4:3). Be ready to start the year with courage. Trust God to provide the vision, wisdom and resources you need to be a man of valor who makes a difference for the Lord’s kingdom.
2. God isn’t in the business of just covering our sins but also shaping our characters. Ask him today to help you develop a Christlike character (1 Cor. 11:1).
3. Humility is among the most elusive of personality traits but one that is helpful and necessary if you are to avoid and solve conflicts. Pray that Christlike humbleness will be a visible hallmark in your life (Phil. 2:3-5).
4. One day Jesus will ask you face to face how you spent the various resources he gave you to manage. Pray that God will help you be a good manager of all you possess: physical strength, practical skills, good relationships, good health, a nice family, material goods, money and so on (Matt. 6:20-21).
5. Do you want to become more like Christ? Spend more time with him! He is always waiting for your response to his invitation to intimate fellowship. He is ready to give you his full attention ANYtime. Pray that God will help you to allocate your time wisely (1 Cor. 1:9).
6. Pray today that you will be a good ambassador for Christ wherever you go – exuding the sweet fragrance of Christ. (2 Cor. 2:15)
7. A couple may live together but treat each other as if they are divorced. Pray that men in difficult marriages will humble themselves before the Lord and commit to taking steps to refresh their relationships with their wives. (Matt. 5:23-24)
8. The Bible commands men to be understanding in their daily interactions with their wives, and that same principle should be applied with their daughters. Pray that fathers will relate to their daughters with love and understanding. (1 Pet. 3:7)
9. Unintentionally, a wife can wound a husband’s heart. Pray that men will not respond in kind but forgive and love them with God’s love. (Eph. 5:2)
10. Men’s tongues have the power to build up or tear down their families. Pray that God will stir men’s hearts to edify and encourage their wives and children with their words. (James 3:5)
11. The best thing a husband and father can do for his family is to grow deeper in his relationship with God. Pray that God will motivate men to deepen their trust in him and to rely on him to guide them in their family responsibilities. (Jer. 29:13)
12. One hindrance to relationships with our neighbors is prejudice. Just as our Father is impartial, however, “champions” should value everyone, regardless of ethnicity or nationality. “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Pet. 1:17).
13. As intercessors, we need to promote justice and truth. Although the world is filled with injustice, we are to be salt and light, awaiting Christ’s victorious return. Revelation 15:3 prophesies this triumph: “They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.’”
14. Some men were adopted as children, and others had disappointing relationships with their earthly fathers. In Christ, however, we have a new identity as sons of God, and we have the security of praying to a God who welcomes us. “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:15-16).
15. In the difficulties of life, the enabling of the Holy Spirit encourages us. Christ gave this promise, which has been fulfilled in believers: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).
16. So many of our challenges seem insurmountable. That’s how the governor of Israel felt when he returned to a ruined Jerusalem. But the assurance that he was given is also a promise for us today: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts’” (Zech. 4:6).
17. Honesty is a character trait lacking in many men. “Lord, convict us of our need to be honest in all matters of life. May we live out the truth before the eyes of others and, more importantly, before your eyes.” (2 Cor. 8:21)
18. Honesty marks an individual as being free from deceit, being sincere – like Nathanael, about whom Jesus said “there is no guile.” Let us pray, “Lord, enable us to be free from guile, to be transparent and true.” (Eph. 4:25)
19. Honesty is important on so many levels, from relationships with family to dealings in the workplace to interactions with neighbors. Matthew 7:16 tells us that we are known by the fruit we bear. “Lord, may the fruit of our lives include integrity, consistency and truthfulness in all our relationships.”
20. Lying is of the devil (John 8:44). “Lord, keep us from manifesting any likeness whatsoever to the enemy of our souls. Make us more like Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
21. Sometimes, we’re tempted to tell what are called “little white lies.” But let us pray, “Lord, may the Holy Spirit have such sway over our minds and our tongues that we detest any form of falsehood that would compromise truth in our lives.” (Prov. 12:22)
22. One of the immediate results of the fall of mankind was the abuse and exploitation of women by unscrupulous men. In Jesus Christ there is redemption and healing from this deplorable sin (Gal. 3:27-28). Extreme feminism seeks to eradicate this conflict once for all by eliminating gender distinctions. Pray for men and women to turn to the gospel to experience the restoration of their true gender identities.
23. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). Pray for the Lord to help educators and politicians to recognize the immutable biological facts of creation and to know how to answer gender ideology’s claims that these are only cultural and social constructs.
24. Growing immorality and lack of biblical principles and absolutes led recent generations to reject traditional values. Gender ideology, ignoring obvious biological factors, declares that it is a human right to choose one’s own sex. Pray for God to raise up men and women prepared to challenge this harmful philosophy that is infiltrating the educational system. (Matt. 5:13-15)
25. The biological, social and emotional constitutions of men and women are by nature very distinct. In contrast, gender ideology teaches that these differences are only stereotypes imposed by culture and society. Each person should be free to choose from a variety of genders, according to this ideology. Pray for God to have mercy on the next generation and use his Church to shine light into this moral confusion. (Rom. 1:18-32)
26. A friend just told me that he is praying for me to have: the vision of Paul; the patience of Job; the lovingkindness of Jonathan; the faith of Abraham; the boldness of Peter; the temperance of Daniel; the gentleness of Moses; and the love of Jesus Christ. Would you be willing to commit today to pray this prayer for your friends as well?
27. Lonnie Berger, the new director of TWR men’s ministry, had to undergo major surgery in November. Would you please pray for his full recovery? Lonnie loves to remind us of the instructions in Philippians 4:6: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.”
28. About 30,000 men in the U.S. participate in small discipleship groups organized around the curriculum of Every Man A Warrior (EMAW), part of TWR men’s ministry. During Lonnie Berger’s October fact-finding trip in Brazil, pastors and Christian leaders expressed great interest in starting groups. TWR invited Champions Arise founder Edmund Spieker to coordinate this new initiative in Brazil for the next two years. Please pray for the Lord to use EMAW to spur revival among Christian men in that country. (Ps. 147:15)
29. The leadership crisis among Christian men is endemic worldwide. Requests have been received to begin TWR men’s ministry outreach in South Korea and Japan. Please continue to pray for this vital ministry. Champions Arise programs are on the air in 11 languages, and the prayer calendar is published in 14 languages. (1 Cor. 16:9)
30. In at least 50 countries, Christians are being persecuted. The Open Doors ministry categorizes 10 countries with extreme persecution, 19 with very high persecution and 21 with high persecution. Please intercede for the millions of our brethren who are suffering for Christ’s sake. Pray for them not to lose faith but to trust the Lord and continue doing good. (1 Pet. 4:19)
31. Make sure that your priorities in life follow God’s agenda. It is too easy to get sidetracked and lose your intimacy with God and the vision for what really counts in the end. Be zealous about studying Scripture, keeping a time of daily devotions and becoming a man of prayer. Live with God’s promise! (Josh. 1:8)
