1. A letter – As a follower of Christ, you are His letter to the world. People around you will constantly read the “letter.” Based on what they read, their thoughts about Jesus will take form. Pray that your “letter” will lead other people into our Lord’s presence. (2 Cor. 3:2,3)
2. A light – A righteous man is a light in the world, and, like a lighthouse, he will lead other people into the Lord’s presence. Pray that you will be righteous in the eyes of the Lord, and that your light will always shine brightly. (Prov. 13:9)
3. A fragrance – As a follower of Christ, you are a fragrance of life to your fellow believers. Seek the fellowship with other Christians and pray that God will use you to help brothers and sisters in Christ to grow in knowledge and wisdom. (2 Cor. 2:15)
4. Courage – As a witness for Jesus Christ you are on duty wherever you go. Pray for willingness to be His witness to anyone, anytime and anywhere; and pray for courage to take every opportunity to be a witness for Christ. (Prov. 11:30)
5. Vision – “And he said to Moses, ‘Come up unto the Lord’” (Exod. 24:1). As God revealed Himself to Moses when He was with him on the mountain, so the Lord wants us men to be so close to Him in order to reveal to us the work He has planned to do through us. Be a man who knows the Lord intimately.
6. Obedience – “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). The apostles defined well to what final authority a follower of Christ must submit. Pray to be a man of God and stand firm when secular ideologies, philosophies, nominal Christianity, and even the government itself impose anti-biblical practices.
7. Self-dominion – “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Prov. 16:32). If you are strong, intelligent and capable, the temptation to impose your ideas and your ways is constant. Pray for self-dominion. Your family and others depend on your godly leadership.
8. Truth in love – “…that we should no longer be children…but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things” (Eph. 4:14,15). A man who is able to speak truth in love is a real grown-up. He has trained his senses to discern and doesn’t give in to his emotions. Pray earnestly to learn how to speak truth in love.
9. Safe place – “Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace” (Psa. 37:37). Father, in these days of uncertainty, help us as men to be a “safe place” for our families and all who know us. May we invest in the things that cause us to be men of peace.
10. Man of peace – Lord Jesus, you mentioned to the disciples to look for “men of peace” as they went out sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom. (Luke 10:6) May the people who deal with us perceive that Your peace lives in us.
11. Fruit of peace – Holy Spirit, peace is a fruit of Your fullness. May we never cease to pursue being filled with You so that Your fruit of peace may issue forth from all that we do. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22,23).
12. Ready for His return – Lord, as the world teeters with wars and rumors of wars, give us eyes to see and hearts to understand the days in which we live. Make us ready for the return of the true King of kings and Lord of lords. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of war…” (Matt. 24:6-13).
13. Godly behavior – Lord Jesus, we know there are eyes upon us when people know we are Your followers, Your disciples. Enable us to live with such radiance and godly behavior and the fruit of the Spirit, that others are attracted to who You are and what You can do for them. (1 Pet. 2:12)
14. The greatest Friend – Dear Lord Jesus, I am most grateful for Your friendship and honored to be your friend. Your friendship is based on Your unconditional love for me. You demonstrated Your love for me when You gave Your life for me upon the cross. Thank You for remaining in communion with me. (John 15:13-15)
15. Need supplied – Heavenly Father, I am a needy person physically and spiritually. But, as the Creator of all things, You are well qualified to be both the source and supplier of all my needs. Once I received Christ, You promised to supply all my needs through Him. I trust You to take care of me. Thank You, Lord! (Phil. 4:19)
16. Contending for the faith – Dear Lord, cause me to earnestly contend for the Christian faith. Keep me focused on the true basis of the faith—Christ and the cross. I pray that at the end of my life I can say with the Apostle Paul, “I have kept the faith.” Thank You, Lord, for enabling me to keep the faith! (Jude 1:3)
17. Grace distortions – Oh Lord, I realize that I have used grace as an excuse to have it my way. Now I see that it was just my flesh masquerading as godliness, but it was only a form of godliness. Thank You, Lord, for showing me the fallacy of attempting to be more like Christ. I trust You to live Your life through me. (Gal. 2:20)
18. True commitment – Oh Lord, I am convinced that Your way is the best way. I realize that You not only know the right way to go, but also You are able to bring it to pass. Therefore, I trust You with my life. All I am and have I give to You. I am relying upon You to cause me to go and do what You decide is best for me! (Psa. 37:5)
19. Family responsibility – “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). The position of responsibility of the husband and father is a well-documented fact in the Bible. Friend, allow for God to mold your character and be a godly example as you lead your family. Your wife and children depend on you.
20. One another – God likes variety. No person, no fingerprint, no leaf and no snowflake are the same. He also made each one of us different. As believers we are members of His body, the church, and called to bless each other. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor” (Rom. 12:10).
21. Know yourself – “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith…” (1 Cor. 12:8-11). If you are born again through believing in Jesus, you are a member of His church. Know yourself and allow God to express His gift through you.
22. Poor theology – The promise of Rom. 8:28, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,” does not mean that God spares his children from suffering. That would be poor theology. He wants to conform us to the image of His Son (verse 29) and will also love us through the hard times. Trust Him always.
23. Friends – We men have the tendency to isolate ourselves in our convictions and, what seems, self-sufficiency. The Bible encourages us to keep in fellowship and accountable. We all need friends whom we can trust and share our lives. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor…” (Eccl. 4:9,10).
24. Faith – “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Friend, seek God with your whole heart. He wants to grant you the gift of faith and eternal salvation through Jesus, who paid for your redemption on the cross.
25. Life investment – “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). The statistics are shocking. In the most missionary-sending nation of the world, less than 1% of the Christians tithe. As the cares of this world try to choke the life out of you, friend, watch your priorities!
26. Family Environment – What a gift is a pleasant and peaceful home, where love reigns. But how difficult when there is strife and lack of control. “An angry man stirs up quarrels, and a man of a violent temper commits many sins” (Prov. 29:22). Lord, please help me to be a peacemaker and that my children can learn from my example.
27. Trust – The father is the person a child trusts! The words he speaks influence the conduct of the children. Therefore, “restrain the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceitful words.” (Psa. 34:13) I pray, Lord, that my speech will encourage my children to trust Your Word.
28. Life – Children’s self-esteem is built from what the father thinks and says about them. “A serene tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” (Prov. 15:4). Be vigilant when you are with your children so that they hear from you words that edify and they are motivated to do their best.
29. Spirituality – A man who has a close relationship with Jesus can be easily identified by his walk and talk. “If anyone supposes to be religious, but does not bridle his tongue, he is deceiving himself; his religion is vain” (James 1:26). May your conversations be consistent with what you profess.
30. Servant spirit – To have a submissive wife is not about authority, but about a servant spirit when you live in humility and subjection to the Lord Jesus Himself. “Husbands, each of you love his wife, as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25). Friend, pray for the right attitude toward your wife.
31. Restoration – Infidelity, pornography, adultery, and other similar sins have destroyed marriages and families. Lord, we pray for the men who were seduced and brought evil into their homes. May there be repentance and restoration of lives, families, and relationships. (1 John 1:9)
