1. The future is yours – “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” (Mal. 4:2a).The right priority today guarantees bright hope for tomorrow. Make the best investment of your life! Bless your family throughout 2022 by deciding today to love and serve the Lord with all your heart.
2. God’s favored: “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word” (Isa. 66:2b). Simply amazing! The Lord of the universe wants to be on our side when we let down our defenses and surrender to His will! Could there be any better choice? Therefore, be still and listen to His voice!
3. God commands – “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3). God, our creator and provider, has the right to command that we put Him first. Man’s decision to disobey God and to put himself at center stage is the reason for his fall and the root cause for every evil. Man, come back to God; let Him rule your life.
4. Idols – “You shall not make for yourself an idol” (Exod. 20:4). Everyone tries to satisfy his need of belonging. The belief in and the adoration of anybody or anything else other than the God of the Bible is idolatry. Pray to be a man who worships the Lord and whose life reflects your love and obedience to the King of kings.
5. Reverence – “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God” (Exod. 20:7). The Almighty God is always present and requires our reverence. The frivolous use of His name is a form of disrespect. It blocks the Holy Spirit. Therefore, watch your tongue. Remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
6. Day of rest – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exod. 20:8). The Sabbath was given to Israel (Eze. 20:12), but the day of rest was instituted by God at the end of creation. The early church chose the Lord’s Day (Sunday) to rest. Make sure you have a day of rest to worship the Lord and to celebrate with your family.
7. Honor – “Honor your father and your mother” (Exod. 20:12). The opposition of children against their parents is a mark of the end times. (2 Tim. 3:2) If you are a father, don’t provoke your children, rather encourage and train them in the Gospel. (Eph. 6:4) Pray to be a godly example and love them as the Lord loves you.
8. Murder – “You shall not murder” (Exod. 20:13). God loved every man, woman and child to the point of sending His beloved Son to redeem them through His death on the cross. To take a life, or even to hate someone, is a capital offense. (Matt. 5:21,22) O Lord, have mercy and teach me to love my neighbor as I love myself.
9. Adultery – “You shall not commit adultery” (Exod. 20:14). God created man and woman to experience in marriage total oneness in soul and body. The sexual revolution promotes licentious behavior and destroys the sacred boundaries of modesty and purity. Pray to be a man who honors the Lord with his mind and body.
10. Stealing – “You shall not steal” (Exod. 20:15). The right to have property is a God-given right and a blessing. Good work ethic, respect for the property of others and contentment with what God gave you should go together. Pray to be free from jealousy. Never steal the property, reputation or the good name of others.
11. Perjury – “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exod. 20:16). We live in a confused world. Defamation and lying are accepted, if they are in one’s favor. Who can be trusted? Pray to make a difference. Jesus said: “All you need to say is simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
12. Covetousness – “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house… wife…or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exod. 20:17). There is no need to crave and connive to get what others have or begrudge them of having such things. Why? You have all your needs met in Christ.
13. A lifetime investment – Oh Lord, as I look around at all the chaos, crime and corruption, it is evident that the world desperately needs Your love. Thank You for allowing me to be a recipient of Your love. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that others can see Jesus in me. Make me a channel of Your love. (Rom. 13:8,9)
14. Guidance – Dear God, guide me in using my time wisely. Cause me to apply my heart unto wisdom. Show me Your plan, then grant me the grace to follow it. Thank You for making it possible for me to have true satisfaction so that I can enjoy life as You intended! (Psa. 90:12,14)
15. True greatness – Dear God, I have tried so hard to find satisfaction. But no matter how hard I tried, it never was good enough. Nothing ever satisfied me. Now I realize that only You can provide what I really need. Yes, now I can enjoy real inner fulfillment. Thank You, Lord, for blessing me so that I can be a blessing! (Gen. 12:1-4)
16. More than a conqueror – Oh Lord, at times I feel so overwhelmed with all the problems in my life. But then I remember whose I am and who indwells me. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that as the conquering King, You have come to indwell me. I praise You for being the strength of my life! I am more than a conqueror through Christ! (Rom. 8:37)
17. Lifetime guarantee – Lord Jesus, there was a time when I was struggling and striving just to survive. But now my self-worth is in You, not what I have or what I do. Thank you for making me complete in You. I no longer need to constantly pursue things or begrudge others for what they have. I have everything I need in You. (Heb. 13:5)
18. An ongoing process – Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not happening just once in your lifetime, it is an ongoing process. Pray that God will help you to live your life in such a way that the Holy Spirit will be given the opportunity to continuously fill and use you as His tool to bring other people to salvation. (Acts 4:31)
19. Opportunities – When you see an opportunity to witness for Christ, ask yourself: “If not me, who? If not now, when?” These two questions will guide you to a decision. Pray that God will give you the courage needed to use every opportunity in the best possible way. (Eph. 5:15,16)
20. Pray for them – If there is someone you would like to introduce to the Gospel, do not forget to pray for him or her. It is sometimes better to talk to God about a person than to talk to him or her about God, and only the Spirit of God can make a person want to search for Him. (John 16:8)
21. Courage to escape – “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his body” (1 Cor. 6:18). Tools of modern communication are being misused to engulf society by a tsunami of immorality. Pray for God’s mercy. Make a difference; protect and alert your family.
22. Representing the King – As Christians, we represent a King and Kingdom here and now. Pray for men to embrace this biblical reality and know how to be filled with the King’s Spirit to represent His Kingdom. (2 Cor. 5:20)
23. God’s kingdom – Pray that we as men will be portals for God’s reign and presence and allow Him to touch other lives through us. When Jesus performed miracles, He said, “The Kingdom of God has come to you.” Remember that He lives in you now. (Luke 17:21)
24. Jesus will reign – “On his robe and on his thigh he has his name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:16). Pray for men to acknowledge the rule of King Jesus in their hearts and submit to His reign already here and now before judgment day.
25. Yield to the indwelling Christ – The Bible says that Christians will “reign with Christ on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10) Pray to be a man who, through the power of the indwelling Christ, begins already to reign over sin and temptation. (Phil. 4:13)
26. Endure – “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service” (1 Tim. 1:12). Pray to be a man who, like the Apostle Paul, has a spirit of endurance and is faithful in serving the Lord wholeheartedly, aiming to “finish well.”
27. They need you – We sometimes go to church because we need fellowship with other believers. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters need you as well, and pray that you will be a blessing to other believers by the way you talk and behave. (1 Tim. 4:12)
28. A letter from Christ – You are a letter from Christ to fellow believers and to the world. (2 Cor. 3:2,3) Pray that your personal “letter” will bring encouragement to your Christian brothers and sisters and salvation to people that have still not invited Jesus Christ into their hearts.
29. Heavenly treasures – The only treasures you can bring with you to heaven are the souls of other people. Pray that you will succeed in leading others to the Savior, thus gathering plenty of treasures in heaven. (Matt. 6:19)
30. No price is too high – You might think that in your situation the price for proclaiming your faith in Jesus Christ is too high. If so, remember that Christ paid the ultimate price to save you from God’s wrath and from eternal condemnation when He gave His life on Calvary. Praise Him and give Him thanks. (Rev. 5:12)
31. Solid ground – In Psalm 40, King David praises God for lifting him up from the mud and mire and placing his feet on a rock. (Psa. 40:1-3) Praise God for His mercy and pray that He will use you as a mighty tool for bringing other people to the same solid ground as they entrust their lives to the Lord.
