1. Fellowship – If you have friends that are encouraging you to seek Jesus and to become more like Him, thank God and give Him praise. If not, pray that our Almighty God will bless you with godly friends who can help you keep your eyes focused on Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:11)
2. Encourage – Pray that you will be able to encourage fellow believers and help them to grow in faith and knowledge about our Lord and Savior. (Heb. 3:13)
3. Facing the giants – From time to time our faith is being tested. Whenever this happens, it is more important than ever that we have support from fellow believers. Pray for courage to invite a Christian brother or sister to pray together with you whenever you need it. (James 5:16)
4. Promise – Thank God for His promise that whatever two or three people agree to pray for, He will give them. And thank God that He will never walk away from His promises. (Matt. 18:19)
5. Fear – “Who are you that you fear mortal men, …that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth… that you live in terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor?” (Isa. 51:12, 13). Don’t fear men! Trust the Lord! He is close to those who fear Him.
6. Truth – The ultimate truth and the final say are not with men. Therefore, pray earnestly for God’s perspective. “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain” (Psa. 43:3).
7. Cheap peace – “First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:24). To maintain unity among people with different opinions is not easy. Nevertheless, don’t opt for cheap peace, rather learn to speak truth in love. Be zealous for what honors the Lord. He wants to use you in the spread of the Gospel.
8. Love and faithfulness – Accept major crises in your life as opportunities to seek the Lord and to recommit to His values and character. When we are in tune with God, we live in peace with each other and can agree with the Psalmist: “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other” (Psa. 85:10).
9. The greatest loss – The prince of this world is God’s enemy. He loves to steal, kill and destroy. The greatest loss is the loss of one’s soul. Jesus paid the price for the redemption of mankind. Proclaim the Gospel: “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter” (Prov. 24:11).
10. Love and respect – Balance is the ability to control forces and maintain stability. The Bible challenges us men to provide the bases for a well-balanced marriage life and states, “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (Eph. 5:33).
11. Value of life – “You shall not murder” (Exod. 20:13). Only God holds the authority over life and death. Any man who takes the life of a human being commits murder. Pray to be a man who affirms the value of life as you love God with all your heart, soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself.
12. Divorce – “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel, and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence” (Mal. 2:16). As in Israel in times past, so today divorce is a cancer. It traumatizes the children and affects generations. Men, humble yourselves before God and man up, as you learn to love sacrificially like Jesus.
13. Immorality – Poor personal hygiene provides an ideal environment for germs to grow and for infection to take place. Immorality is like a germ that corrupts the character. “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality” (Eph. 5:3). Be intentional, avoid unwholesome thoughts, talk and deeds.
14. Spiritual enlightenment – Oh Lord, Your words are Spirit and Life so they can only be understood by Your Spirit. I appreciate the privilege of knowing You through my spiritual union with Christ! Thank You, Lord, for the Holy Spirit who reveals Truth and Life and wondrous things from Your Word! (1 Cor. 2:9, 10)
15. Sad yet glad – Dear God, sometimes my whole world comes crashing down and I am consumed with sadness. But through it all, I still have You. You have promised to never leave me or forsake me. You are always here to sustain me with Your almighty strength and power. Thank You, Lord, for giving me joy! (Neh. 8:10, 12)
16. Perilous times – Dear Lord, it seems like many of us are already going through perilous times. Such perils are certainly a warning to us all that we need the Lord. Only You, Lord, are sufficient for these things. Please enable me to live godly through my union with Christ. Thank You for Your all-sufficient grace! (2 Cor. 3:5)
17. Trouble everywhere – Oh Lord, trouble seems to be all around me and those who oppose me are everywhere. I am so glad that You are here to defend me. Have mercy on me. Protect me, save me and revive me. I trust You to perfect that which concerns me. Thank You for meeting my needs. (Psa. 138:7, 8)
18. Resting in the day of trouble – Dear God, since I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, You are now my Lord and my God. When trouble comes You are there for me, no matter how bad it gets. I will rejoice in You in spite of difficult circumstances. Thank You for taking such good care of me! (Hab. 3:16-19)
19. Looking up – “I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psa. 121:1,2). When problems seem like insurmountable mountains, don’t despair; rather, turn to the Lord Almighty and seek help and comfort from Jesus.
20. Loving Jesus – “Do you truly love me?” (John 21:15-17) Three times after His resurrection, Jesus asks Peter this. Even today our answer to this question must be decisive before we can be used by Jesus as His instruments of blessings in our world.
21. Gentleness – “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Phil. 4:5). Lord Jesus, you are so good to me. Please help me so that your gentleness can flow through me to all those I will be meeting today!
22. Contentment – “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11). Thank you, Lord Jesus, for providing me daily with everything I really need. I want to accept this by faith as I count on your help and be thankful.
23. To leave – “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Mark 10:7). Self-determination is needed for one to establish a fully responsible relationship. In marriage, the man has the God-given responsibility to set the foundation for trust and oneness.
24. Character – Moral behavior identifies the character of a man. He resists pride and chooses humility. He withstands greed and practices generosity. He battles lust with self-control. He hates sloth and is diligent. Instead of gluttony he shows temperance. He does not envy but is kind. He resists wrath and is patient. (Eph. 4:17-31)
25. Meditation – Taking time to read and study the Bible makes us men known by God, and we become recognized for faithfulness, like Nathanael. (John 1:47) Value your devotional time as a priority in your day.
26. Qualification — “Seek out from among all the people able men, fearing God, men who are trustworthy, and repudiating dishonesty; and make them their chiefs” (Exod. 18:21). May these aspects of character be what identify us as leaders of our family. Let’s also pray for God to put God-fearing men into leadership positions in our society.
27. Burden – Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, gave him this direction: “Teach them the statutes and laws, show them the way they should go and the works they should do.” (Exod. 18:20). Discipling our children and mentoring them and other men, which God entrusts us with, is part of our responsibility in the church.
28. Together – The married life, by many, is seen as a place of competition, which leads to pain and humiliation. Instead, the Bible teaches, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Lord, help us to be men who encourage our wives and create a light and pleasant atmosphere in the home.
29. Dignity – Every work done diligently is an opportunity to serve God and a practical option for the support of the family. “In every work there is profit; mere words, however, only lead to misery” (Prov. 14:23). Not mere words, but effort through talents, skills and dedication will bring the result worthy of a Christian worker.
30. Do not give up – “Pray without ceasing” is the biblical mandate in 1 Thess. 5:17. For those who have children, this recommendation has eternal value. Intercede for the children, taking them daily to the throne of grace so that they reach eternal salvation and walk in the ways of the Lord. Persevere!
31. Master it – Be ready to take responsibility for your action. Don’t find excuses for your wrong behavior. Be sensitive to the warning of the Holy Spirit. God warned Cain before he killed his brother, “Sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it” (Gen. 4:7). He didn’t listen.
