1. Prayer – “Likewise, husbands, live the life of the home with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife as the weaker part and heir with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7). Husband, when your prayers aren’t answered, or the joy to pray is gone, examine the way you treat your wife.
2. Inspiration – “Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). What greater goal could there be than to see children follow in their father’s footsteps? Oh God, may my walk with You inspire my children to also walk in intimacy with You!
3. Flaming arrows – Families are being attacked daily by “flaming arrows” launched by Satan through ideologies, abortion advocacy, drug liberation, permissiveness, and more. Lord, we pray that men may put on the “armor of God” (Eph. 6:11-18) and be ready to defend their family!
4. Fellowship – A follower of Christ is constantly under attack from evil spiritual forces. Pray that God will protect you from those attacks. Keep your mind focused on Him and ask Him to bless you with good, solid fellowship with other believers. (Heb. 3:13)
5. A blessing – Pray that you will be a blessing to fellow believers. Instead of being concerned mostly about yourself, pray to be used by the Lord to strengthen the faith of other Christians. (1 Thess. 5:14)
6. Pass it on – Pray today that you will be used by God to lead other people into His presence. It is the Lord’s command. (Matt. 28:18-20)
7. An open book – “In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). The people you are in regular contact with will learn to “read” you as an open book. Pray that what they find will bring them closer to God.
8. Glimpses of God’s grace – Pray that your family, friends, and colleagues will see glimpses of God’s grace in your life and that you will become a special blessing to a person you will meet today. (1 Tim. 4:12)
9. Love that matters – Most of juvenile delinquency is rooted in the absent father figure at home. If you are one of those sons who have been hurt, don’t act out. Know that your heavenly Father wants you. Listen to His invitation: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness” (Jer. 31:3).
10. God works – Don’t try tomeasure up to God’s standards by your own effort; rather, be willing to surrender your will to the Lord. “For it is God who works in you to will and to do according to his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13). He wants to bless your family through you.
11. From start to finish – Salvation is by grace. Jesus paid it all! Spiritual growth and discipleship are also God’s work of grace. The Christian life is, from the start to finish, the life of Christ. Allow Him to rule. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Phil. 1:6).
12. The example – Jesus Christ is the perfect example for manhood. Pray for Him to mold you into His image. “The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).
13. Don’t be a victim – You can avoid becoming a victim to the lure of this world. Pray for inner strength, resist and make a difference in word and deed. “Instead, speaking the truth in love we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:15).
14. Control your thought life – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Phil. 4:8). Men, pray for God to filter your thought life.
15. Life and death – Our words are powerful. If you are a man prone to burst of anger, pray for the fruit of the Spirit, self-control! So many men regret their harshness toward their spouse and children when it is too late. “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov. 18:21).
16. Skilled worker – There is a worldwide need for skilled workers. Nobody should be as motivated to be committed to doing his job well as a Christian should. (Col. 3:23) “Do you see a man skilled in this work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (Prov. 22:29). Pray to be a good representative of the King of kings.
17. Self-love – Yes, there is sound self-love, but it’s not self-centeredness. When God pours His love into our heart, He heals us of self-centeredness. Then we become as attentive to our spouse as we are to our own needs and well-being. “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself…” (Eph. 5:33).
18. What do you want? – Christ made it very clear that it takes the total surrender of our will to become His disciple. Once He asked the blind Bartimaeus: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) Friend, let’s ask Him for what really matters. Let’s ask Him to help us become the men God always wanted us to be.
19. Good eyes – It has been said: he who has eyes as a vacuum cleaner has a heart full of dirt. “The eye is the lamp of the body…If your eyes are bad your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matt. 6:22,23). Men, watch your eyes! In the visual pollution of our days, pray for eyes that search for what is good and honorable.
20. Choices – Choose your friends wisely. “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33). As the spiritual leader of your home, be an example. Develop good, healthy friendships and teach your children to make good choices in their relationships.
21. No longer common or unclean – Oh God, previously I thought of myself in light of my sinful past. Now I see that’s not me anymore. I have been changed into a new creation in Christ by the grace of God. Because of Christ’s death upon the cross, I have been cleansed from all unrighteousness. I have become a child of God. (John 1:12)
22. Wretch no more – Lord Jesus, there are times when my life is a big mess. I need deliverance from this wretched life. Now I realize that You delivered me when I was crucified with You upon the cross. Now, because of Your life in me, I am able to live victoriously. Therefore, I am wretched no more! (Rom. 7:24,25; 8:1)
23. Downcast no more – Oh God, the circumstances of my life can at times become very depressing. But then I turn my attention away from all that and look to You, Lord Jesus. My hope is in You, Lord! Therefore, I will continue to praise You in spite of all my depressing circumstances, thoughts and feelings. (Psa. 42:5,11)
24. A worthy cause – I don’t want to hurt or upset anyone. That is why it really bothers me when I am misunderstood or falsely accused. However, sometimes my personal convictions, beliefs and practices, derived from You and Your Word, are unsettling to others. At such times, I trust Your grace to sustain me. (Matt. 5:11,12)
25. Make me a peacemaker – Dear Lord, there is so much conflict and strife in the world today. We desperately need peace. You alone are the source of true and lasting peace. You came to bring peace on earth. I ask you to express Your perfect peace through me. Cause me to be a peacemaker for those around me. (Matt. 5:9)
26. Uncomplicated – People are tempted to get lost in long discussions about difficult topics in the Bible. However, those topics that are simple to understand and obey are left out. One such verse is 1 Cor. 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I also am an imitator of Christ!” Ask the Lord to be a man whose life is worthy to be imitated.
27. Choices – Making choices is part of life. Wrong choices lead to hardship. Right choices lead to blessing. Joshua gave an example of a good choice when he said, “I and my house will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15) Such a decision comprises everything in life! Pray to be a man who stands firm in his commitment to serve the Lord!
28. Communion – The Covid pandemic has led many people away from the fellowship of the brethren. As the spiritual leader in the family, pray for the restoration of the joy in worshiping and serving the Lord Jesus with His people. Say with David, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!'” (Psa. 122:1)
29. Thoughts – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts” (Psa. 139:23). Friend, allow for the Holy Spirit to have complete freedom to reveal what is going on in your mind. Ask the Lord to help you maintain a healthy relationship with your wife and family by “leading you in the eternal way.” (v.24)
30. Advice – Divergences, opposing opinions, unexpected circumstances and stress are normal factors in family life. To manage and to solve these challenges alone can be frustrating. Listen to the biblical advice: “Only dissension results from pride, but wisdom is with those who take counsel.” (Prov. 13:10) Ask the Lord to be your counselor.
31. Words – Children take their father as an example and follow his conduct. The words spoken and used by the father directly influence the children. Pray that your conduct and your language will be pure, pleasant and edifying. “Let no unclean word proceed out of your mouths, but only what is good for edification” (Eph. 4:29).
