Day 30: Ministry and Mission

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

Each of us is called to serve others both within the church (1 Corinthians 12) and in the world around us. (John 17:20-23) Our ministry is our calling to build up the body of Christ. Our mission is our calling to help others know Christ. Our ministry and mission often take us outside our comfort zone; we can be tempted to postpone ministry and mission and focus on other areas of life. When we do engage in ministry and mission, we are prone to view them as personal accomplishments and become either overwhelmed or proud. Christ’s words remind us that we’re working for Him and He’s working in us to accomplish His purpose. (John 15:4-5)

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will respond to God’s call to ministry, serving the body of Christ with their unique gifts and abilities.

* Pray that these men will respond to God’s call to mission, sharing Christ’s love with the world and helping others know Christ.

* Pray that they will trust God to equip them with everything good for doing His will, serving Him with both confidence and humility.

* Pray that we as women will live out our ministry and mission without assuming responsibility for the ministry and mission of the men in our lives.

Day 29: Compassion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

People all around us need compassion. Even today, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are hurting as a consequence of sin or due to circumstances beyond their control. The world around us is lost, experiencing every moment of every day apart from God. When we turn our backs on others’ needs, we disobey God’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves—and the parable of the Good Samaritan makes it clear that a neighbor is anyone God puts in our path. Jesus’ compassion for us led Him to die on a cross. We who have received His compassion remain on earth to share His love and mercy as well as His truth.

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will comfort fellow believers in any trouble, as God comforts us in all our troubles.

* Pray that these men will regard the lost world with compassion and not condemnation, imitating Christ who laid down His life for lost sinners.

* Pray that our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons will be like the Good Samaritan, who responded with compassion while others turned their backs on the needs in their path.

* Pray that as women we will extend compassion to the men in our lives, humbling ourselves to serve them without placing demands on them in return.

Day 28: Leadership

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)

You might recall a popular Christian song that contained the lyrics “Don’t look at me, look at Him.” While it’s true that none of us can claim perfection and Christ is the only example of a life without sin, biblical leadership requires a willingness to model godly living. Even young believers are called to such leadership. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12) God provides safety and guidance through willing leaders. (Proverbs 11:14) Husbands and fathers are called to a particular kind of leadership, loving their wives as Christ loved the church and raising their children in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 5:25, 6:4)

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray for men in leadership positions at our church, that God will give them wisdom and discernment, humility and self-control.

* Pray that our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons will respond to the call for biblical leadership, living as examples and pointing others to Christ.

* Pray that husbands and fathers will lead in their homes, loving their wives as Christ loved the church and raising their children in the Lord.

* Pray that we as women will respect the men in our lives and encourage them as leaders, practicing biblical submission even as we lead where God calls us to lead. (Mark 10:43-45)

Day 27: Activities and Rest

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Solomon knew that “there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12) In their proper place, leisure activities can bring joy and provide opportunities for fellowship or interaction with those who need to know Christ. But God warns us not to conform to the world’s ways. (Romans 12:2) His Word says: “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:8) Activities for their own sake can become idols. Even when our intentions are good, we can get so caught up in activity that we neglect to rest. Jesus Himself rested, and God sets aside one whole day a week for that purpose.

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will find pleasure in their daily activities and will recognize joy and satisfaction as gifts of God.

* Pray that these men will have an eternal outlook, engaging in activities that provide fellowship and opportunities to share Christ’s love with others.

* Pray that activities don’t become idols for our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons, and that they make time for rest.

* Pray that we as women will slow down and rest, that our church will become a community that observes the Sabbath and experiences joy in the Lord as a result. (Isaiah 58:13-14) 

Day 26: Giving

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)

God calls each of us to give our time, treasure, and talent—and we’re to give from all three of those categories, not just one. Look at the blessings God has for those who give: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10) And: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.” (Proverbs 19:17) When we give, we both acknowledge and imitate God as the giver of all good things. Giving should be both intentional (1 Corinthians 16:2) and responsive to needs that come to our attention.
(1 John 3:17)

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will be cheerful givers of their time, treasure, and talent, recognizing that all good things are gifts from God to be used for His purpose.

* Pray that these men will be intentional about giving, planning for it within their schedules and budgets.

* Pray that they will be responsive to the needs of others as those needs come to their attention.

* Pray that we as women will give cheerfully as well and will not be stingy or begrudging with our time, treasure, and talent.

Day 25: Finances

Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Paul knew the secret of being content whether he was in need or had plenty: he recognized God, not financial resources, as the source of his strength. (Philippians 4:12-13) The key to financial wisdom is acknowledging that everything we have is from God and seeking His will for spending, saving, and giving. Most of us lean more toward either spending or saving; God desires a balance in which we neither squander nor hoard the resources He’s provided. When we seek His will for our finances, both our spending and our savings are directed back to Him, and giving becomes a priority as well. Periods of income loss make our dependence on God even clearer, but He promises to supply all we need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will place their trust in God, not their financial resources, acknowledging that all good things are a gift from God and seeking His will for spending, saving, and giving.

* Pray that God will give these men wisdom to spend purposefully and save for the future, that they will find God’s balance between needless spending and miserly saving.

* Pray that our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons will be compensated fairly for their work and that those who are experiencing income loss will trust in God’s provision. Pray that Christ’s body will be a source of support for those facing a job loss or other financial hardship. 

* Pray that husbands and wives at our church will be in accord about financial decisions, seeking God’s will for an intentional approach toward spending, saving, and giving.

Day 24: Words

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
(Ephesians 4:29)

God takes words seriously. In addition to His creation, the primary way He reveals Himself to us is through the words of the Bible. The Word is so important it is identified with Jesus Himself: the Word made flesh. Words can bring healing and life, or brokenness and death. If you’ve been hurt by the words of a husband, brother, father, or son—or if your words have hurt someone else—you know that words are easily spoken but impossible to unsay. The key to controlling our words is guarding our hearts. (Matthew 15:18) Often, keeping silent is the wisest approach. Especially when we approach God, our words are to be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:2)

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will speak words of healing and life, not brokenness and death, that their words will build others up and benefit those who listen.

* Pray that these men will speak God’s Word with confidence and let their own words be few in the presence of God. 

* Pray for forgiveness and restoration where hurtful words have damaged our relationships with our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons.

* Pray that the people of our church will allow God to search us and know us and that our words will flow from godly hearts.