Day 23: Thoughts

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) 

The idea that we can control our thoughts might seem radical to anyone who is prone to worry, anxiety, doubt, lust, or even simple distractibility. God wants us to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,” and anything that is “excellent or praiseworthy.” (Philippians 4:8) We are to set our minds on “things above” rather than earthly things. (Colossians 3:2) Our thought life is our most private reality, between us and God alone. Because they are private, our thoughts can make us vulnerable to temptation and doubt without accountability or encouragement. A mind set on Christ, on the other hand, can transform us for a life of worship. (Romans 12:2)

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will take captive every thought, confessing to God any anxiety, doubt, or lust and allowing Him to transform them by the renewing of their minds.

* Pray that these men will think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

* Pray that our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons will set their minds on things above and not on earthly things.

* Pray that as women we will not harbor negative thoughts about our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons but that our thoughts about them will reflect the mind of Christ.

Day 22: Witness

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. (Philippians 2:14-16)

God’s Word makes it clear that we are to share His love and the message of Jesus with others. Jesus’ last words to His followers, known as the Great Commission, included the exhortation: “Go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Witnessing effectively requires a willing heart. Our reputation also influences the effectiveness of our witness. When God’s work in our lives is evident, people around us take notice and are more likely to desire His presence in their own lives.

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will take the Great Commission to heart, willingly sharing the message of Christ with others.

* Pray that these men will have “blameless and pure” reputations, shining like stars to those around them and drawing them to the Word of God.

* Pray that the men of our church will share Christ’s message with both humility and boldness, trying to please not men but God. (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

* Pray that the married women of our church will practice biblical submission toward their husbands, so that “if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.” (1 Peter 3:1)

Day 21: Priorities

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(Matthew 22:37-39)

In a classic essay titled “The Tyranny of the Urgent,” Charles Hummel describes how the most important activities in our lives, which seldom demand to be done right away, are constantly postponed as we attend to tasks that call for our immediate attention. Identifying what’s most important is the first step in overcoming the tyranny of the urgent. Jesus stated clearly what our priorities should be: loving God and loving others. Actually living by our priorities requires intentionality, self-examination, and discipline. God’s highest values are simple. When our lives feel complicated because of competing priorities, He will show us the one thing that is needed for each moment. (Luke 10:41-42)

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will make God their highest priority and will love Him with all their heart and soul and mind.

* Pray that these men will prioritize loving others, second only to loving God.

* Pray that married men and fathers in particular will prioritize their wives and children above competing demands.

* Pray that married women will love their husbands second only to God; pray especially that married mothers will prioritize their husbands even as they love their children and respond to the many demands of motherhood.

Day 20: Wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

When God invited Solomon to ask for anything he desired, Solomon asked for wisdom. Lest we wonder why Solomon valued wisdom so highly, Solomon wrote an entire book that explains his choice. The book of Proverbs says wisdom is more profitable than silver or gold; wisdom brings life, honor, happiness, pleasantness, peace, strength, and justice. Men can feel burdened by responsibilities and decisions. But God freely gives wisdom to anyone who asks, guiding us in the way that is right.

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will not lean on their own understanding but will seek God’s wisdom in prayer and through the Word.

* Pray that these men will be open to hearing God’s wisdom spoken through other believers, that they will be sharpened as iron sharpens iron.

* Pray that our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons will be guarded against making decisions with irreversible negative consequences, especially those that affect the people around them.

* Pray that we as women will not be wise in our own eyes, but will humble ourselves to seek God’s wisdom and to trust Him to direct the paths of our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons.

Day 19: Humility

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing…And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
(Philippians 2: 5-7a, 8)

Humility is at the heart of a healthy relationship with God and others. The opposite of pride, humility means acknowledging that God is God and we are not. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, we open ourselves to His power and allow His glory to shine through us. In relationships with others, humility means placing others’ needs and desires before our own. It means admitting when we’re wrong and asking forgiveness; it means responding with grace when another person wrongs us, even if that person hasn’t apologized. A heart of humility is a servant’s heart. Jesus modeled humility when He washed his disciples’ feet, calling us to become servants too.

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will walk humbly with their God, allowing themselves to be made less and God to be exalted.

* Pray that these men will have servants’ hearts, putting others’ needs before their own and showing humility in their relationships with others.

* Pray that as women our hearts will be humble before God and in our relationships with our husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons.

* Pray that the humility of the people of our church will minister to our community, helping others to know the love of Christ.

Day 18: Character and Integrity

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. (Proverbs 10:9)

“What Would Jesus Do?” has become something of a cliché. While the phrase might be commonplace, Jesus remains a profound example for us to imitate. He is the embodiment of godly character. When we model our lives after Him, we grow closer to Him and enjoy His presence in our lives. Integrity takes godly behavior a step further. Integrity means we are the same person regardless of who’s watching. For a man of integrity, character is not a role to be played; it’s the person he is deep down inside. 

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will look to Christ as a model of upright character and will commit to living their lives in imitation of Him.

* Pray that these men will live with integrity, guided by the Spirit of truth.

* Pray that God will protect the men of our church from the temptation to compromise their integrity and that He will give them strength to stand firm in God’s truth.

* Pray that the women of our church will be women of noble character, bringing good and not harm to the men in our lives. (Proverbs 31:12)

Day 17: Attitude/Gratitude

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

We’ve all been around someone who sees the negative in every situation, complains and criticizes incessantly, and expects the worst is yet to come. Not only does such a person lack joy, but he can drain the joy from everyone around him. Bad attitudes strain relationships. They are often contagious or passed from one generation to the next. A negative person lacks gratitude for God’s abundant blessings. Conversely, practicing gratitude can transform a gloomy outlook to an attitude of joy. Just as a bad attitude is contagious, one grateful heart can start an epidemic of joy.

Today's Prayer Guide:

* Pray that the men in our lives will repent of any persistently negative attitudes and will open their hearts to receive God’s love.

* Pray that these men will recognize God’s blessings and will cultivate attitudes of gratitude.

* Pray for relationships that have been affected by negative attitudes, that they will be renewed and restored to joy.

* Pray that we as women will guard our hearts against negative attitudes and that we will be grateful to God in all circumstances.