Guard Our Hearts
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Our struggle is “not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). The biggest obstacles or opposition ahead of you today are not anything you can see. Someone is hunting you behind the curtain of what you can see, trying to steal your joy in Jesus and rob you of the life he gives. Pray for protection.
“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8–9). Resist him how? “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13). Ask God for the strength and resolve and faith to fight sin and all of its lies. Don’t try to do it on your own.
Prayer for Men? Pray Like Children
We say, “Our Father in heaven,” but we often pray like he’s just a governor or judge or CEO. Not everyone has a warm relationship with their dad, but those of us who do know that our prayers often do not sound like the typical warmth and intimacy between a good father and his children. Prayer for men shouldn’t seem transactional, but rather relational. Formal, not vulnerable. Distant, not familiar. “Our Boss who art in heaven …” He’s the kind of boss we like, but want to keep at arm’s length. We want him to see we’re doing our job, but we’re afraid of getting much closer.
Jesus tells us to lean in and relax with this God. If you have surrendered yourself to him, the ears on the other side of your prayers belong to Dad, to Abba (Galatians 4:6). Make yourself at home in prayer—not irreverently or carelessly, but humbly and boldly. Be brave enough to let your guard down with this God. Let him in, all the way, and watch him care for you better than any father you’ve ever seen or known.
Learn to pray again as John Piper rehearses some of the most profound and familiar words ever spoken in this four-minute feature video.
This article on prayer for men originally appeared at Desiring God, and is used by permission.
