One of the most formative (and often most uncomfortable) spiritual disciplines for a man is prayer that includes his marriage. God calls men to lead spiritually in the home, not by having all the answers, but by taking the first step toward prayer and dependence on Him. This week, our habit is simple but powerful: ✅ The Practice - Pray with your spouse at least once a day (ideally daily, even if brief, but at least once this week) If praying together daily feels like a stretch, start small: - 30–60 seconds - No sermons - No fixing - Just prayer If Your Spouse Is Not Willing or You Are Not Married That’s okay. - Set aside intentional time to pray specifically for your spouse or future spouse - Pray for your marital relationship, your heart, and God’s work in that area - Faithfulness matters more than form. ⏱️ What This Can Look Like - Before bed - Before work - After dinner - Holding hands or sitting quietly - One prays, or both pray briefly This isn’t about being polished—it’s about being present. 🙏 Suggested Prayer Topics (Choose What Fits) You don’t need to pray through everything. Pick one or two. For Your Spouse - Health, rest, and emotional well-being - Stress, burdens, and unspoken worries - Faith, trust in God, and spiritual growth - Protection from discouragement or isolation For Your Marriage - Unity and oneness - Contentment - Patience and gentleness in conflict - Clear communication and listening - Healing of old wounds or misunderstandings - Rekindled affection and friendship For Yourself as a Husband - Humility and selflessness - Courage to lead spiritually - Repentance where needed - Wisdom in words and actions For Your Family & Home - Peace in the home - God’s presence in daily routines - A legacy of faith for children - Alignment with God’s priorities 💬 ACCOUNTABILITY After you pray this week, comment in this thread with: - “Prayed with my spouse” or - “Prayed for my spouse”

This week, our focus is forming consistency in prayer by letting Scripture shape our words, specifically through the Psalms. The weekly task is simple and repeatable: ✅ The Daily Practice Each day this week: 1. Choose one Psalm (any Psalm, you decide). 2. Pray it slowly, verse by verse, using the method described by Tim Keller on page 255 of his book on Prayer. 3. Move through the Psalm this way: Scripture first, then prayer. That’s it. I will throw an example based on Keller’s description in the comment section. ⏱️ How This Fits Into Your Prayer Rhythm Aim for ~30 minutes daily focused prayer (including meditation on scripture, free prayer, and silence). Continue praying briefly: - Upon waking - Before meals - Before beginning work - Before sleep 🚨If you are struggling with these habits, take this week to reset and just focus on praying one Psalm a day along with our group. 📝 Reflection (Optional but Powerful) As you go: - Journal what the Psalm teaches you about God - Journal what it reveals about you - Note how your thoughts and emotions shift before, during, and after prayer 💬 DAILY ACCOUNTABILITY (This Is Key) Each day, comment in this thread with the Psalm you prayed. - Minimum requirement: 👉 Just post the Psalm number (e.g., Psalm 27) - Optional (encouraged): What stood out, What you prayed, Why that Psalm mattered today This isn’t about depth competitions. It’s about showing up daily and encouraging one another by example. 🔎 Formation Questions to Keep in Mind - How do the Psalms give language to both joy and lament? - Which Psalm best reflects where you are spiritually right now? - How do the Psalms train emotional honesty before God? Let’s flood this thread daily with Psalms. 📖 Drop today’s Psalm below.

We’re going through a prayer series right now in the Classroom, and if you haven’t jumped in yet, I’d really encourage you to check it out—especially with your FIRE TEAM. Everything you need is there to get started. We’re reading Keller’s Prayer as part of it, and one thing that’s really stuck with me is his take on the Lord’s Prayer. It’s easy to treat it like something basic or familiar, but Keller pushes you to slow down and actually meditate on each line. And when you do, it hits differently. This isn’t just a general idea about prayer—it’s how Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray. That’s actually been one of the most comforting parts for me. There are a lot of books and traditions on how to pray—Keller’s book included. There’s the Book of Common Prayer, written prayers in the Catholic and Anglican churches, and a whole lot of other liturgies and frameworks. Some of that stuff can be helpful, for sure. But what gives me peace is knowing these words in the Lord’s Prayer are straight from Jesus. If this is how He told His disciples to pray, then I don’t need to overcomplicate it. If it was good enough for Him to teach, it’s good enough for me. That truth has been huge for me. Keller also talks about how Martin Luther used to pray through each line of the Lord’s Prayer two or three times a day. I’ve been trying that rhythm lately, just taking one line at a time, and it’s honestly been the most impactful thing I’ve done so far in this class. I’m putting together a short doc that shows how to use the Lord’s Prayer as a simple structure for your own prayers. I’ll drop it in the Classroom soon. If you’re needing a reset or looking to deepen your prayer life, this is a great place to start.

Brothers, Over the last several weeks, a handful of us (5–7 men at any given time) have been walking through a structured, eight-week journey into prayer, built around Scripture, spiritual habits, reflection, and the simple desire to truly know God, not just know about Him. I need to share this with all of you because what has happened in my life and inside this circle of men has been nothing short of transformative. 🔥 What Changed For Me Personally For the first time in my life, I feel like I actually understand what it means to converse with the Creator of the Universe. Not recite words. Not send up quick requests when life gets messy. But actually speak, and listen, to the God who made me (isn’t it CRAZY that we can do this?) It feels like a doorway that used to be cracked open has now been blown off the hinges. I learned that prayer isn’t an add-on to faith, it is the relationship. Once that clicked, everything changed. It gave purpose, direction, and intimacy to my time with God. I no longer pray only “when I feel like it.” I’m learning to build a relationship through rhythm and discipline focused on Scripture, silence, confession, and praise. I’ve been overwhelmed by a new desire to praise. I never realized how central adoration is to understanding God’s nature. And, in one of those moments only God can orchestrate, I recently met a Christian law professor who actually teaches about praise in the vocation of law. Our conversation showed me the deep connection between praising God and understanding His will for your life. Connecting those dots flipped a switch in me. My relationship with God feels… real now. And because prayer has begun to shape me from the inside, I can finally start leading my family spiritually in the way I never understood before. My conversations with God now spill over into my conversations with my wife, my kids, and even my work. Prayer is changing the way I carry myself. Not perfectly, but honestly. 🔥 What Changed Within Our Group