A Family United through Prayer

An important key to our happiness and success in life is having a healthy and functioning family structure. But so many families today are at odds; not speaking to one another or holding grudges fueling bitterness and unforgiveness. Our Heavenly Father wants us to have strong, loving families and one of the great helps he has given us to achieve this is family prayer.

Ephesians 1:5 says, "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." When God created humans, he designed us to live in families. Family relationships, therefore, are important to God. Even the church, the universal body of believers, is called the "family" of God. When we receive God's Spirit at salvation, we are adopted into his family.  We come to this earth charged with a mission: to learn to love and serve one another. To best help us accomplish this, God has placed us in families, for he knows that is where we can best learn to overcome selfishness, insincerity and pride. We learn how to sacrifice for others and to make happiness, helpfulness, humility and love the very essence of our character.

We learn that friends and neighbors come and go but family is forever, and as we learn this, we find that we are eternally our brother’s keeper and we begin to realize how much help we need. All of us, single or married, are eternally part of some family—someway, somewhere, somehow—and much of our joy in life comes as we correctly recognize and properly develop those family relationships. We develop, maintain and learn how to properly deal with these relationships through prayer.

Prayer in the family is most important.  It is that special time when we invite God to be a constant Presence in our family. To be the Head and the King of our family. It does not mean the absence of tough times but it means grace to stand and overcome tough times. It does not mean the absence of quarrels and troubles but it prepares us on how to handle every challenge as a Christian family and above all it constantly reminds us we are one and should remain one. 

My family has experienced its fair share of arguments and troubles in the past five years, and we have held on to prayer even more. Some relationships have been developed and strengthened while others have grown distant or are non existent. But that does not stop me from praying for my family. You know the sayings that says that a family that prays together stays together is true - a family that has their focus on praying to the Lord Jesus Christ has a foundation that may be shaken at times, but it will withstand all that comes against them. 

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Intercession Tuesday

Father, we thank you for blessing us with our family. We thank you for the gift of family. We acknowledge that our image and name as family come from you. We believe that within our family lies You. We affirm that it is in this household of faith that we experience your presence, your forgiveness, and your love. 

As a family we sometimes feel pain. And so we offer you our disappointments, frustrations, and hurts. Help us to forgive those members of our family, including ourselves, who have caused pain. Forgive us for causing pain to others. We ask you to bring us into unity through You. We ask that anything that is hidden in darkness - to cause disunity - will be brought to light. We ask You to lead us into Your perfect truth and help us to be the family You intend us to be. Lord, help us to be a blessing to one another and to others. Reveal Yourself to us and let us come into agreement with You. Lead us in Your ways. Grant us compassionate hearts, fill us with Your love that does not keep records of wrong, and bring joy to our hearts when we think of one another.  Deliver us from anger that leads to division; empower us to forgive as we have been forgiven; and send us into the world to witness to your love and grace; that we may conquer all selfishness and hatred of others. Fill our hearts with thy joy. Help us to overcome those murmurings and disputes to which we often succumb to. Make us long-suffering and gentle, and subdue our hastiness and angry tempers, and bring forth the Your fruits of the Spirit.

Bless my family with Your favor. Provide for all of our needs. I ask You to protect us from harm and evil. Surround us in the shadow of Your wing. Go before us and prepare the way. If any path is crooked, we ask you to make it straight. Protect us from the schemes of the enemy and keep us from deception. Bring Your perfect peace that surpasses our understand and your Agape love to our hearts in Jesus Name we pray. Amen.