Prayer For The Family Life
Lord of life,
you shape us in your image,
and by your gracious gift
the human family is increased.
Grant to N and N the blessing of children.
Fill them with wisdom and love
as they care for their family,
so that they and their children
may know and love you;
through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Dear Lord,
Please bless this time of vacation. Help my family to get along, to enjoy one another. Maybe toss a couple of those idyllic imagined scenes into our path? May we be able to see the wonder You instill within the chaos of our days whether we vacation near or far away from home.
On this everyday, normal day that's somehow still outside of our regular routine, help me to embrace my family, this time of vacation, and the ordinary yet extraordinary gifts You've given. Open my eyes to see that vacation will end but the memories of it will remain, and give me the strength to make them sweet. Pour some of that strength into my very being and bring me through to the end of vacation with a thankful heart and unceasing praise.
Amen.
Father, praise You for family. You tell us that it's not good for us to be alone, and therefore have placed people around us that impact our lives and move us away from the loneliness of solitude. The Lord is my strength and my song, Exodus 15:2 reminds. We must remember that the family we live with is not responsible for our happiness. They are not charged with the status of our hearts and souls. And they cannot control how we feel, nor leap into our minds in an effort to understand the depth of our emotions.
When we are misunderstood, or a family member misunderstands us, we feel hopeless to plead our case. Help us to hold onto Exodus 15:2. You are our strength. The inability to filter our thoughts is a cue to hand them over to You. In the moments when silence is Your answer, help us to be patient. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, inspire us to recall who You say we are. Loved. Forgiven. Saved. Purposed. Unique.
Thank You for the comfort of family. The warm embrace of a mother and father, siblings, and extended family. There is something about being related that earns our trust easier other relationships. When and if that trust is broken through abuse and/or abandonment, we pray for your protection physically, and Your guardianship of our hearts and minds. Empower us to seek help and counsel from You, and from others trained to help us remove ourselves from danger and harm. Anyone intending to harm us or treat us abusively is never someone You intend us to linger with.
We confess all of the words we wish we could take back. Because of Adam and Eve's mistake in the garden, our sinful nature can lead us down paths that we know are wrong, and into mistakes that we had no intention of making. Yet because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are forgiven over and over again when we confess to You in our Savior's name. Help us to pass the same compassion on to others who wear on our hearts and patience. Bless us to be patient and wise, to seek You first, and speak kindness. Convict us when we are wrong, and strengthen our resolve to apologize.
Hurt within families can destroy relationships permanently. But with Your guidance, anything, and anyone, can be restored. You are our Healer. In You, we find peace. Our hope lies in You. And our faith can pull us across any divide when we let go and let You determine the way. Luke tells us when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near (Luke 21:5-28). Jesus is coming. There's no doubt about that. We want to follow Him fast and focused until He returns to take us home, or we arrive home in heaven to Him.
In the midst of conflict and hurt, it's easy to be bitter. Misunderstanding can breed justification for cutting off a relationship like a dead tree branch. Payback and comebacks replay in our minds. Vindication runs on repeat. But God, You tell us to focus on You (Colossians 2:19). Let the world explain away, but let us listen to You first.
God, You are there in the pain we cannot bear, do not understand, and want to run from. Hold us and help us. Help us to endure long silences until we are sure You have inspired our choice of words. Quicken our hearts to forgive, and to pray for those on the other side of disagreements. Bless those who hurt us, and help us to be a blessing that shines bright in Your Name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Lord, help us to be thankful for one another. Help my children to be thankful for each other, for our family to be grateful for each member and to pray one another continually. Our gratitude for one another will bind us together as a family, and our prayers for each other will further unify us in gratitude and love.
Father, We have gathered to share a meal in Your honor. Thank You for putting us together as family, and thank You for this food. Bless it to our bodies, Lord. We thank you for all of the gifts you've given to those around this table. Help each member of our family use these gifts to your glory. Guide our mealtime conversations and steer our hearts to Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Lord, I pray that the message of Christ and his sacrifice is the root of gratitude in my heart. That His gracious gift leads me to thankful living, setting an example for my family and children. That they will have their own relationship with Jesus one day, and that You would grow gratitude in their hearts out of the acceptance of Jesus as their Savior. Lead us to do everything in the name of Jesus and give thanks to You through Him.
Lord, I pray Your emotional, physical, and spiritual protection over my family. Keep evil far from them, and help them to trust You as their refuge and strength. I pray You will guard their minds from harmful instruction, and grant them discernment to recognize truth. I pray You will make them strong and courageous in the presence of danger, recognizing that You have overcome and will set right all injustice and wrong one day. Help them to find rest in Your shadow, as they live in the spiritual shelter You provide for them. Let them know that the only safe place is in Jesus, and that their home on earth is only temporary.
Dear Father, in Your beautiful book of Psalms, chapter 103 and verse 17, You give us this wonderful promise, From everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children. What better promise could we receive from You in our lives than to see our children and children's children blessed with Your love and righteousness? We ask for Your hand of blessing on us as well. Bless us with strength to be there for those we love, and wisdom to know what to say to bring comfort, encouragement, and sometimes difficult truth. We will need Your patience as we wait for Your perfect will and way in each of our loved one's lives. We are so grateful, Lord God. Amen.