Praying for our families

Family Unity. It is a treasure to us all, and something very precious to each of us. The Lord blesses us with family members to lead, counsel, love and take care of, and in exchange, our family does the same for us. Praying for our family is something we should do daily. Whether someone you love needs God’s grace in a hard situation, or you simply want to bless his or her walk in life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

If the need for prayer and protection for your family and loved ones is what you are seeking most, whether in your own life, or in the life of someone you love, let us pray for you at the holiest place on earth, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We have faith that sending your prayer to the place where our Lord Jesus Christ gave his life for us will help your request be granted! It is our honor and privilege to be a prayer warrior for you, and to ask the Lord to watch over you, protect you, and keep you, always. Please submit your prayer request today.

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:31

Prayer for Family Unity

Lord, I want to thank You for this precious family of mine. For the talents and good things that You have given each of us. Please keep us united, and our bond strong as the days pass. Please guide us, protect us and equip us to do Your will each and every day. Thank You for all that You are, and all that You have given us. My heart is forever grateful!

Prayer for Protection Over Family Members

Lord, I ask for protection and safety over my spouse, my children, my parents, my family members and myself today. Please lead us with Your mighty hands today and always. Deliver us from any enemy and evil that try to hinder our way. Do not let the ways of the enemy blind our eyes. We know that You are for us, so that no one could ever stop us. Please watch over us and guide us all safely throughout this day, so that we may all arrive safely back home, Father. Amen.

Prayer for a Troubled Family Relationship

Heavenly Father, there is a war going on in the souls of many of my family members. I will not be silent about this, and I pray that you will look after them. I also come to you today to pray for the salvation of my family as well. Lord, may my family know You. I pray that they will learn to crave You just as I do. I pray that they will learn to stand strong in the face of trials and tribulations in life. When people knock them down, I pray that they stand up even stronger in You than ever before. I pray that they show love instead of revenge on those who do not agree with them. Give me strength to persevere through any troubles that come my way today. It is time to rise above the sin that comes at me and to that of my family members. It is in Your precious name I pray these things.

Prayer for Grandchildren

Heavenly Father, You have blessed me with precious grandchildren, and I am ever so grateful! I pray for these little souls, Lord. I also want to thank you for my own children. I have raised them up to praise You, and to look to You in all things. I lift up my grandchildren to You today, Lord. These little ones are precious gems in Your eyes, as well as in mine, and that of our family. Please watch over them each and every day. Keep them safe, and guide them in all that they do. I ask these things in Your precious name. Amen.

Prayer for Your Family’s Strength

Please shine your light upon my family today, Lord. Give us strength to overcome all of the difficulties that we are currently dealing with, and protect us against any and all problems we may encounter in future days. Lord, please bring us together as we are meant to be. May the love that binds us only grow stronger as we fulfill the path and desires You have laid out before each of us. Grant my family forgiveness for any sins we have committed against one another. Amen.

 

Prayer for a Healthy Pregnancy

Thank you Father for the little baby that is about to be born. Lord, I pray that You would protect this unborn child that is being knit together in his/her mother’s womb, and I pray Lord that You would give grace for a safe and healthy delivery at the right time.

May this baby grow up to know and love the Lord Jesus, which will make him/her wise unto salvation. I pray for Your protection and grace for this little baby who is shortly to take his/her place in this world, and I ask that he/she may grow in wisdom and understanding. Guard and protect both mother and child as the day for delivery draws ever closer, and keep them from all the perils and uncertainties in this journey. Amen.

 

Verses:

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

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I’m so thankful that you decided to join me for this 31 Day series of Praying the Scriptures for Your Family! What a blessing YOUR FAMILY will receive through your prayers! The peace we gain through prayer {Philippians 4:6-7} is blessing enough, but in praying the very Words of God over your family, the blessings gained are more than we will ever know about on this side of heaven!

As you start this journey of praying the Scriptures, I hope you will take a few minutes (less than 10) to listen to this audio encouragement where I share 5 Ways to Pray the Scriptures.

Please also join me on Instagram with the hashtag #prayingthescriptures 

**Note: this 31 day series took place in October of 2014. You may use these verses ANY month of ANY year, but there are no longer accompanying emails sent out with this particular prayer calendar. 

Before I share the first Scripture we will pray for our families, I wanted to share just a glimpse of what this series will be. This will not be an in-depth post on WHY I pray the Scriptures or HOW I pray the Scriptures. This won’t have lots of quotes from books on prayer or my own thoughts on prayer. The goal of this series is to encourage you to PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILIES, specifically the Scriptures. It is my hope that by not sharing lots of opinion and material about prayer that you might be inspired to spend more time praying. I’m praying for you, friends, as you join me this month and pray the Scriptures for our families! I hope that when you open your Bibles to pray that you will be as encouraged and comforted in praying the Scriptures as I have been.

Please listen for a few minutes as I share about this series and pray Psalm 119 over each one of you! Join me in praying, will you? 

Please click on the left end of this audio player, the arrow may not show up in some browsers, but if you click there the audio will begin playing. Thank you for joining me in prayer today!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I give you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of theme when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” 

Prayer: Oh Lord, grant me the grace to love you more and more each day. May my family learn what it means to love you with all our hearts, souls and strength. Help my husband and I to be diligent teachers and doers of the Word in our home, when we sit at home, when we are driving around town and when we go to sleep at night. May your Word and Your love and Your sacrifice ever be on the forefront of our minds and hearts. Only by Your grace and for Your glory!

**NEW! If you wish to print out this entire series, with journaling lines for each day to personalize your prayers, I have created a PDF file you can download for $2.99 from my shop!

Praying the Scriptures CALENDAR {click on this link OR the graphic below to open the PDF}

FREE Prayer Bookmarks PDF {click on this link or the graphic below to download and print your bookmarks. Print on card stock if you are able, laminate if you wish for durability!}

• Day 1 ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-9 {you’re reading this one now!}
• Day 2 ~ Joshua 1:9
• Day 3 ~ Ruth 1:16-17
• Day 4 ~ 1 Samuel 1:27-28
• Day 5 ~ 1 Samuel 3:10
• Day 6 ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14-15
• Day 7 ~ Esther 4:14
• Day 8 ~ Job 1:21
• Day 9 ~ Psalm 1:1-2
• Day 10 ~ Psalm 23
• Day 11 ~ Psalm 139
• Day 12 ~ Proverbs 1:7
• Day 13 ~ Proverbs 18:10
• Day 14 ~ Isaiah 61:1-3
• Day 15 ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8
• Day 16 ~ Lamentations 3:22-24
• Day 17 ~ Hosea 6:1-3
• Day 18 ~ Micah 6:8
• Day 19 ~ Matthew 9:36-38
• Day 20 ~ John 15:1-11
• Day 21 ~ Romans 8:31-39
• Day 22 ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
• Day 23 ~ 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
• Day 24 ~ Galatians 2:20
• Day 25 ~ Galatians 5:22
• Day 26 ~ Ephesians 1:15-20
• Day 27 ~ Philippians 1:3
• Day 28 ~ Philippians 2:5-11
• Day 29 ~ Colossians 1:9-12
• Day 30 ~ 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
• Day 31 ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

I hope you will consider joining me as we pray the Scriptures through ADVENT as well!! 

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Children are a gift – an amazing blessing from God.  Every single day we may find ourselves doing a lot for our kids, loving and caring for them, nurturing, teaching, training, helping, leading, equipping, encouraging, protecting, and so much more. We spend precious hours just living out life, helping with homework, and driving them to activities. We spend money on sports, lessons, and various classes to help them grow and become all they can be, providing opportunities for them to do what they most love in this world.

But in the midst of busy, full lives, we have to ask ourselves: Are we praying?  I mean, really praying specific, powerful, promise-filled, hope-inspired prayers. Are we praying God’s powerful Word and promises over their lives?  I’m freshly aware, and challenged to pray more.

There’s a battle over our families today, and the enemy would love nothing more than to destroy all that we hold dear in this life. He’s ruthless and cunning, deceitful and sly. He’ll attack when we’re not watching, he’ll do everything he can to lure our kids his way. Don’t let him win.

Prayer is essential over our children and families, in order to stay alert, aware, and discerning of God’s voice, as well as to stand against the attacks of the enemy in our lives. We should never underestimate the importance of speaking blessing and truth over their lives. Prayer is powerful and his words are true. 

Prayer + God’s Word = Power – the pathway for Him to do miraculous things.

Dear God, 

We praise you for your love and faithfulness. We thank you for your protection and care over our families. Thank you that you give us the power to love well; the wisdom to lead and teach our children. We know you’re for us; that you fight for our families today. You are Redeemer, Restorer, and Friend, we believe you have good in store. We confess, some days, parenting is tough. Many days we can feel anxious or overwhelmed. We ask that you would make us more like you, more aware of your constant Presence in our lives. Help us to release our children to You, so that You are free to fully accomplish all that You desire, in them, through them. Please fill our families with your truth and cover us with your favor. 

Lord, we pray for these blessings over our children, today, and every day…

Belief – “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” Acts 16:31

Blessing – “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Courage – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Contentment – “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

Encouragement – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

Endurance – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Faithfulness – “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” 1 Sam. 12:24

Favor – “For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12

Forgiveness – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Fruitfulness – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Generosity – “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:18-19

Godly Relationships – “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Prov. 13:20

Grace – “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

Health – “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2

Honesty – “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

Hope – “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Humility – “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

Integrity – “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9

Joy – “…for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Kindness – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Love – “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.” 1 John 3:1

Obedience – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1

Patience – “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” James 1:19

Peace – “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

Protection – “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart…He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:1-2, 4, 11

Provision – “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Purity – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” Psalm 119:9

Purpose – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Respect – “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” 1 Peter 2:17

Safety – “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:8

Salvation – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Self-Control – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Servant Heart – “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13

Strength – “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11

Submission – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Thankfulness – “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

Trust – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Value – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:9

Wisdom – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” Proverbs 9:10

Wise Instruction – “All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace.” Isaiah 54:13

Please let your blessings and Word shine on our children and family, as we seek to honor you.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children…” Lamentations 2:19

For prayers to help your child learn how to pray, read 10 Simple & Easy Children’s Prayers.

When it’s time to sleep and you want to help your child learn how to pray at bedtime, use our Kids Bedtime Prayers.

Debbie McDaniel is a writer, pastor’s wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets). Join her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead’s facebook page, for daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also at and

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing

Prayer for StrengthPrayer for ProtectionMorning PrayersGood Night PrayersThe Prayer of JabezShort PrayersThe Lord’s PrayerThe Prayer of St FrancisSerenity PrayerA Birthday PrayerSinner’s PrayerPrayer for ForgivenessPrayer for GuidanceIntercessory PrayerMother’s Day PrayerPrayers for My HusbandPrayer for PeacePrayer for FaithPrayer for LovePrayers for My SonPrayers for My Daughter

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Do you pray for your family?

Most of us can say that we pray casually for our families.

We ask God to bless them and keep them safe or to help them in a time of need.

But I believe we can take prayer for our families a step further.

I have found that being specific and strategic in my prayers for my family can have a greater impact.

Several years ago I began praying and declaring God’s Word over myself and my family.

At first it seemed a little…..legalistic.

I had my list written out and every day I prayed through it.

Until one day I had the thought that maybe my repetitive prayers weren’t really “doing” anything. The idea crossed my mind that perhaps I was just being redundant and just maybe God was tired of hearing these same requests and declarations.

I’ll never forget His response as I spent time talking with Him about it.

“You have no idea how powerful it is when you pray and declare My Word.”

As I’ve continued to strategically pray for my family over the years, I can’t count the amount of specific requests that have been answered.

When we pray specifically, our faith grows.

We see the hand of God move on behalf of the request that we make.

It builds our trust in Him, knowing that He answers us.

Perhaps this is a new concept to you. No worries…

Today I’m sharing a few prayers I use to pray specifically and strategically for my family.

A Heart for God

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30 NIV

Above all else I pray that my kids will do this one thing….to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

Their relationship with God is most important.

We teach our kids the Bible, spend time as a family reading and praying, but at some point, they have to have their own relationship with God.

As my children get older, I realize how hard it is to let them walk this relationship out. When they aren’t reading their Bibles or spending time with God, I want to “make” them do it. But as they become adults, they have to have the “want” to do it on their own.

So what I do?

I pray…..

Prayer to Have a Heart for God

Father, thank you for each one of my precious children. Lord, you know their hearts. You know their strengths, their weaknesses and every tiny detail about them. God, I pray that You draw them closer to You. Show them who You are. Let them see their need for you, Lord. Capture their hearts and fill them with Your Spirit. Lord, I pray that they would seek You above all else. That as they wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night, You would be on their minds and hearts. That everywhere they go and in everything they do, they would see You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Unity

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133 NIV

As the new year began, I felt God planting the word unity in my heart….specifically for my family. This scripture from the Psalms came to my mind. The ending really grabbed my attention.

The blessing of the Lord dwells in unity.

When we are united as one, there’s nothing that can’t be accomplished.

Remember the tower of Babel?

At that point in history, the people of the world spoke the same language. A certain group had come together and decided to build a city in Babylonia. However, they were building it for their own fleshly desires. But even in the midst of their carnality God had this to say about them and their efforts:

The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Genesis 11:6 NLT

This is what I want for my family. I want us to be united, speaking the same language and having the same values. Because when we do, nothing will be impossible for us! We will fulfill everything God has for us.

Prayer for Unity

Father, we thank You for Your blessing over our family. Help us to be unified. Help us to speak the same language and share the same vision that You have for us. Lord, guide us and keep us on the right path. I pray that NO weapon formed against my family will prosper. No plot, ploy or scheme from the enemy will divide us or cause dissension in our house. Help us to stand in unity…preferring one another over ourselves and loving You above all else. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Fulfill God’s Purpose for My Family

The Bible clearly shows us that God has a purpose for us.

But did you know God has a purpose for your family as well?

Think about your ministry, your business, or even your church. God has a plan for each one of those organizations, right?

So why wouldn’t He have a plan for your family?

He carefully chose each person for each family and handcrafted the personalities, gifts, and abilities that each person would have to complete that family.

My prayer is that we would discover His purpose for our family and walk it out daily.

 A Prayer for Fulfilling God’s Purpose for My Family

Father, thank you for creating our family with a purpose. We know that you have plans for each of us individually and for our family as a whole. Lord, I pray that you would reveal this purpose to each one of us and help us to walk it out daily. Help us to have an appreciation for each other’s personalities, gifts and even our weaknesses. Lord, teach us and guide us in all that we do, that we may glorify You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Godly Friendships

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 NLT

Friendship are so important.

Not just for us individually, but for our family as a whole.

We have several family friends. The kids get along, and so do we as parents.

There’s something special about having another family over where everyone connects.

This is one area that I want our family to continue to grow.

Prayer for Godly Friendships

Father, thank You for the family friends that You’ve given us. Lord we are so grateful that You’ve knit us together with other families to do life with. Lord help us to always be reminded of how blessed we are to have them. We pray blessing over these relationships. That no weapon from the enemy could cause division between us. Lord, we ask that You give us more relationships like these. Connect us with like minded families that will sharpen us and bring us to a new level of faith in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 A Heart to Serve Others

A few summers ago, our family and some friends arranged a retreat with a wonderful organization called Family-iD. The founder, Greg Gunn took us through an exercise to discover what our core values are as a family.

Each family member was given a list of values and we were to select our top 30. After we were finished, we met as a family and circles all the ones that we all had in common.

One of the values that emerged was LEADERSHIP.

Our family loves to serve others.

My husband and I know the value of investing in others and were thrilled to find out that our children felt the same way.

As a family we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

My prayer for my family is that we would continue to have a heart for serving others.

Prayer for A Heart to Serve Others

Father, thank You for the opportunity to serve others. I pray that You would continue to instill this value into us and our children. Help us to see others the way you see them. Lord, we pray that You show us the needs of those around us. Help us to be others focused and in tune to Your Spirit, so that we can help those that are hurting. Lord, give us the grace to serve when it’s hard. Give us the strength to keep going when we are worn out from our own situations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What do you pray over your family?

Do you have specific prayers that you pray?

Feel free to share them in the comments below.

**If this is an area where you are struggling, I’ve included a printable bookmark of the prayers for you to store in your Bible.**

This weeks feature is from Esther Hosea @ His Dearly Loved Daughter. 

In her post Finding My Identity Through the Fog, she shows us the importance of declaring God’s Word over our lives.

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