The Family that Prays Together

 

       Central Thought:  The presence of God is guaranteed in a family that prays together.

       Text: Joshua 24:15; Matthew 18:18-20; Genesis 18:19; Amos 3:3; James 5:16

 

One of the real challenges that we often find in our contemporary, busy lives is finding time to be together as a family.  It is especially difficult to find opportunities to pray together.  Our Father in Heaven wants us to have strong, loving families.  One of the great helps He has given us to achieve this is the family prayer.

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.  God has placed us in families, where we can learn to overcome selfishness, pride, sacrifice for others, and make happiness, helpfulness, humility and love the very essence of our character.

We learn that friends and neighbors come and go but the family remains and as we learn this, we find that we are our brother’s keeper.  We need to thank God for the opportunity of family prayer.

 

1. What do you understand by the phrase, “The family that prays together”?

This means a family that has a regular time to pray and study the Bible together.  In 1 Timothy 3:5 we read, “if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”  Managing your family is caring for each member, teaching them God’s way, leading them to grow in the Lord, and equipping them for adult life.  Prayer is important in achieving all of these.  A family with a heart of prayer for each other will have a heart of prayer for the world.

Family members should have a time to share their joys and burdens together, Galatians 6:2

 

2. What is involved in praying together as a family?

-Having a regular prayer altar:  A place of bible study and worship time: A family should have a regular time to pray and read the Bible together; this should be taken seriously and practiced routinely.  It helps in bringing up children in the way of the Lord.

It is well to remember the great command that the Lord gave to Israel. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when you walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up”, Deuteronomy 6:4-7.

Worship of the Lord is first of all vertical and then horizontal and begins in the home and takes in the whole family.  Where is your family altar?  Where is that place you meet with God daily as a family?

-Setting a time for fasting and praying for a purpose.  Ezra 8:21-23; Joel 2:12:  Families may decide to fast and pray for a particular purpose, without hatred, enmity, jealousy, pride and unforgiveness among them.  Their hearts and minds must be focused on God.

-Serving God together.  Joshua 24:15; Genesis 18:19: Husbands and wives are to work together to bring glory to Christ through their home.  Married couples ought to pray together, read the Word of God together, attend church services together, and labor together to bring the lost to Christ.  Nothing brings unity like a common purpose.  The desire of every believing husband and wife ought to be to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ together.

It’s important for parents to have their children involved in family prayer because this helps build the children’s relationship with the Lord and also teaches them the importance of prayer.  Families that pray together establish trust with one another, learn to pray in fellowship, and come in agreement before God.

 

3. What are some of the challenges, hindrances or difficulties in praying together as a family?

-Disagreements, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”, Amos 3:3: If we get angry with one another, there is no way we can pray together.  The scriptures admonish us in 1 Peter 3:7, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

-Business, worldliness, sin. Isaiah 59:1-3: Many Christians are too preoccupied with TV programs or overcrowded schedules or caught up in some other aspect of the pressures of modern life so that they do not have family prayers.

-Lack of openness and secrecy:  This constitutes a challenge to family prayers; family members should open up to one another on issues affecting them in the office, business places, school, etc., so that such issues can be brought before the Lord.

-Lukewarmness. Revelation 3:16:  A lukewarm life is a displeasure to God; He would have us to be fervent in spirit.  Some persons have a lukewarm and lazy attitude to prayers; they have problem waking up early to participate in family prayers, this ought not to be so.

-Satan himself:  Satan will do everything he can to keep us from family prayer, or at least to see that our prayers are only intermittent and mechanical and without sincerity.  In Daniel’s day, Satan influenced evil men to pass laws against prayer.  In our day, Satan’s efforts seem a little more subtle.  But remember, the greatest schools on earth are individual homes.  Yet how many homes voluntarily give up family prayer by allowing other less important things to take priority.  Satan doesn’t care how he stops us – just that he stops us.  James 4:7 says, “submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

 

4. How do we overcome these challenges outlined above?

-We must repent and return to our first love, Revelation 4:7

-Resist the devil and no fall for his antics, James 4:7

-Learn to live peaceably with our family members, Romans 12:18:  If it be possible as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

-Be ruled by the Word:  Make the word of God your rule and authority and live in obedience to all it says.  It will keep you walking straight and guard you from all manner of temptation.

 

5. What are some of the consequences of not praying together as a family?

The family could be torn apart; there may also be disunity because prayer has a way of unifying hearts together.

The blessings of God maybe hindered and individual prayers may not be answered, 1 Peter 3:7.  Such family will not benefit from the fulfillment of scriptures on prayer of agreement.

 

6. What are some of the blessings and benefits of praying together?

Of a truth, ‘the family that prays together stays together’.  A family that has her focus on praying to the Lord Jesus Christ has a foundation that cannot be shaken and will definitely withstand and overcome all that comes her way.

Visible progress is made by the family, as there is peace, unity, and focus.  The family members derive a lot of power and confidence to face and overcome life challenges.  Proverbs 27:17; Acts 4:31.  Families can be united and help strengthen one another through family prayer.

 

Daily Living Application

There is great power in a loving, consistent and fervent family prayer.  Do not deny your families this blessing.  Do not allow the strength that comes from family prayer to slip away from you and your loved ones through neglect.

Call your family members together.  Make your family prayers a top priority and you will enjoy great blessings.

 

Memory Verse:

Matthew 18:19-20 – “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”