Prayers for Your Family

Prayers for Family: Specific Encouragement & Prayers for Your Family

We know prayer is important. And praying for our family is probably one of the most important ministries we have. 

But as someone who struggles with prayer, I can often get stuck. How do I pray for my family? And what sort of prayers actually make a difference?

Satan wants us crippled in prayer. He wants us to feel overwhelmed or unmotivated to pray for our family. Because he knows the power of prayer. He knows that God works when we pray. He knows how deeply intimate we grow with God when we pray. But God is with us as we seek to pray for our family. He will show you how to pray and will listen to even the smallest prayers. 

Today, let’s talk about praying for our family and then I will share with you some of my favorite prayers for family. 

Prayers for Your Family

How Do I Pray for My Family?

There are many ways we can pray for our family. Here are a few that come to mind…

Constant Small Prayers

We are called to remain constant in prayer. 

Pray without ceasing. -1 Thessalonians 5:17

Keeping our hearts constantly fixed on the Lord as we go about our day is a habit that we can foster. I find myself constantly muttering small prayers to the Lord throughout the day – for strength, for encouragement, for all the practical things that we need.

But as important as this continual prayer is, there is power in fervent prayer.

Fervent Prayer

I have begun learning how to pray fervently over the past few years. And it has transformed me. It has transformed my marriage. And now I am learning how to pray fervently for my family.

One of the best ways to pray fervently is to write out prayers or have written prayers that you can go to. I started a prayer journal where I collected these written prayers and every morning, spent time praying. 

When I don’t have this journal with me, it is so easy to get sidetracked. It’s easy to say a few words and feel stuck or feel done praying.

But fervent prayer is powerful. 

Praying Scripture

Praying Scripture is a powerful way to pray for your family. God gave us His Word as a weapon against Satan’s attacks. 

I have found so much power in taking God’s Word and praying Scripture over my life, my marriage and my family. 

We can be sure our prayers are God’s will as we pray Scripture. This helps us to align our hearts and our lives to His will. 

I will include some prayers below as examples of how to pray Scripture in this powerful way.

Thanking God for Family

Our family is a blessing. A tremendous blessing. No matter what struggles you are facing today, God has proclaimed children a blessing. He has proclaimed marriage as an image of how Christ loved the church.

Just as we are called to pray without ceasing, we are also called to be grateful always. 

Rejoice evermore. -1 Thessalonians 5:16

Gratitude is a powerful place to start when we pray for our family. A heart of gratitude will prepare you to not only surrender and speak to God, but to hear God’s voice as well. 

Spend a few moments every day thanking God for family. And be specific. 

The more you focus on specific things you are grateful for in your family each day, the more your heart will recognize these things and shift to a place of joy.

Prayers for Your Family

Scriptures to Pray Over Your Family

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”Exodus 20:12

Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. -Colossians 3:12-13

Behold, children are a heritage of the Lord. The fruit of the womb is his reward. -Psalm 127:3

Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. -1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. -Colossians 3:20

You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. -Ephesians 6:4

Specific Prayers for Your Family (and to Pray Together)

Prayer for Family Protection

Lord, I submit myself to You and surrender my family to Your will right here and now. I stand and ask that You would thwart any of Satan’s plans against our family. I proclaim Your grace and love over each and every one of us. May Your Spirit dwell among us and protect us from any disease, accident or plan to harm our family. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer for Family Guidance

Lord, thank you for Your perfect will and good plan for our family and each one of us. I trust that You are working all things for good. Right here and now I surrender my plans and ideas about our family and [specific area of direction]. I proclaim that You are the light upon my path. You are the one who establishes our steps. Your plan is the only good plan and is so much better than anything we can dream up for ourselves. I submit to Your will and ask that Your Spirit would guide us as a family. Guide and direct our steps. Nudge us with conviction when we stray from Your plan. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer for Family Unity

Lord, thank you for the blessing of our family. Thank you for each and every one of us and for the unique gifts and thoughts that each of us brings to this family. I pray that you would bring Your Spirit of love and unity among us. Where there is any dissension or areas of disunity, I pray that You would bring those to the surface and sanctify our hearts. Give us compassion for one another and together give us a heart for Your will. Cast out any of Satan’s schemes or lies that would attempt to tear us apart. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer for Godly Friendships

Lord, thank you for the gift of friendship. I surrender my intent and heart towards friendship to you. Help me to see You at work in my own friendships but also in the friendships of our family. Be with each one of my children as they work to develop friendships. I pray that You would bless them with at least one godly friend who can encourage them and point them to You. I pray also that you would bless our family with family friends with whom we can grow in intimacy and grow in our faith. I pray that You would remove any of Satan’s lies or temptation that would tempt us towards friendships that are not of You. Guide these friendships in Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer for God’s Provision

Lord, I acknowledge that You are our provider. You provide all that we need to do Your will. Thank you for all of the ways that You have provided for us up until this point. Provide for us in these upcoming days and weeks, Lord. And most importantly, open our eyes to Your provision. Help us to see with gratitude the ways in which You provide for us. Keep us from the temptation towards priorities and desires that are not of You. Your grace is enough for us. Lord, provide for us in [specific area] today. I pray that You would provide for my children in [specific area]. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer for Our Parenting with Christ at the Center

Lord, right now I surrender my parenting to You. I submit my children to You and acknowledge that You love them infinitely more than I ever could. Give us wisdom as we seek to parent our children in the way that that You call us to, with Christ at the center. If there are any hurting or broken areas of our lives that keep us from doing this completely, I surrender them to You and invite You into these parts to heal and sanctify and make new. Open our eyes to Your direction in parenting and keep us from temptation to put other things before Your will for us or our children. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer for a Heart for God’s Will and Mission for Our Family

Lord, give us a heart for Your will. Remove any temptations or priorities that keep us from living out the mission that You have called our family to. Give us a vision for your will for us and spark within us the desire to love others as You have called us to. Help us to inspire and encourage our children to seek after this mission. Give us Your heart of compassion and love for others. And fuel us for grace and sacrificial love. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer for When We Hurt One Another

Lord, I admit that I have hurt/was hurt by my [family member]. I also acknowledge that You are the ultimate provider of grace and that because of this love that You have shown us when we did not deserve it, I can show that kind of love to my [family member]. Give me strength to offer grace and accept grace as needed. In Jesus Name, Amen.

What is a prayer that your family needs today? I would love for you to share with me in the comments below.

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