Prayer Topic #7:
A Prayer for Families in Distress
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 145:1-13, Ephesians 5:15-33, 6:1-4
Reflections of the Heart:
Families come in a variety of sizes and dynamics. Whether you are single, a single parent, widowed, married with children or married without children; each family is an expression of God. Praise and thank God for your family.
Scriptural Prayer:
Heavenly Father, our souls honor You. Thank You for our family relationships. We thank You for peace umpiring our familial relationships and interactions. Lord, we thank You for fulfilling Your plans and purposes in our lives and for surrounding us with favor like a shield. Thank You for blessing us continually with Your loving-kindness and tender mercies. Your mercy endures forever. You are great and Your power is absolute. Your understanding is beyond comprehension. We love You and extol Your Holy Name. Out of the mouths of babes and infants, You have ordained strength. What are mere mortals that You should think of them, human beings that You should care for them?
Glorious Father, we declare that our families will live in peaceful habitations, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places. We declare that stability, salvation, love, wisdom and knowledge abide in each home. Lord, we rebuke the spirits of argument, slander, strife, perversion, violence, offense, lies, rebellion, disobedience and cruelty in our families. We break all soul ties, strongholds and generational curses in our family bloodlines. No weapon formed against our families will prosper. We declare that everything the devil means for evil will be turned around by our God for the good of our families. We call for a spiritual renewal and restoration in our families. Father, we will hold fast to the confession of our faith without wavering. We confess that the love of God will reign supreme in our homes and the peace of God is an umpire in our family relationships. We decree that because our families seek Your Kingdom above all else, and live righteously, we will have everything that we stand in need of.
Holy Spirit, I declare the following promises of God to manifest in my family:
Wonderful Father, we ask that You give our family members one heart and put a new spirit within all of us. Where there are strained relationships in our families, please turn our hearts back to one another. Holy Spirit, please begin to heal the wounds that family secrets have inflicted on the souls and minds of some of our members. Lead them to competent Christian counseling to help them process their pain. Give us Your wisdom. Let discretion preserve us and understanding keep us from the way of evil. Please unite our families closer together. Father, open the lines of communication in our homes so that there is a good rapport in our families. Please keep our children and youth as the apples of Your eye. Let Your peace, love and understanding reside in our families. Lord, some of our families are in dire need of help. Please rescue them and give them wisdom on how to begin to repair and rebuild those damaged relationships.
Merciful Father, please forgive our families for sin. Forgive us for allowing our jobs to be a greater priority than our families. Forgive us for taking our loved ones for granted. Forgive us for not praying for our family members consistently. Forgive us for strife, anger, envy, jealousy, adultery and for verbal or physical abuse within our homes. Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed). Holy Spirit, remind us all of those we need to forgive and help us to be quick to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive and help me to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals them, say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)
Holy Spirit, help our families not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
Sovereign Lord, You are King! You are robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Your throne has stood from time immemorial. You are from the everlasting past. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture References for the Written Text:
Psalm 5:12, Psalm 51:1 NKJV, Psalm 136:1, Psalm 147:5, Psalm 145:1, Psalm 8:2-4, III John 2, Isaiah 32:18, Isaiah 54:17, Genesis 50:20, Hebrews 10:23, Matthew 6:33, Ezekiel 11:19, Proverbs 2:12, Psalm 17:8 NKJV, Psalm 5:12, Matthew 6:13, Psalm 93:1-2
