Praying For Family

Lately I have been feeling the Lord tugging on my heart to pray more consistently for my family.    Not that I don't pray for them, but I have found, at times, those closest to me are sometimes the hardest to remember to pray for regularly and fervently.  I have been feeling the challenge to make it a bigger part of my prayer life, praying spirit filled prayers for those I love, not just because they may need it but because we are, I believe, the most equipped to pray for those we love.   I decided to start with scripture...these are some of the verses I found that are powerful when used in prayer.   Hopefully these will help in starting a foundation for praying daily for family.

First and foremost, we can intercede.
1st Samuel 7 tells of how Samuel was acting as leader of Israel, when they had sinned before the Lord and Samuel prayed on their behalf, leading them in fasting and calling upon the Lord, who comes to save them.   Verse 5 says "Then Samuel said "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you"".  We are intercessors for our family.  We can cry out to the Lord on behalf of those experiencing times of hardship, financial strain, for those who have turned from the Lord, or have never had a relationship with the Father.  For those who are in dire need of healing....whatever it may be, we are intercessors.

It's easy to forget to have a thankful heart.   And in a family, with often times different priorities, busy schedules, and even sometimes differing beliefs, it can be hard to remember to pray with thanks.    To thank the Lord for everything He has given us, and offer it back to Him in praise.       I am drawn to this prayer Hannah prayed in 1st Samuel 2:1-4 right after offering up her son, whom she prayed for and received from the Lord after many years of infertility.  "Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high.   My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.".

Covering.  That word keeps playing in my head.      We all sin.  And all sin is against the Father, but there are times when those we love, need not condemnation, but a safe place to find healing, hope, and renewal from the weight of guilt and pain.    2 Chronicles 30:18-20 says "Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the passover, contrary to what was written.  But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets their hearts on seeking God-The Lord, the God of their ancestors-even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary."  And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people."  
This was not about justifying, this was about covering.   Praying on behalf of another for protection and mercy in the face of grave error.

Praying for provision and protection for those we love.  These are big pieces of prayer for family.    God's word says in Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus".   I love this verse.    The thing I am reminded of here is something my paster always says "God promises to meet our needs, not our greeds".   But we serve a God with endless, boundless resources and He is faithful to provide for every need.   Psalm 145:14-20 says "The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.  The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.  You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.  The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does.  The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.   He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.  The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy".  
We can call upon the Lord, knowing that in His faithfulness, He will provide.  He will protect us and watch over us.   He will, as His word says, "fulfill the desires of those who fear Him".  We can pray with confidence knowing that He is just as faithful now, as He was when this passage was written.

You are probably familiar with the scripture, 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self control."   This is a big one for our family.  Fear is something that nearly everyone on both sides of my family, and myself struggles with.  It is a powerful tool of the enemy and can keep us from living the life God has intended and called us to.    We can declare this truth over our lives, over our families, and over the next generation.

Another area that has been on my heart lately is our home.   We are getting ready for a move (more to come on that soon!) And I am realizing more then ver the importance of having a home filled with the Spirit.   Covered by the presence of the Lord.   For a home filled with peace and unity, calm and still in a world where discord is so normal.  The Scripture I am drawn to is Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm."
   We know that where we are the Lord is also there.   His presence is with us at all times.   But this prayer is against the things that would try to come in and steal peace, joy, contentment, harmony.  It is a spiritual battle and this verse is powerful in praying against the schemes of the enemy toward our homes....our families.

This is just a start really....barely scratching the surface of scripture that can be found and used in prayer.  We are called to pray without ceasing and just like Moses and David, prayed for God's people, we can pray with the same promises with the same supernatural power for our families.   We have access to the power of Christ in our lives to see change, growth, healing, restoration and so much more, and the Lord has placed us each in a unique position within our families to do just that.

A little Re-Wiring

So lately I have been watching a cute little show called Fixer Upper.   In case you are not familiar with it, it’s a show about this adorable couple in Texas who help people find a house in a neighborhood they like, in or below their price range and then remodel it into their dream home.   As we get closer to our dream of buying a house I can’t help but pay attention to the tricks and ideas that I see on this show.   I love me a good farmhouse table and pretty subway tiles.   

A couple of days ago my husband and I were talking about different things we recognize about ourselves that are struggles/issues/things we want to work on.    One of the comments my husband made while having the conversation was “that’s how I’m wired”. 

 Today, while watching fixer upper…I watched as they overhauled a house.   They redid the flooring, painted walls, tore out old features to replace with new ones, added windows, rewired…It was the same house, the same shell, but yet it was new, beautiful home, functional in a way it never could have been before.    They took an old, dirty, broken house and made it new.   They exposed all of the hidden damage, scarring, wear, and rust, and saw through the years of paint, dirt, and life that took place inside he walls to see it's full potential.

It made me think about our conversation…What if we are wired a certain way?   Does that mean you are stuck that way forever?   Does it mean you can’t be re-wired? 

There are some things that we are wired for, for a reason, to bring glory to God through the unique way in which we represent Him to the world.   I also think that time and seasons of life can affect us, change us, grow us, and either make us a more refined, and Christ like person....or not.  But it's up to us to choose.   God can use situations, experiences, and trials...to wire and re-wire us to be more like Him.   But then there are those things…those crossed wires that the enemy has found a way to convince us are just who we are.   Those struggles or challenges that we believe for long enough, that we become so numb to, that that we don’t even think about change.   Or we hide those wires from the Lord for fear of the pain and exposure that comes with the breaking down of the old for the new.    God’s word says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; The old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”    What if we gave Him access to our attic space.    To the closet behind the hidden door.   What if we let Him in to see that which He already knows is there, but is waiting to be invited inside.   What if we gave Him a chance to come in and renovate everything... Maybe then we could be rewired in even those dark places where corrosion is so normal we stopped trying to flip the switch.   

The old is gone and new has come.   Gods word states it and I believe if we let Him, He will do that very thing in us.   But we have to give Him access.   Trust Him    He does want good things for His children, and sometimes we pray for those obvious things but stop just shy of the prayer that could bring a total and complete overhaul in our lives.   Maybe it’s time to pray and trust for a little re-wiring.