Family Prayer

1. Family Prayer Matthew 7:7-8 Matthew 18:19-20

2. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

3. Global Day of Prayer • Many problems in the world today • What hurts more than any other thing? • Lack of prayer! • What hurts your family life more than any other thing? • Lack of prayer!

4. The Family Today • A deteriorating and vanishing structure in the world today • 25 years ago - average family unit was a stay at home housewife/mother, a wage‑earning father, and no stepchildren • Only 7% of American homes have that mix today • Today more than fifty per cent of the nation’s mothers work outside the home • One child in six will lose a parent through divorce by the time he is 18 • The family is in desperate need of prayer

5. The Solution Pray in our families! • Statistics • “one out of every two marriages end in divorce” • Harvard sociologist, Dr. Piterim Sorokin, “but for those families who have prayer and Bible study there is only one divorce in 1015 marriages” • The family – just one critical area where prayer makes a dramatic difference • The pray-er should pray with his family • If you do not “come out of the closet” with your praying, then you have a limited view of prayer

6. God’s Promise • 2 Chronicles 7:14 • If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land • Principle: • When you begin to pray, you will always see an unusual work of the Lord

7. Guidelines - Family Prayer • A definite time • Family prayers should have a definite time within the family schedule • Pray with your spouse daily • Family prayers will make your personal devotions better • Individual members will be affected • Nothing encourages a personal prayer life like family praying • Family prayers should fit the family’s situation • Each family is different • Mealtime is a good time for prayer • Bedtime would be another good time for prayer

8. The Perceived Problem • Only a few families practice family devotions • The “family altar” is exceedingly rare among Christians‑even among ministers and leaders • The usual excuse - they cannot find a time when all the family will remain still together for a few minutes • Activities ‑ church, business, sports, television, educational activities • Lack of prayer together is a more serious problem!

9. The Real Problem Families will not establish the practice of family devotions until they become convinced that it is more important than their other activities

10. A Prayer-less People • The problem of prayer-less families is only a symptom of the larger problem of prayer-less people • The key to prayer with the family is to discover a time when one can pray with the family as a unit and with members of the family as individuals • The sacrifice of one television program is not much to give up for the value of time with the Lord • If it is a high priority for you as a parent you will make the time

11. Disciple Making – 1st Lesson • We need examples to see in our lives • Pray with your children on a daily basis • Very few children in the world today have before them a consistent praying parent • Prayer is the on‑the‑job training for a child – start at the earliest possible age • Children need a strong intercessor and they need to hear you praying for them • Self‑consciousness • Sometimes the father feels he is supposed to be the leader, but that his wife knows so much more that he is embarrassed • Share that responsibility

12. A Time of Mutual Sharing • Read a Bible passage together then let each person share • about what you have read • about your life together • about how the Lord works through our prayers • about family and friends who need prayer – Christmas cards • Do not feel obligated to pose wise solutions or to appear spiritual • Simply talk - and then all pray • Let there be great freedom to simply be yourselves • Prayer binds a family together as nothing else can

13. Starting a Family Prayer Time • Decide to start, then start! • “Ask, and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you!” – Matthew 7:7-8 • Meet with your family and admit your own failures in prayer with the family and then agree to change with them • Do this without blaming anyone else, and then discuss the remedy – how you can get started • Discuss it honestly, and then stop and pray together right there • New habits will have to be formed and old ones broken • This takes practice and concentration • Prayer’s function is to put God at the center of your life and to see Him at work in your life! • As you open your own heart you will find God’s love and joy healing the old hurt places

14. The Place • The place should be informal • A place where you will be undisturbed • Turn off the telephone! • Pray about the location and the right answer will come • It will become a special place in your home!

15. The Length of Time • The length will vary and will be determined by the needs of the family • Use conversational prayer! • When your family begins to see God answering their prayers, they will enjoy every minute and want more • There is no greater joy in life • Seeing God at work in your life answering prayer • Knowing that He is there and that He cares for you!

16. The Position • Sitting around the table draws people together in an easy yet intimate way • Sitting in a circle • Kneeling by a sofa • Avoid scattered seating - we are members of one family!

17. How to Actually Begin • Explain conversational prayer to your family • Start with a time of silence at first • You are in the presence of Jesus Christ • Prepare your heart in quiet worship • Don’t be afraid of silence • He is there, and He speaks in a still small voice • Open with a prayer of thanks that Matthew 18:19-20 is true • That He is there with you and you want to agree with Him • Give thanks in sentence prayers • First of all for the Lord Himself, for what He is like • Then for His gifts: for eternal life, for some personal answer to prayer

18. Giving Requests • Stating prayer requests before you start to pray can be time‑consuming and evasive • Three times longer than the actual praying! • Apparently it is much easier to tell our problems to one another than to God • “Unspoken requests” • Can be evasive, and tend to draw the person who gave them farther away • “bearing with one another” Colossians 3:13 • Let as many as feel led by the Holy Spirit pray for this need

19. Agreeing in Prayer • Matthew 18:19-20 • “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” • How do we know when we have agreed? • We agree by saying so when we pray • Remind each other as we pray of the Lord and of His promises

20. The Starter and the Finisher • Not “leader” • The one who starts and finishes is not really a “leader” • “The Leader” is the Holy Spirit • Be sensitive to and aware of the moving of the Spirit in the family • Ask others to start and finish occasionally

21. Prayer Subjects • Worship, thanksgiving, praise to God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit • Pray for • our loved ones • our own personal needs or activities • each other • our missionaries • pastor and church • our nation, our leaders, world events

22. Silence ‑ Pauses • “Right prayer demands a quieting of the whole being” • Learn to be quiet, and to be aware of Jesus’ presence • Don’t be in a hurry • It is in the silences, between prayers, that He speaks to us • When no one is praying audibly, all should be praying silently • The greatest answer to prayer - that we are consciously aware of Jesus and His unchanging love for us