Marriage and family are gifts. They are extensions of God’s love for us and are to be cherished. Binding the love between family members and God through prayer can heighten the joy among husband and wife, parents and children and siblings. Think of family prayer this way. If each of you were an ingredient to an ice cream sundae, would you want to eat each separately or bring it all together! These are some of the benefits many families experience through joint prayer.
Family Prayer Helps Release Your Pain
Prayer said aloud provides the entire family with a way to unlock some of the deepest, suppressed pain and anxiety they experience. By giving those negative feeling a voice and naming them, they became more defined, more real. It’s as if you are bringing them into the world and making them real for yourself, your family and calling out to God for His undying love and acceptance. This type of prayer can unite a family because it gives each of you an opportunity to express powerful emotions and have them validated in the eyes of each other and God. By following the teachings of Jesus Christ who said, “Forgive us our sins in the same way we forgive others,” you can become a more forgiving and understanding family as a whole. This practice may take some deep soul searching, but it can be a powerful way to strengthen inter-family relations and your bond with God.
Family Prayer Has A Healing Power
Many secular people attempt to lean on science, psychology or the latest pill to heal their emotional wounds. Whether the condition is related to depression, addiction or serious illness, prayer has a unique healing power. By praying together, you can tap into the calming spiritual foundation that a connection to God fosters. Doing this with loved ones can also provide a strong emotional bond to those closest to you and provide each other with an Earthly guidance about the struggle. Compassion can become a tremendous pathway to spiritual healing.
Family Prayer Improves Communication
One of the primary ways that we enjoy successful interactions with those around us is direct communication. Prayer is a direct vehicle for communicating with God. By praying as a family, you can put yourself in an extremely vulnerable emotional situation with God and those closest to you at once. It’s not uncommon for people to feel some hesitation about bearing their soul to others in a way they had previously only showed God. Baby steps may be needed. Some families spend a few moments sharing personal items or asking each other questions. As you become comfortable opening yourself up, your hesitation and anxiety will diminish and feelings of joy will grow.
Family Prayer Protects Your Loved Ones
Asking Him to bless your husband, wife, children, siblings and extended family members each day is a pathway to His protection. Although many secular people attempt to gain control over the world through wealth and power, Christians understand that such ideas are false illusions. There’s only one driver in this bus we call life. Asking God to protect your loved ones each day is particularly powerful for parents. Mothers and fathers understand that they shoulder a joyful, but sometimes heavy health and welfare burden. Family prayer plays a dual role in terms of safeguarding children because it directly conveys your love of God and children simultaneously. The fact that they are in your presence as you ask God for their well-being, fruitful futures and spiritual health goes far a long way in the parent-child relationship. From your lips to God’s ear, they understand the depths of love.
Family Prayer Is A Tie That Binds
There are those families in each community that stick together like glue. Whether adversity has brought them closer together or a connection to Him, they set an example of what family love means. Family prayer can help bring you closer together as well. One of the important aspects of beginning family prayer is incorporating this coming together at a specific day and time. Each family has everyday responsibilities, so scheduling should be a time that makes sense for all. Communication, problem solving, compassion and connection to God can be that very same glue.
Family Prayer Means Removing Judgment
It’s important to recognize that successful family prayer requires a deep level of understanding. Families that are able to successfully come together must find a way to avoid judging others for their sins and emotions. Building trust through understanding can be difficult at first. Taking time to contemplate what your loved ones are experiencing and doing your best to support them can have an exponentially positive impact on your family. Family love is one of God’s gifts, cherish each other.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
