Communication is a basic building block for families so communicating with God should be viewed as a basic building block of the family’s faith.
Many parents may say a simple grace at meal or a simple prayer with a child at bedtime, but do you want to do more? Do you want to actually connect your family to God through prayer? Do you want family prayer to make a difference? Discover some great benefits of praying together that can inspire you to persist. Here are 10 top benefits to consider:
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Whether you use the acrostic ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) or another model, prayer involves praising God and thanking God for blessings. Voicing those thoughts helps families focus on positive reasons to be grateful. Giving thanks helps us realize how much God blesses us. Gratitude makes us feel happier and more optimistic as we share the joys of our days and rejoice in one another’s blessings. We also discover more about what makes each family member feel good. Praising God helps children learn that God is real, powerful, and loving.
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Discuss praises, answered prayers, and prayer needs, and then pray to build a conversation with the family that will bridge to talking with God. This lets each person voice what in his or her heart. Let family members pray for one of the requests and praise for one of the blessings. This connects needs and thanks to God.
You speak on another level when you pray, tapping into a realm of eternal hope and anticipation of God responding. Take time to pause and ask if anyone heard God speak in their heart or through a Scripture that came to mind. Those are a few ways God speaks to us when we pray.
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A habit of prayer brings a family together regularly to share the ups and downs of life and ways God works. When we share our emotions, we strengthen our bonds. As we show up, we also realize that God shows up too. The Lord becomes part of the fabric of our family, a member we converse with and share our deepest sorrows and most blissful joys.
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Studies show that prayer lowers stress and inspires people to be kinder. Lowering stress in family members makes home life happier and sweeter.
Prayer even helps regulate a person’s heartbeat to make it stronger. That’s part of why other studies link longer life to prayer. One study even revealed that prayer helps with self-control, especially when people pray before a mentally draining task. So pray before a family house cleaning day! Prayer also helps you age more smoothly, so you will be alive longer to enjoy one another more.
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Acknowledging that God is great humbles us and reminds us that we are not perfect. That makes it easier to release anger and bitterness from our hearts. Praying for one another also raises our awareness of the emotions of others and their need to be forgiven. We become more concerned for those we pray with and more considerate of their wellbeing. In effect, we become their cheerleaders as we pray for them.
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When we come together in prayer we are united in one faith. God matters more than our differences in politics, opinions, grades, and views. Through prayer we remember God created each of us and loves us, so there’s reason to respect one another, including our different views. Prayer also reminds us not to be judgmental, but to seek to understand.
We can join hands and trust that God is wiser and can guide us to truth. Prayer reminds us that we are to love one another, be kind, and use words that are uplifting and beneficial.
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Prayer is a natural parenting tool. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 states that we are to keep God’s words on our hearts and share them with our children. As they experience faith through prayer, it will help them seek God at all times. Children will discover that God is eager to be part of their lives. In our home, we prayed before we left, prayed when problems arose, and prayed when we celebrated good news. That invited God into all aspects of our lives and showed we wanted God to be part of our family.
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Praying together involves a commitment of time and faith with one another and God. When we schedule that time, we make family and faith a priority. We set aside worries and tasks to focus on our spiritual relationship. We are intentional in sharing those precious moments and engaging our hearts and minds. Family members feel appreciated and understand that everyone, including God, wants the best for them.
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Putting God first, using Scriptures in prayer, and observing how God works in our lives develops a biblical worldview. We see things through an eternal and godly perspective.
It helps to read a Bible story before praying to see how God worked in lives of people in the Bible. It also helps to read words Jesus spoke to hear His reaction to struggles and His views of life.
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As we praise God for answered prayers and record them, we also create a legacy of faith. Children experience how God blesses their family as they honor Him. Through prayer we are open to God’s influence and that impacts our character to help us become more like Christ. Our integrity builds a good family name and heritage.
We can trust God to be with our children as they reach adulthood. A child may stray from faith or the practices of childhood, but the memories will be ingrained in their hearts and minds to draw them back to prayer when they face struggles.
Let your family history and memories be woven together with years of prayer.
Karen Whiting is an author of 25 books and an international speaker. She’s a mother of five and a grandmother. Her book 52 Devotions for Busy Families makes it easy to develop faith in the home. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
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