10 Verses to Pray Asking God to Bless and Strengthen Your Family
A family counselor once shared the following with me…
I met with the (Smith) family because four-year-old (Brittany) was having trouble getting along with the other children at her pre-school. As mom and dad took their seats, Brittany wandered the room picking up puppets and books.
After a few moments of chit-chat, I asked, ” So Brittany, who’s in charge at home?”
She immediately pointed at dad . . . mom burst into laughter.
“Why is your mom laughing, Brittany?”
“Because mommy and daddy want to be the boss, but I’m really the boss.”
It sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
We’re all born with a human nature that’s sinful and self-absorbed . . . one that wants to be in charge.
I am so thankful for God’s patience! It’s taken years of His guidance and discipline to teach me that life is better when I surrender my life to Him and let Him lead the way.
And that’s not just true for us individually . . . it’s true for our families and communities as well.
Life is better when we trust God’s will.
His Word tells us that we will enjoy more peace and joy when everyone in the family is surrendered to Him and trusts Him to help them make decisions. And when each of us loves like Jesus.
When we leave our relationship with the Lord to being a Sunday morning activity choosing to “be the boss” of our lives the rest of the week . . . our families and our communities suffer.
So, I’m turning to God’s Word today, seeking His will and praying that we will make Him Lord of our lives every day of the week.
Verses and Prayers to Bless
and Strengthen Your Family
Father, thank you for the gift of family. Thank you for giving us people with whom we can SEEK You and grow in faith, sharing Your love and enjoying Your blessings.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33
Father, forgive us for the way we have failed to trust Your will and follow Your plans for our family. Forgive us for wanting to “be the boss” of our lives and for failing to love You and each other the way You command.
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
Jeremiah 17:7
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for showing us the Father. (John 14:9) Thank you for showing us the blessings of living with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Thank you for showing us the way forgiveness is able to set us free. Thank you for showing us how to love and how very much we are loved.
Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Colossians 3:12–14
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Lord, please help us forgive as we have been forgiven. It’s so easy to blame others for our pain and problems and hold on to hurts when life is hard. You left the glories of heaven to live in our mess, to show us the Father’s perfect love, and to save us from the eternal consequences of our sinfulness. I am so very undeserving of all that You have done for me. Please give me the strength I need to forgive and to love like You.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
1 Corinthians 13:4–7
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Father, by the power of Your Spirit please help remain faithful, hopeful, and loving. Please give us all we need to never give up. You don’t give up on us . . . please help us to never give up on one another. May we pray for each other and surrender one another to the power of Your mercy and grace.
Since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship.
Romans 12:1
Father, strengthen our family and give us everything we need to live each day for You. Help us surrender ourselves to Your love. May we lay aside our need to “be the boss” and our own selfish desires to trust and obey Your perfect will.
Lord, we need You! Help our family make our relationship with You through Jesus a priority. May we pray, study Your Word, and worship together faithfully. Please give us the wisdom we need to guide our families and remain in Your will. There are so many distractions fighting for our time. Help us plan our schedules in ways that make our family and our time with You most important. And please grant us the blessings of health and protection.
♥ Finally, Father, I lift up to You the personal needs and circumstances of my loved ones __________.
Our families are pulled in many directions . . . jobs, school, sports, arts, friends, entertainment, and technology.
The Good News is that with God’s help, everything is possible . . . with His strength we can live in victory.
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
May we prayerfully proclaim today…
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15
And may the Lord be with you and bless and strengthen your family.
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Such beautiful verses and such lovely and humble prayers. I wish all families could read this and put God first in their lives and homes. If only…if only. God first and together as a family, to love, forgive, and share all with others, that they too can know the overwhelming joy and peace of living life with God. Blessings to You and Your family and to all the ones reading your post today!
Thank you, Kathy! Your kind encouragement is always a lovely blessing. Hope you’re enjoying a wonderful week.
Amen, Deb! How much richer our lives with our families would be if we faithfully put God first in our lives.
Blessings!
I keep praying for all families to grow in faith and love for the One who loves them most! God bless you, dear friend!
Thank you Deb.
Thank you, Usha! Have a blessed day!
Perfect words—perfect timing!
Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much! God bless you!
Thank you for this particular devotion, even though, I do love all of them. I want to share this one with my children, who haven’t been in church regularly, since covid shut churches down. I often see the struggle of who is the boss in their homes, and it grieves my heart. This is so good!
Sincerely,
Jo
You’re so very kind, Jo. Thank you! Joining you in praying for our families to be filled with the hope of Jesus. God bless you!