Family prayer

[shag]

Something I desire to better myself at, is praying with my wife and children at home. Sometimes during the week we will have family prayer, consisting of each person giving multiple prayer requests, and then praying for them. Then usually some discussion.

Less often tho, comes prayer individually with eachother. Some bedtime prayers. Dinner table prayer. But I would like to become more comfortable with "one to one" prayer with my wife and kids. I want it to become a regular daily thing that we each become accustomed to and even desire. I very much believe that it can tear down many walls, and help build a closeness and a very peaceful home(among other things).

That said, I'm open to ideas of how some may make prayer together happen regularly with spouse and kids, individually. Not even so much of am major prayer intercession, but mostly a rap my arms around him/her, and say a prayer ofencouragement or whatever comes to mind...

Maybe it's as simple as just start Doing it- lol.


(My wife homeschools our kids, and they generally start the day in prayer, afterthe which I have prayed alone and am already generally gone to work, so my prayer time with them cannot happen till the evening.)



Thoughts? Ideas? Anybody mastered this area of expertise?
Husbands and wives prayer together...
Parent /child prayer together...

Talk to me....

[Cindy]

I am sure it was much easier in biblical times, when Dad's didn't have to rush off to work, and moms just sat around the house all day, right?

18Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.

19And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

20And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: Deuteronomy 11:18-20 KJV

IMO, prayers don't have to be long or carefully worded, but families should have prayer time together.

[Aquila]

The issue is that in our culture we have unknowingly and unintentionally divorced the home from being the center of spiritual life. Instead... we are a religion of the sanctuary. We attend a "service" in a "church building" and it is this that becomes our primary spiritual focus. I think it's a subconscious thing, we don't mean to do it but we do. We feel comfortable praying at church during services and prayer meetings... but then gathering the family around the Bible, having family prayer and Bible study feels "awkward". The truth of the matter is that the family is meant to be the foundational institution of the church... not a non-profit organization in some illustrious building. We need to turn our hearts towards home. Towards the fathers in our homes. We need to restor biblical fatherhood and bring the family back into the arms of dads who pray with the family and leads the family is the study of God's Word. This is a vision of the house church movement, and many feel it is something dear to the heart of God.

Now... as for our families in the now. Just do it. You have to CENTER your family's faith in the home. Sure, attend church... but bring the focus home. You are the high priest of your family.

[Sweet Pea]

Originally Posted by Aquila

The issue is that in our culture we have unknowingly and unintentionally divorced the home from being the center of spiritual life. Instead... we are a religion of the sanctuary. We attend a "service" in a "church building" and it is this that becomes our primary spiritual focus. I think it's a subconscious thing, we don't mean to do it but we do. We feel comfortable praying at church during services and prayer meetings... but then gathering the family around the Bible, having family prayer and Bible study feels "awkward". The truth of the matter is that the family is meant to be the foundational institution of the church... not a non-profit organization in some illustrious building. We need to turn our hearts towards home. Towards the fathers in our homes. We need to restor biblical fatherhood and bring the family back into the arms of dads who pray with the family and leads the family is the study of God's Word. This is a vision of the house church movement, and many feel it is something dear to the heart of God.

Now... as for our families in the now. Just do it. You have to CENTER your family's faith in the home. Sure, attend church... but bring the focus home. You are the high priest of your family.

[Dagwood]

Originally Posted by Aquila

The issue is that in our culture we have unknowingly and unintentionally divorced the home from being the center of spiritual life. Instead... we are a religion of the sanctuary. We attend a "service" in a "church building" and it is this that becomes our primary spiritual focus. I think it's a subconscious thing, we don't mean to do it but we do. We feel comfortable praying at church during services and prayer meetings... but then gathering the family around the Bible, having family prayer and Bible study feels "awkward". The truth of the matter is that the family is meant to be the foundational institution of the church... not a non-profit organization in some illustrious building. We need to turn our hearts towards home. Towards the fathers in our homes. We need to restor biblical fatherhood and bring the family back into the arms of dads who pray with the family and leads the family is the study of God's Word. This is a vision of the house church movement, and many feel it is something dear to the heart of God.

Now... as for our families in the now. Just do it. You have to CENTER your family's faith in the home. Sure, attend church... but bring the focus home. You are the high priest of your family.

It all starts at home...

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

[Hoovie]

[Jay]

I have to agree. My family often tried, but never really got the hang of doing it. I do believe that it is a necessity that is not stressed enough anymore.