INTRODUCTION: Families experience pressures of many kinds. In this season of back-to-back holidays, family wounds & conflicts can arise if they haven't been addressed. Many internal and external issues try to tear the family unit apart, leaving painful experiences.
BUT we have The Father in Heaven, in whom we can seek restoration, redemption & reconciliation.
For the rest of November through the New Year, will you join us in praying for families to find ways to unify, to show mercy, to love and be loved, to build and not tear down and to heal and find joy again. Check out the podcasts, scriptures and resources & join us.
Thursday, 11/21 - COMMUNICATION [Anybody listening?]
Podcast: [Are you really listening? What are you saying? Put the phone away!]
Prayer points: making a choice to listen out of love; getting rid of distractions, choosing right place right time, seeking to understand first, paying attention to verbal & nonverbals, putting phone away, allow for faults, humility, gentleness, patience, speaking the truth in love, build each other up with wholesome language, kindness, forgiveness, slow to give advice
Scriptures:James 1:19, Proverbs 1:5; Deut. 12:28; Eph. 4: 1-3; 15-16; 23-24; 26-27; 29; 31-32
Resources: Pay attention, listen, seek to understand - Communicate better; Communication Skills for You and Your Family | Cooperative Extension | University of Delaware (udel.edu)
Wednesday, 11/20 - COLLEGE & ADULT CHILDREN [letting them fly, letting them go, letting them learn]
Family topic podcast: College & Adult Children [Co-dependent on Holy Spirit ; Dependent on God; Interdependent on Body of Christ]
Prayer points: truth would win out over lies taught in some college classes; resolve to stay true to what they learned and believed about God while attending college, parents to release kids to God’s ultimate care; for godly friends to surround them when they leave; for support from other parents in prayer and ways to love kids from a distance; hedge of protection against the worldly temptations, a desire & ability to stay the course to follow Jesus, no matter what, to be a light in the darkness.
Scriptures: Rom. 15:13; Phil. 1:6; Eph. 4:16
Resources: Lead Your Adult Children Back to Christ - Christian Parenting (crosswalk.com); 10 Things to Remember When Your Adult Child Leaves the Church (ibelieve.com); Parenting Adult Children: Six Steps to Sanity - Christian Parenting (crosswalk.com)
Tuesday, 11/19 - CHILDREN & ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES [Social, Physical & Mental]
Family topic podcast: Families with Children or Adults with social, physical or mental disabilities [hope, healing or deliverance]
Prayer points: find living hope, ongoing hope in the Lord for grace & strength; healing to the disabled, medical progress and success, not give up when tired; see the heightened traits of those challenged, appreciate and savor the good moments, support from extended family, cast their cares on the Lord and not take them back
Scriptures: 3 John 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:3; 2 Thess. 3:13
Resources: 15 Scriptures To Pray For Your Child with Special Needs (embracing.life)
Monday, 11/18 - CHILDLESS BY CHOICE OR NOT [barren, bitter or better]
Family topic podcast: Childless by choice or not [No advice please, Never assume who is infertile; No children but still fulfilled in God]
Prayer points: direction and open doors for those wanting children; safe people to discuss their pain, acceptance & no judgment by others for those that don’t want kids; renewed hope and strength as the childless couple looks for options; ways to deal with naysayers & when others conceive around them, hope where there’s despair, encouragement despite barrenness; the miracle of life & children, ways for them to love kids while waiting.
Scriptures: Is. 54:1; Luke 23:29; 1 Cor. 7:8; Prov. 30:15-16
Resources: How You Can Care for the Childless (thegospelcoalition.org); When a Christian is Childless — World Childless Week; Don't Judge Me Because I'm Childless | Today's Christian Woman (todayschristianwoman.com)
Friday, 11/15 - CAREGIVERS & MEMBER NEEDING CARE [Whose Member is it anyways?]
Family topic podcast: Family caregivers & Member needing care [loving God & self to receive and give love to others]
Prayer points: spending quality time with God; taking Sabbath time to restore; renewed with love and joy to care for family member; finding joy in the care & member, combatting fatigue with enough sleep & down time, paying attention to red flags in the member and in self, able to receive care without feeling like a burden; more than a duty – it’s a service to God, clear communication of needs, getting help, sharing the load.
Scriptures: 1 John 3:17; Phil. 2:4; Gal. 6:10
Resources: Caregiving: Christian Helping and Coping - Christian Life Resources; Caregiver Action Network; A Biblical Perspective on Caregiving | Joni and Friends; PRAYER FOCUS: Families (sbcuniteandawake.com)
Thursday, 11/14 - BLENDED FAMILIES [Stepping into a Frying Pan]
Family topic podcast: Blended Families [How to heal? How to help? How to unite?]
Prayer points: Clarify expectations, work together, form new bonds, Mourn the losses; cry together, share what you miss, and then identify what you gained. Understanding, patience, wisdom, comfort; Build a team with new and old ones; don’t forget to work on the marriage intentionally, help the children heal not their fault nor blame; find conflict solutions, agree on discipline, build a strong relationship with God & other believers to support and help, practice forgiveness, recognize it takes time
Scriptures: Galatians 3:28; Psalm 127:1; Eph. 2:14
Resources: Christian Advice for Blended Families: 7 Helpful Tips (whatchristianswanttoknow.com); Blended Families - Problems, Challenges, Bible Verses | Preach It, Teach ItAsk Roger Detail | Preach It, Teach It (preachitteachit.org); Christian Family Counseling: Blended Families and Parenting | Mill Creek Christian Counseling
Wednesday, 11/13 - Family Prayer Focus - Babies & Toddlers
Family topic podcast: Babies & toddlers [never too early to teach about God, simple less is best, remember parents need spiritual formation too]
Prayer points: parents find ways to get short breaks; others help them raise these little ones, protection, early they will know the Lord as savior, discipline appropriately to guide, divine wisdom through temper tantrums, parents & godly people speak good words over them, parents get sufficient input that is spiritual, physical and mental; they would be dedicated to the Lord early; taught to love the Word of God and worship
Scriptures: Prov. 22:6; Is. 40:11; Mk. 9:37
Resources: Powerful Prayers for a Baby - Holy Land Prayer; 35 Scriptures to Pray Over your Children (with Free Prayer Calendar) - (garmentsofsplendor.com)
Tuesday, 11/12 - ARGUMENTS & CONFLICTS [learn to fight fair]
Family topic podcast: Arguments & Conflicts - Biblical approach [it's not about winning]
Prayer points: Identify root cause; examine motives; lean on grace; put on humility; create an environment of thanksgiving, pray before and after the conflict or argument, seek resolution not restitution, the end game is not your way or my way - it's God's way.
Scriptures: James 4:1-6; Eph. 4:30-32
Resources: Handling Conflict Biblically and Constructively: Encouraging articles from Family Fire — Family Fire; Conflict Management: A Biblical Approach — Family Fire
Monday, 11/11 - ADOPTION & FOSTER KIDS [Parents & Children]
Family topic podcast: Adopted & Fostered [Kids who need a forever family; Couple who needs a forever kid; Celebrate our adoption to God’s family]
Prayer points: Children waiting for adoption, hope, process smooth, adapting goes well; foster children in the system, foster children after the system ends, foster parents, for the right reasons, ethically, lovingly, treat as their own; adoptive parents, patience, ability to love through assimilation, both foster & adoptive parents supported by extended family, gratitude for having a Father who will NEVER leave us NOR forsake us and who provided us a forever family.
Scriptures: James 1:27; Gal. 4:4-5; Ps. 10:14
Resources: 5 ways you can pray for adoptive families - ERLC; Adoption Prayer - Prayer Ideas; Prayer for Orphans (knowing-jesus.com); Foster Care as the Way of Christ | Desiring God
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