for Families "Special" Weapons Required…
“The
weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that
sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ...” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (NIV)
Carolyn Jo Gower
Philippians 4:6-7 is a
great place to start in praying for your family. “"Do
not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
As the leader of your wife and children, here are a few principles that’ll encourage
you and your family:
Praying is about Acknowledging God; allowing
Him into our lives, both generally and specifically.
There are atheists and Christians alike
who believe they can handle life without God. Prayerlessness is a boast against
God. A day without prayer is a day of praising yourself rather
than God; what you’re saying is I can do this without You. I can do my
relationships without you, my finances, my job without you and in essence I can
live this life successfully without you, God.
The Lord is not going to force his way
into our lives because a forced relationship is of no value. Remember in the
Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve kicked God out of their lives when they chose
Satan’s way; Jesus had to come to take our place, so we can now have the
privilege of having God in our lives. Because of what Christ has done for us,
when we pray, it says to God “I need you in my life, both generally and
specifically; “I need you in my finances, my body, my relationships, I need you
in my decision-making. God absolutely loves that and he responds when we
acknowledge Him.
Prayer builds
priority with God.
If Jesus truly is the most important
person in your life, then you have no problem speaking with Him often. After
all, you talk to and listen to people that you want to get to know; it’s
impossible otherwise. When you long to get to know God, these
things are part of the relationship, as well as regularly reading and studying
His word. Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. I use to think prayer
was a religious act that God required of me daily and of my church during our
worship services. I thought that you do this because if you don’t God’s not
going to be happy with you. I had the wrong concept – the one and only true
living God is a loving God who wants us to love him. God wants time with his
children, just like a loving parent-child relationship does when it is a mutual
loving relationship.
Praying is
exercising your God-given authority.
If you exercise your authority through
praying to God, you will defeat the attacks of the enemy. Overcoming the
temptations Satan throws at us can only be dealt with if we ask God for His
help. God will intervene on our behalf.
“Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due
time.
Cast
all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5;6-7).
Jesus
said, “I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what
I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and
protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All
the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s
authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God
does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing.”Luke 10:18-20 (MSG)
God has given us incredible authority in
this life. All we have to do is take it and use it. Therefore, Dads, you
don’t have time not to pray! For example, suppose you skip a
day of prayer, you go out on your own, make a decision without considering
God’s will because you didn’t surrender the matter to God. That is a dead work
that God won’t bless and you may spend months or years trying to repair the
damage that that decision made. Or you could have stopped to pray, put your
faith in God, and surrender to Him. He would speak to you and bring years of
blessings to your life.
Therefore, pray with your family to invite
God into your lives, building a priority with God in your family and take hold
of your God given authority as the man God has made you to be. You will step up
the spiritual growth of your family through your personal prayer life
withdrawing to a quiet place to pray where you meet your Father in Heaven that
will answer your invitation for help. He is with you and will never forsake
you. God is waiting, He longs for your call to Him.
