Human beings are among God’s creation with the instinct to care for their newborns. In His wise providence, God instituted family for companionship, life-skills training, social security and most importantly, His preferred vehicle through which one generation would convey the knowledge and fear of God to the next.
Once one matures and is ready to leave their family of origin, they seek to then start a family of their own by finding the right partner with whom to do life, inspire, encourage, help one another, and rear the next generation within the confines of covenant love – a symbol to unbelievers of Christ’s undying love for His bride, the Church. God did not create mankind to be a solitary being. He sets us up in families. Abraham loathed the idea that his vast wealth might be inherited by a servant (Genesis 15:1-4). Hannah longed for a child (1Samuel 1:10-11). Many people understand this struggle. Perhaps you do as well.
Families are imperfect because they are made up of imperfect people. But there is no better training ground for a fulfilling life than the family because we do not get to exercise the prerogative of choice. You are born to parents you did not choose and particularly when younger, you also do not get to choose the family situation in which you grow. Some have the opportunity to be raised by their parents and others by relatives, extended family, or friends to the parents. Whatever your particular family situation, go to our Awesome God today and pray for the sacred trust of raising a family of your own, for the glory of His name.
Prayer Direction
Personal
- Ask God to prepare you to be the kind of person that the person you are looking for is looking for you (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7).
Church
As seen in Ephesians 5:1-7, pray for marriage partners in the Church to:
- Keep themselves sexually and relationally pure.
- Say “No” to trial marriage, cohabiting, “situationships” etc and wait on our Awesome God to make all things beautiful in its right time.
- Prepare adequately by seeking godly counsel before making the covenant with the person they desire to marry.
Nation
Pray for the appalling state of the family in the country:
- A rising divorce rate is indicative of a shallow understanding of covenant. Pray for God’s revelation of His undying love in Christ that surpasses all understanding and that He will reveal it by His Holy Spirit to every intending groom and bride (Ephesians 3:14-19).
- Pray against domestic abuse in the country which undermines the institution of family by cultivating a hostile environment that diminishes the chances of amicable resolution of domestic relational challenges. (Ephesians 5:21-33).
- Childlessness is a high-ranking cause for marital breakdown. Pray that God who gives family will also give people the fortitude to work through the challenges of childlessness and that the Awesome God who has opened barren wombs before and raised
the fertility of men will do it again this year for the Glory of His name.