Key Truths for Families - Prayer

Good morning, Five Minute Families. Jojo is our youngest son, and he loves to put on the whole armor of God. As we sit together preparing this week’s Five Minute Family devotion, memories of our older boys dressed in plastic silver armor, standing tall, and explaining each part of the armor fill our thoughts. We are recording at Clear View Retreat in Lancing, Tennessee, a family ministry which was born out of the knowledge, wisdom, and encouragement that others passed down to us and that God illuminated as we committed to grow closer to Him. Now, we have the blessed opportunity to lead a ministry that encourages families in Christ to connect deeply with Him and each other.We are finishing our Key Truths for Families series through the 6th chapter of Ephesians with the focus on the whole armor of God. We started in verse 10 and are wrapping up with our passage for today: Ephesians 6:18 “With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints”Prayer. What a great way to complete this series. Paul, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, knew exactly what we need as soldiers for Christ. The armor is protection, giving us action and preparation for life around us while prayer is connection to the source of everything. Yes, everything. The King of the universe. Lord of lords. Mighty God is He! And we can converse with Him.Praying can look many different ways, and people throughout the ages have encouraged prayer in diverse traditions. Reminders and plans can be very helpful to get the conversation started. Please remember that prayer is about relationship, not rote repetition. We can see from James chapter 4 starting at the end of verse 2 and going on to verse 3 that we don't have because we simply don't ask or we ask with the wrong motives. “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.”So, how can families pray? 1. Spend time reading and discussing instances of prayers in the Bible. From Moses and King David to Jesus and His followers - we can see what they said to God and often God's response. The Bible does not encourage us to say the same exact words they did, but follow their examples, the faith of their words, and their perspective on prayer. 2. Take time to actually pray together following different examples you recently learned about in your study together. Nehemiah is a great example. In chapter 1 Nehemiah pours out his heart through a prayer that touches upon many aspects of prayer: praise, petition, confession, humility, remembrance, and asking. The Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4, of course, is another great example. 3. Encourage each other to pray in the Spirit. Praying in the spirit is allowing God to influence your prayer. It's open eyes to the heart of God. It's approaching the Lord seeking His perspectives. Can we allow God to use us even in prayer? 4. Pray for other family members and saints. While there are definitely personal prayer times, praying as a family and being an example of seeking God in prayer is powerful. That does not mean we are puffed up in ourselves or praying for the audience around you. Praying out loud with your family can be humbling to do. But remember, the focus should be on God, especially in prayer. 5. Be alert and persevere. Of the several points throughout this series, the one that jumps out the most to us is actually that of being active. We must take action and be ready. Several passages in the Bible say: be strong and courageous. Be courageous in your prayers with your family. Be active in your prayer life, and persevere in praying together even through the storms of life.In closing, Five Minute Families, we know it would be easy to seek our own comfort, loosen our armor, set down the sword, and forget to pray. And, that would start the unraveling of our lives. But God encourages us to stay strong and stay on His track. He loves us immensely, deeply, and He knows what is in our best interests. As you begin to pray with one another, or as you continue along in prayers with your family learning new ways to draw closer to the Lord and encourage one another, we are praying for you that God will continue illuminate His truths as He has through the analogy of the armor. Be blessed!