Praying Together, for Each Other, and For Those We Love: Encouraging articles from Family Fire

Praying together connects us to God and blesses our relationships with spiritual intimacy. It unites our hearts as a couple and family, and opens our eyes to each other’s struggles and blessings. As parents, praying together, for each other, and for those we love unites us as a team and models a good example for our children. Following our lead, our children learn to take their own problems to God and find answers from him. It demonstrates where to go for guidance and strength for each new day.

In the articles below, Family Fire contributors explore the blessing of praying together.

Praying Together

The Benefits of Praying Together, by Rev. Dr. Steven Koster - The spiritual aspect of a marriage relationship is important for a healthy relationship. Shared spiritual practice strengthens marriage bonds. It may be difficult to choose vulnerability, but the marriage relationship ought to be the place where we are comfortable with openness.

Rules for Fair Fighting: Rule #10 Pray Together, by Rev. Dr. Steven Koster - As we pray together, our hearts open to each other in the presence of God. We benefit from hearing the needs that are weighing heaviest on each other’s hearts. Prayer connects us as a united team. When we pray, we turn our struggles over to God instead of carrying the weight of the burden.

Praying With Your Children, by Rev. Dr. Bret Lamsma - Praying with children gives us the opportunity to model for them what it means to follow Jesus. While we don’t have all of the answers as to living out our faith, we can pass on to our children some of what we understand about God as well as who he created us to be through our times spent in prayer.

Praying with Your Spouse, by Rev. Kelly Vander Woude - A marriage is strengthened when we pray together. These prayers need not be extravagant or long, but connect us as a couple that God has brought together. It’s also a very vulnerable, intimate, strengthening, and beautiful opportunity to be honest, open, loving, and caring with your spouse before the face of God.

Family Blessings from the Lord's Prayer, by Rev. Deb Koster - All of these petitions from the Lord’s Prayer have the opportunity to bless our families if we incorporate them into our daily life. Consider studying the Lord’s prayer together as a family and praying it over your home.

Praying for Each Other

Praying for Your Spouse, by Rev. Dr. Steven Koster - Let the Bible guide you as you learn to pray for one another. Spiritual intimacy can feel intimidating at first, but it is worth the effort. An investment in prayer will ripple into every other area of intimacy in your marriage—intellectual, emotional, and even physical.

The Power of Praying for One Another, by Rev. Deb Koster - Choose to step outside your comfort zone and pray for the needs that you see before you, right there and then. Let prayer be the gift you give to a friend by helping bear their burden and directing them before God’s throne!

Praying for Those We Love

Praying For Our Children, by Nadia Swearingen-Friesen - We could spend our time worrying over the pain our children will face or we can turn each worry into a prayer for our children to find blessing. Taking that time to invite God into what we are doing and living in our ordinary life impacts our family and our home.

Praying for Prodigal Children, by Rev. Joel Vande Werken - A rejection of faith by our grown children can be deeply painful for parents. Jesus told a story about a father whose son demanded his inheritance early and ran off to squander his new wealth. If you’re worried about a wayward child, God has a special place in his heart for you, and for your children.

Family Prayer Resources

Check out these great resources for your family’s prayer life from our sister programs at ReFrame Ministries.

How Do I Pray? Six Ways to Help You Reinvigorate Your Prayer Life or Get Started for the Very First Time, an ebook from our ReFrame Prayer Ministry.

Faith Practices for Families: Prayer, an ebook from Kids Corner, Family Fire, and the ReFrame Prayer Ministry.