One important lesson to learn from Esther is her love for her people. Yes, she was married to another family; but she didn’t forget or neglect her family, especially in their time of need. As wives, when we get married, we go into a new family as much as our husband come in to be part of our family. Now if God has blessed you and you are now a mum, your child or children will go to be members of new families and you will also become parents to new sons and daughters. What a cycle it is. Do you see it?
Today, as we bring this challenge to a close, we will be taking time to thank God for this beautiful family we belong to. Whether we are few or many, (don’t compare yours with any other knowing each family is unique on its own) we will be offering prayers of thanksgiving to God.
Like Esther, let it not stop here. Let us always remember to raise our immediate and extended families up in prayers because, if it is well with them, it will be well with us too.
Prayers
Psalm 133:1 (MSG) How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!
Dear God, I thank you for _____, _____ and _____. Thank you for putting me in this family. There are times we disagree but I thank you that in spite of this, we still get along. I praise you because, no matter how hard life becomes, you will help us to always see the beauty of being united as a family, in Jesus Name. Amen.
Matthew 12:48-50 (ERV) Jesus answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his followers and said, “See! These people are my mother and my brothers. Yes, anyone who does what my Father in heaven wants is my true brother and sister and mother.”
Dear God, I thank you that _____, _____ and _____ love you with all their heart and always seek to do what makes you, our Father in Heaven happy. These, I know, are my true family members far beyond just blood ties. I thank you because _____ and _____ are growing up to know you more and love you with all their heart. I praise you Lord that every member of my household will be to me a true family member united by the blood of Jesus in Jesus Name. Amen.
Proverbs 27:17 (AMP) As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].
Dear God, I praise you for bringing into my life _____, _____ and _____. Thank you for the good and godly influences they have been to me. Thank you for those sweet beautiful discussions that we have, which leaves me inspired, edified and encouraged. It is with thankfulness of heart that I come to you, for I know there is going to always be someone influencing us in a godly way in Jesus Name. Amen.
Proverbs 27:10 (GNT) Do not forget your friends or your father’s friends. If you are in trouble, don’t ask a relative for help; a nearby neighbor can help you more than relatives who are far away.
Thank you Father for the friends you have brought into our lives. Thank you for the friends that we can go to in time of need when family is far away from us. For my children, _____ and _____; I thank you for all the friends you are planting in their lives. For my husband, _____, I thank you also for the friends you are planting in his life. When I am not immediately close by and available, I praise you because they are not lacking anything in Jesus Name. Amen.
Deuteronomy 5:16 (ERV) You must honor your father and your mother. The Lord your God has commanded you to do this. If you follow this command, you will live a long time, and everything will go well for you in the land that the Lord your God gives you.
Dear God, I thank you for the gift of my father and mother. Thank you for also making me a mum and my husband a dad. I thank you Lord for helping us honor our parents thereby showing our children _____ and _____ a good example to follow. I thank you Lord for helping my children obey your command and earning for themselves a long life and prosperity here on earth in all the land you give them. I praise you because you will continue to help us be great examples as we continue to honor our parents even in their old age in Jesus Name. Amen.
For some of us who have lost one or both parents, I know, from experience, that this can be hard; but please pray anyway.
Ephesians 6:4 (AMP) Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Dear God, thank you for reminding us of what to do as parents through your word, knowing that we are humans who can and most likely will make mistakes. I thank you that your Holy Spirit is helping us to be understanding, tolerant, patient, encouraging, impartial and very present in our children’s lives. Thank you Father for guiding us and helping us, _____ and I to bring up _____ and _____ tenderly and lovingly in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I praise you for this in Jesus Name. Amen.
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (ERV) You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Always remember these commands that I give you today. Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads to help you remember my teachings. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
Thank you dear God for this wonderful reminder to love you with all our heart, soul and strength. I thank you for counting us worthy to be able to teach our children, _____ and _____ about you and your words. Thank you for the opportunity to tell them about you at home, outside, while we are sitting, at bedtime and even in the morning when we wake up. I thank you that our children can look at us and see Jesus in us. I thank you that our children will love you with all their heart and even go on to teach their own children, who’ll grow to love you and then go on to teach theirs; and on and on. Lord I just thank you that every member of my family loves you. We will continue to put you first in our lives in Jesus Name. Amen.
John 15:12-13 (AMP) This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for showing us what and how it is to love. I thank you because you are teaching us as a family to seek the best in each other just like you. I praise you for filling us with your Holy Spirit who teaches us to love and even more gives us the ability to love like Jesus. Thank you for all these in Jesus Name. Amen.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (GNT) Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him.
Thank you Lord for the gift of my husband _____ and my children _____ and _____. With them by my side, I can look back on the things their support and encouragement have helped me achieved. I can also see all the beautiful things we accomplished as a team. Lord, we thank you that we have each other to lean on and support as we go through life. For the many things we will accomplish in the future, dear God, we praise you. I also want to thank you for the spouses you are bringing into my children, _____ and _____’s life who are working effectively with them to accomplish all you have set for them to do. We love you Father in Jesus Name. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15:33 (ERV) Don’t be fooled: “Bad friends will ruin good habits.”
Dear Lord, I thank you for this wonderful reminder on choosing our friends carefully. I praise you for helping my husband _____, my children _____ and _____ and I carefully choose our friends. I praise you for the beautiful godly people you have brought and are bringing into our circle who are influencing us to righteousness and enabling us maintain and develop good habits. I also want to thank you Lord for making us also influencers of godly habits to those around us in Jesus Name. Amen.
Reflection
As you go on in the remaining days of the year, make sure to develop a praying habit. Instead of worrying or rather, when you find yourself worried about something, tell Father about it.
Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. Philippians 4:6-7 Amplified
It has been a great priviledge to challenge you all to pray for the past seven (7) days. Thank you for honoring my invitation to pray again this year. All prayers have gone from our lips to Father’s ears. I look forward to reading your testimonies. If you desire to stay anonymous, do send yours to our email here.
God bless you all.
Till the end of the year, we would continue to post here.
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