Before we begin, I want to state that it is true that there is no “right” way to pray for your family. In fact, if you are mentioning them in prayer at all, it is honoring to them and God is pleased.

That being said, there are some guidelines that, when followed, can bring your prayers for family to a new level. The results will be much deeper, meaningful discussions between you and God about your loved ones.

Use Scripture in Your Prayers
The FIRST powerful way to pray for family is to use scripture in your prayers. Most likely, there is applicable scripture for any family issue you are considering. For example, if your loved one is struggling with an addiction, you can find a piece of scripture that encourages us in times of temptation. In the book of 1 Corinthians 10:13, scripture says – “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind; and God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

In speaking this verse in your prayer, you can”remind” God of what He promises in scripture. This reminder actually serves as proof to you that He will deliver your family member from that temptation. This practice of reciting scripture in our prayers helps remind us of God’s promises and the opportunity to see His faithfulness in delivering the promises of His Word.

Avoid Being Selfish
The SECOND main principle is to avoid being selfish in our prayer for family. Often, we pray for family members (and people, in general) to conform to OUR will. For example, a husband may find himself praying for God to help his wife understand they don’t have the money for new furniture… or for his daughter to score the most soccer goals on her team today.

While these can be noble requests and certainly have their own merits, they have an element of what WE want to happen more than what is best for our family members. So how can we easily parse out the difference?

The key to focusing your attention on what may be more appropriate prayer is this… Ask yourself if you are praying to further spiritual growth. Specifically, you will want to ask God to reveal to you how the particular prayer issue advances rohani madani istikhara pakistan family member’s spiritual growth. Also, we may need to ask God to reveal to us what He wants us to see about our own spiritual growth!

For perspective, our prayers above might look different. Our prayer about furniture might turn into the following: “Lord, thank you for providing my wife who thinks about how to make our home comfortable. While I prefer not to spend money on furniture right now, give me understanding how this purchase might serve You. Perhaps not having this furniture is a barrier to sharing our home right now. Also, please reveal to me any selfishness in my heart about this purchase. Perhaps my resistance is tied closely to my own desires to spend our money on a new TV or my unwillingness to cut back in my own spending. Help me understand the opportunity to serve my wife as well as the blessings you have in store for us should we buy this furniture.”

Our prayer for our daughter may become this instead: “God, thank you for the amazing athletic skill with which you have blessed my daughter. I know that she was ultimately made by You to glorify Your Name. If it is Your will, I pray that You help her succeed mightily on the soccer field today by scoring lots of goals. Ultimately, however, I pray that on this stage, she finds ways to glorify Your name, whether by her athletic accomplishments or her attitude on the field.”

Pray Out-Loud, With Your Family Member
A THIRD way to maximize your prayers for family is to pray WITH your family member! Admittedly, this is not the typical way we pray. Also, prayers for intercession are generally between God and us. Our exact dialogue with God tends to remain private.

That being said, imagine if your loved one could actually hear you implore God for their relief, or their wishes to come true, or their struggles to be over… if they could hear how deep your own emotion is on their behalf!

Admittedly, it is not always the right approach for family members to hear the words you are praying about them. However, there may be opportunities to more deeply move or encourage your family member in their time of need when they can audibly hear the depth of your own investment in their success or relief.