15 Powerful Prayers for Your Family

Father, We have gathered to share a meal in Your honor. Thank You for putting us together as family, and thank You for this food. Bless it to our bodies, Lord. We thank you for all of the gifts you’ve given to those around this table. Help each member of our family use these gifts to your glory. Guide our mealtime conversations and steer our hearts to Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Meg Bucher

A Family Prayer for Gratitude

“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2

Lord, help us to be thankful for one another. Help my children to be thankful for each other, for our family to be grateful for each member and to pray one another continually. Our gratitude for one another will bind us together as a family, and our prayers for each other will further unify us in gratitude and love. - Marie Osborne

A Prayer to Give Us What We Need

Dear Jesus, Thank You for knowing what we need, even before we do. Help us to release control of our agendas, our wants, and the “needs” we think we need, to You. I pray that You would give me, my children, my family, and friends what we need, whatever that may be, to see You and feel Your presence more clearly in our lives. Help us to be men and women after Your own heart.

In Your Mighty Name, Amen - Maggie Meadows Cooper

A Prayer to Remember God Fights for You Today

We know that we’re never alone, for you are constantly at work on behalf of your children, shielding, protecting, strengthening, exposing deeds of darkness, bringing to light what needs to be known, covering us from the cruel attacks we face even when we’re unaware.

We ask that you would give us wisdom and discernment to recognize the schemes of the enemy and to stand strong against his work.

We ask that you would remind us to pray, constantly, for all believers.

We ask that you would help us to stay alert in a dark world.

We ask that you would help us to be salt and light, that we would be loving and gracious, yet unyielding to sin.

We ask that you help us to remember to put on your armor daily, for you give us all that we need to stand firm in this day.

We thank you that you are far greater than anything we face here in this life, and we have overcome, because you have set us free.

We thank you for your truth, “no weapon formed that is formed against you will prosper.”

Lord, we ask for your peace, we ask for your protection, we trust you for your constant work on our behalf. We ask you to bring justice. We ask that you would bring light, knowing that you expose the deeds of darkness. 

Standing together in your great and powerful Name, believing you are with us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Debbie McDaniel

Photo credit: Unsplash

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:16-17

Lord, I pray that the message of Christ and his sacrifice is the root of gratitude in my heart. That His gracious gift leads me to thankful living, setting an example for my family and children. That they will have their own relationship with Jesus one day, and that You would grow gratitude in their hearts out of the acceptance of Jesus as their Savior. Lead us to do everything in the name of Jesus and give thanks to You through Him. - Marie Osborne

A Prayer for Your Child to Turn Toward God

Create in _________________ a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within him/her (Psalm 51:10). Though you have made ______________ see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore ____________'s life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring _____________ up. You will increase ________________'s honor and comfort ____________ once again (Psalm 71:20-21). Thank You that Your word says I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate ___________ from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Cindi McMenamin

A Prayer of Blessing Over Those You Love

Dear God,

Thank you for your great love and blessing over our lives. Thank you that your favor has no end, but it lasts for our entire lifetime. Forgive us for sometimes forgetting that you are intimately acquainted with all of our ways, that you know what concerns us, and you cover us, as with a shield. We ask for your guidance so that we might walk fully in your blessing and goodness today. We ask that your face would shine on us. That you would open the right doors for our lives and for our loved ones, that you would close the wrong doors and protect us from those we need to walk away from. Establish the work of our hands and bring to fulfillment all that you have given us to do in these days. We pray that you would make our way purposeful and our footsteps firm out of your goodness and love. Give us a heart of wisdom to hear your voice, and make us strong by your huge favor and grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen. - Debbie McDaniel

Photo credit: Unsplash

Father, praise You for family. You tell us that it’s not good for us to be alone, and therefore have placed people around us that impact our lives and move us away from the loneliness of solitude. “The Lord is my strength and my song,” Exodus 15:2 reminds. We must remember that the family we live with is not responsible for our happiness. They are not charged with the status of our hearts and souls. And they cannot control how we feel, nor leap into our minds in an effort to understand the depth of our emotions.

When we are misunderstood, or a family member misunderstands us, we feel hopeless to plead our case. Help us to hold onto Exodus 15:2. You are our strength. The inability to filter our thoughts is a cue to hand them over to You. In the moments when silence is Your answer, help us to be patient. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, inspire us to recall who You say we are. Loved. Forgiven. Saved. Purposed. Unique.

Thank You for the comfort of family. The warm embrace of a mother and father, siblings, and extended family. There is something about being related that earns our trust easier other relationships. When and if that trust is broken through abuse and/or abandonment, we pray for your protection physically, and Your guardianship of our hearts and minds. Empower us to seek help and counsel from You, and from others trained to help us remove ourselves from danger and harm. Anyone intending to harm us or treat us abusively is never someone You intend us to linger with.

We confess all of the words we wish we could take back. Because of Adam and Eve’s mistake in the garden, our sinful nature can lead us down paths that we know are wrong, and into mistakes that we had no intention of making. Yet because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are forgiven over and over again when we confess to You in our Savior’s name. Help us to pass the same compassion on to others who wear on our hearts and patience. Bless us to be patient and wise, to seek You first, and speak kindness. Convict us when we are wrong, and strengthen our resolve to apologize.

Hurt within families can destroy relationships permanently. But with Your guidance, anything, and anyone, can be restored. You are our Healer. In You, we find peace. Our hope lies in You. And our faith can pull us across any divide when we let go and let You determine the way. Luke tells us “when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near” (Luke 21:5-28). Jesus is coming. There’s no doubt about that. We want to follow Him fast and focused until He returns to take us home, or we arrive home in heaven to Him.

In the midst of conflict and hurt, it’s easy to be bitter. Misunderstanding can breed justification for cutting off a relationship like a dead tree branch. Payback and comebacks replay in our minds. Vindication runs on repeat. But God, You tell us to focus on You (Colossians 2:19). Let the world explain away, but let us listen to You first.

God, You are there in the pain we cannot bear, do not understand, and want to run from. Hold us and help us. Help us to endure long silences until we are sure You have inspired our choice of words. Quicken our hearts to forgive, and to pray for those on the other side of disagreements. Bless those who hurt us, and help us to be a blessing that shines bright in Your Name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Meg Bucher

A Prayer for Family Healing and Grace

God, We confess our need for you today. We need your healing and your grace. We need hope restored. We need to be reminded that you work on behalf of those you love, constantly, powerfully, completely. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running all different directions and spinning our wheels to find help, when true help and healing must be found first in You. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need you, above everyone and everything else. We come to you and bring you the places we are hurting. You see where no one else is able to fully see or understand. You know the pain we've carried. The burdens. The cares. You know where we need to be set free. We ask for your healing and grace to cover every broken place. Every wound. Every heartache. Thank you that you are Able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for your Mighty Power that acts on behalf of your children. We reach out to you, and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficulty, every battle, for your greater glory. Thank you that you will never waste our pain and suffering. We love you. We need you today. In Jesus' name, Amen. - Debbie McDaniel

Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/Wavebreakmedia

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5:3-5

Lord, please replace our sins and temptations with thanksgiving. Help us to use gratitude as a way to battle the draw to immorality or impurity. Let us be people who are filled with thanks rather than sinful desires. - Marie Osborne

A Prayer to Trust God with Your Children

Dear Lord, 

I thank you for those you have given me the privilege of nurturing. Although it comes with much responsibility, help me to never forget that you love them more than I ever could. Father, if there are times I become obsessive or overwhelmed by the circumstance, I ask that you give me your peace. Show me, Lord, how to surrender my parenting to you.

I thank you Lord that you are a good God. Even when I don’t understand why, help me to trust your heart for me and my child. Teach me to walk in faith and courage, even when its hard. Thank you for your love for me and those you have entrusted me with. 

In Jesus Name, Amen. - Victoria Riollano

Related Resource: A Prayer for Good Influences in our Kids’ Lives

Photo credit: Unsplash

Dear God, we thank you tonight for the good day and for the special way you take care of us all the time. Thank you for the fun times outside and the quiet times inside, and for helping us learn new things every day.

Thank you for creating us special, exactly the way you wanted. Thank you for protecting us throughout the day. Forgive us for the wrong things we do. Thank you for loving us even when we disobey or try to do things our way. Help us to always choose your way, God, because it’s always best. We pray for all the people who don’t know you, and that they will come to understand your love for them, too.

Bless our family and thank you for good times together and apart. Bless our friends and those we love, including our grandparents, our aunts and uncles and cousins. Thank you for our home and a place to sleep and good food to eat. Help us rest well, give us peaceful dreams, and send your angels around our home to protect us throughout the night. Teach us to trust you and to love you more and more. You are good; you are great; and you are faithful, God. And we love you. Good night.

Photo credit: Unsplash
Editor's note: This content was adapted from the original article "What to Pray with Kids at Bedtime" by Rebecca Barlow Jordan.

Dear Father, in Your beautiful book of Psalms, chapter 103 and verse 17, You give us this wonderful promise, “From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.” What better promise could we receive from You in our lives than to see our children and children’s children blessed with Your love and righteousness? We ask for Your hand of blessing on us as well. Bless us with strength to be there for those we love, and wisdom to know what to say to bring comfort, encouragement, and sometimes difficult truth. We will need Your patience as we wait for Your perfect will and way in each of our loved one’s lives. We are so grateful, Lord God. Amen.

Prayer of Protection for Your Family

Lord, I pray Your emotional, physical, and spiritual protection over my family. Keep evil far from them, and help them to trust You as their refuge and strength. I pray You will guard their minds from harmful instruction, and grant them discernment to recognize truth. I pray You will make them strong and courageous in the presence of danger, recognizing that You have overcome and will set right all injustice and wrong one day. Help them to find rest in Your shadow, as they live in the spiritual shelter You provide for them. Let them know that the only safe place is in Jesus, and that their home on earth is only temporary.  - by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Dear Lord,
Please bless this time of vacation. Help my family to get along, to enjoy one another. Maybe toss a couple of those idyllic imagined scenes into our path? May we be able to see the wonder You instill within the chaos of our days – whether we vacation near or far away from home.

On this everyday, normal day that’s somehow still outside of our regular routine, help me to embrace my family, this time of vacation, and the ordinary yet extraordinary gifts You’ve given. Open my eyes to see that vacation will end but the memories of it will remain, and give me the strength to make them sweet. Pour some of that strength into my very being and bring me through to the end of vacation with a thankful heart and unceasing praise.
Amen. - Editor's note: This content was adapted from the original article "A Prayer for Your Family Vacation" by Dayspring.com.

Prayer to Be A Family Focused on Missions

Here are a few easy prayer projects for the mission-minded family:

• Take a prayer-walk around your neighborhood, quietly praying for each neighbor as you walk by.
• Have your children make a "Ten Most Wanted" list or poster. Have them think of ten people who need Jesus. These can be relatives, neighbors, famous people, or the man who works at the convenience store. Use this list or poster to remind you to pray for these people to come to know the Lord.
• Put a small map on your refrigerator, and use this area to display newsletters from missionaries you support, along with current international news updates. Pray regularly as a family, perhaps around the dinner table, for specific world needs and for people you know who need the Lord. - Ann Dunagan

Photo credit: Unsplash

• Our Father in heaven, may Your name be honored in ______'s life. Desire for your loved one to be honored, made holy, and cherished through the power of honoring and fearing God. When they hallow God's name in their life that attitude will spill over into their relations with others.
• May Your kingdom come soon in ______'s life. When a person seeks first the kingdom of God, then all else in life is placed in the right order. When God is in control of lives, children, careers, churches, then there will be direction in your prayers, thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and attitudes.
• May Your will be done in ______'s life on earth, just as it is in heaven. God's perfect will for your loved ones is their salvation in Christ Jesus. In saving us, God changes us, making us new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). Then He transforms us to live in His will on earth.
• Give ______ the food he/she needs for today. Daily bread for both spiritual and physical beings cannot be old, stale stuff from yesterday or a half-baked loaf from tomorrow that isn't ready yet. God's grace is sufficient to meet all our needs - one day at a time. When we come to Him in prayer He meets our needs daily. He feeds us the bread of His Word and He provides for all our physical needs as well.
• And forgive ______, just as he/she has forgiven those who have sinned against him/her. Forgiving one another opens you up to receive forgiveness. Forgiveness is not an option. Jesus states it plainly, If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matt. 6:14-15).
• And don't let ______ yield to temptation, but deliver him/her from the evil one. Apply the blood of Jesus in prayer for protection over your loved ones. The blood protects us from the sin of building walls that hinder and even destroy relationships.
• For in ______'s life You will build Your kingdom and manifest Your glory forever and ever. Amen. The battle has already been won on the cross where Christ destroyed the works of the devil. Satan, sin, and death have been defeated. Your battle is prayer that claims, establishes, and overcomes the enemy as he seeks to rob, kill, and destroy the abundant life in Christ (John 10:10). Pray for that abundant life of God's kingdom in the lives of your loved ones.

Photo credit: Unsplash
Editor's note: Thie content was adapted from the original article "Pray the Lord's Prayer over your loved ones" from Lord, I Wish My Husband Would Pray With Me by Larry Keefauver, D.Min., copyright (c) 1998. Used by permission of Creation House, Lake Mary, Fla., pages 178-188.

Numbers 6:24-26- "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Lord, bless my family and children. Give them hearts that follow after you.

Deuteronomy 31:6- "Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Give my family the strength to not be afraid. Give them courage to stand up to what is right.

Psalm 51:10- "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Produce within them an attitude of integrity, giving their lives to giving you glory.

Luke 10:19 – "Jesus said: ‘Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Let my family walk in your authority. May they understand and live each day, asserting the authority you have given them as your children.

Philippians 4:6- "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Do not give them a spirit of fear, but one of courage and surrender.

(excerpt from 30 Scripture Blessings to Pray Over Your Family, Michelle S. Lazurek)

What are you praying for for your family today? Join our large praying community on Crosswalk Forums and experience the power and hope of bringing your petitions before God! Click HERE.

Want to lift up your children in prayer? Download your FREE printable PDF for prayers for your children, that they may experience strength and hope today.