6 Reasons You Should Pray Together as a Family

Start children off on how they should go; even when they are old, they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

As believers, we know that God is the Head of the home, but sometimes our lives become so preoccupied with daily activities that we can forget His role in leading the family. Having a time of prayer together first thing in the morning, at bedtime, or around the dinner table brings everyone closer to God. Typically, the father or mother might lead in prayer, but it’s essential to allow each family member to pray or even take turns leading if time doesn’t allow everyone to pray.

Our family holds hands when we pray, even at a restaurant or over a meal. This teaches the children never to be embarrassed about honoring and acknowledging God. If you start young, public prayer will seem natural to children.

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Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by how you treat them. Instead, bring them up with the discipline and instruction from the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 NLT

Every family experiences times of disagreement. Maybe it’s a conflict between the parents, the siblings infighting, or a dispute between a parent and a child. It happens even in Christian families. Tempers flare, harsh, angry words are spewed, hearts harden, causing division, tension, and turmoil in the family. I have to admit, as a parent, my first impulse was to try to diffuse the situation or apply discipline. But that never got to the core of the problem. I used my position and power as a parent, but did not always seek God’s wisdom to guide and counsel appropriately.

However, when grandkids were young, I learned that I could quiet their emotional conflict by holding hands and saying, “Let’s pray.” Wow, what a difference this makes, especially if you encourage those who are angry to pray. Praying together also works well with older kids and adults. Taking our troubles and tears first to the Lord calms tempers and mends hearts. The feuding family members will be more receptive to working through issues peacefully.

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Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NLT

We all experience times when we can’t put our feelings into words in conversation, but they pour out while we pray to our compassionate, caring God. If there’s time for prayer requests and praises before you pray, that also alerts the family members to what each one is dealing with in their personal lives. The younger you start this practice, the more comfortable kids become with sharing their feelings, fears, and foes. It’s especially enlightening for parents to hear the struggles, temptations, and victories their kids are experiencing in school and with friends.

Opening the prayer time with something like, “How can we pray for each of you?” opens the door for everyone to share about their life. It also alerts parents to a child hiding something and not sharing. Alone time with that child may help them open up. Parents are busy today, and kids are exposed to things we didn't deal with growing up. I often ponder how parents didn’t know something was brewing when a child commits some horrific crime, or they're blindsided by their child’s gender dysphoria or puberty issues.  Family prayer time can be very revealing and a chance for parents to deal with issues before they become problems.

It’s also an opportunity for parents to share any trials or blessings they're experiencing that need prayer. Sometimes parents think it best to protect the rest of the family by shielding them from a crisis or problem, but children sense parents' unease and become insecure and worried. Encouraging children to pray for each other, for parents, or maybe grandparents and extended family and friends in need of prayer, teaches them how to intercede and carry each other’s burdens. Admitting there’s a concern we need to take to God relieves anxiety. It's empowering for the entire family.

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And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. 1 Peter 3:8 TLB

Praying is such a sweet, vulnerable time with the Lord and each other. Bonds of love and unity are reinforced and encouraged. Every family encounters tough decisions. Should we move? Should we change schools? Has Dad changed jobs? Does Mom go to work? Should we remodel the house? What is the family vacation destination? College or trade school? To name a few.

Parents making decisions without including the kids can feel left out or unimportant. Our church in Idaho was interviewing a new pastor in Florida who had five kids. He specifically requested that when he came to visit our church, he could bring his entire family. Before they flew out, they had a family meeting and prayer. That’s when the pastor heard his children’s hearts. They didn’t want to move. He listened to them and withdrew his name from the candidates.

I once heard a flight attendant who was getting a divorce comment that “The littles just have to do what the parents decide.” I felt sorry for those “littles” because their feelings and opinions weren’t considered.

Praying together keeps the family focused on common goals and seeks God’s direction for the family and each family member separately. There would probably be much less divorce and wayward children if they were all in the habit of praying together about big and little family decisions.

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For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. ¹⁴ Solid food is for those who are mature, who have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong through training. Hebrews 5:12-14

When a family prays together, they all mature spiritually in their relationship with Jesus. It helps children learn about prayer, God’s character, and how He answers prayer requests. As each family member prays, they experience different styles of worship. They see how to accept that God’s answers differ sometimes from what they anticipated or wanted. It’s a safe space to ask questions and pray aloud without fear. Eventually, they’ll feel comfortable praying outside the home with others.

The family accustomed to praying together is prepared to pray spontaneously during emergencies and crises. They’ll also have set routine times for family prayer. Maybe it’ll be in the car before or on the way to school. It might vary daily depending on the schedule, but it’s vital to ensure it happens. Flexible but not optional should be the family motto about praying together.

Older children begin to understand and appreciate that prayer is still as important as being tucked into bed when they were younger. Kids never outgrow their need for family prayer. In addition to family prayer time, each family member should have their own quiet time or devotional time, studying God’s Word and praying privately, a spiritual discipline or habit that will serve them well throughout their lives.

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He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. Acts 10:2

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalms 145:18

When children grow up in a family that has prayed together more than just a blessing at dinnertime, it instills in them how valuable their relationship with the Lord is in daily life. Children won’t be receptive to sermons, discipline, lectures, prayers, or criticisms of their prayers. The sweetest sound is when a child begins praying with the words and thoughts God has put on their heart.

Instilling the habit of prayer in the family also disciplines children in ways that allow God to be involved in every area of our lives. Kids might not appreciate family prayers or devotions together when they’re young, but they’ll look back as adults and realize how much God and their parents love them, and hopefully, they'll pray with their own families someday.

Praying parents are the best role models and mentors for helping children learn to handle life's inevitable challenges and crises with God's help. Spending time as a family is invaluable for everyone’s mental and spiritual well-being.  It might seem cliché to say, “The family that prays and plays together stays together,” but I have to believe it’s true. It worked for us, and I know it can work for you too.

Today, our family is no longer merely “blended. " The blood of Jesus Christ unites us, which is much stronger than human blood ties. Our prodigal, who wasn’t a Christian when we first blended our family, became a Christian several years later. We always included her in prayer times, even though she was uncomfortable, but now she has a family of her own, and her family prays together. Praise God.

Do these six reasons to pray together as a family seem unattainable? Are you shaking your head that this will never happen in your family? I understand that it might not happen every day, but the more the family experiences God's love for them and their love for each other, the more they’ll begin to look forward to family prayer time.

In Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I wrote, “Praying as a family and for our family sometimes requires parents to do uncomfortable things, but Dave and I have learned to follow God’s lead-no matter how unusual it seems.”

I opened this article talking about our blended family. I knew keeping God at the center of our marriage and family would help us grow together in love for each other and the Lord. We found a day of the week when everyone was home early in the morning and lured all the teens out of bed with the promise of a homemade breakfast after our prayers and devotion together. They could come in their pajamas, wrapped in blankets, and we would study a Scripture, take prayer requests for the week, and then pray together before eating a delicious breakfast. Today, they all love Jesus and each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and family. I hope you’ll be encouraged to spend precious time with your family too.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews. 10:24-25