Praying for Peace (and other things) for Your Home and Family

“If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble.” – Thomas Watson

Sometimes the walls of our home bang and clang and rumble with not-so-peaceful sounds.

There’s an undercurrent of restless impatience, busyness, and short, temperamental fuses muttering and cursing within its walls.

Our busy lifestyles, over-stuffed schedules, demands, and commitments chip away at our peace and before we know it, home is another word for battleground.

I have seen many people respond in different ways when peace slips out the backdoor of a home.

Some run…to find peace in outside places.

Some hide within…and wait for peace to invite them among the living once again.

Some choose distractions…where peace can be imagined.

And some will set their family table with place settings of peace…only to sit at the table alone.

And yet, each response is a response in waiting.

Waiting for outside forces to change inside hearts, moods, and motivations.

There’s something so powerless in waiting.

That is, of course, if all you do is wait.

But if you wait AND PRAY, then waiting takes on a power beyond reckoning.

No longer are we at the mercy of waiting for our spouse to do the right thing, or for children to obey, or for common sense to prevail, or for unity to take hold.

No.

Praying AND waiting brings heaven down to fill our rooms, redecorate our spaces, and clear out our closets.

In truth, only prayer can welcome peace, or anything else, back into a home.

One amen at a time.

Today, I wanted to share my plan for praying peace (and other things) in my home and for my people. It’s a simple 4-step exercise I do to help me focus on specific areas of need. And it’s simple enough to change as different needs arise.

1. Name your need.

What situations, right now, have the greatest need for prayer?

Be specific. For instance, you may have a child who thinks negatively about themselves, so praying for them to know truth, reject lies, or be of sound mind could bring peace to their troubled disposition.

Or maybe you need wisdom on how to care for an ailing parent, or to build unity with your husband, or for protection from cultural influences. All these things effect the peace within our homes. Remember, the more specific you are in naming your needs, the better focused your prayers will be.

2. Let the Word speak.

There is nothing more powerful than praying Scripture over our family and our home.

Though we don’t need fancy words or formulated prayers, God’s Word gives us a confidence and a direction we lack on our own. Take your specific needs and find verses that speak to them. Most Bibles have a concordance in the back, or there are plenty of resources online. I typically ask Google, “What does the Bible say about…” and go from there.

3. Pray it on paper.

This can be as simple or as complicated as you want.

Most of us find it hard to keep a prayer journal and that’s okay. You can easily write (or print) out the verses you find, and form prayers on Post-it notes, index cards, or type them on your favorite digital device. The important thing is to keep your prayers handy and be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).

If you’re like me, a prayer worksheet can be super helpful in organizing your thoughts and keeping your prayers in one place. If that’s you, feel free to download this Prayer to Power worksheet I made just for you. Simply print out multiple copies and keep them in a binder, a folder, or post them on a wall.

4. Wait, watch, and hope.

So much will work against us as we commit ourselves to praying for our home and family.

Distractions will increase, time will shrink, focus will wane, and life will overwhelm. But if we remain steady and say to the world, our time, and our schedules:

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

We can persevere and trust God will work on our behalf.

I hope you found this post helpful as you pray for peace, or anything else, for your home and family. If you decide to try the Prayer to Power worksheet, please let me know how you like it. I would love to know!

May the God of hope fill you, your family, and your home with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.