Family strife
Are the relationships in your family fractured, traumatic, painful and full of strife? Let’s never lose hope in what the great Creator of families can do for us. Know that challenging situations are opportunities for our loving Father in heaven to turn our family from darkness into light, from mourning into song, and from sorrow into joyful testimony. So take heart and rise up in prayer.
(See Chinese versions: 简体中文 > 家庭冲突 | 繁體中文 > 家庭衝突)
Psalm 30:11-12 ESV You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
A prayer over family strife
“Dear Heavenly Father,
We pray for our family (you can name them one by one), we ask that each of us will come to truly know You as our wonderful Counsellor, Father and Prince of Peace. We ask this for Your glory, we remove any selfish intention from this prayer so that You alone can be glorified!
Isaiah 9:6 ESV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Where there are wounds that we have caused each other, we ask in Jesus’ name that they will be bound and healed one day – all for Your glory! In Jesus’s name, we repent of any root of bitterness and unforgiveness in our hearts.
Psalm 147:3 ESV He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Hebrews 12:14-15 ESV … Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
In Jesus’ name, we bind the father of lies and his schemes against our family. We forbid any scheme of the enemy that is trying to murder this family generation’s future and hope, as well as the generation after us.
John 8:44 ESV The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Please have mercy on this family. Where there have been sins of (name specific sins here), I invite the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts for our need to follow Your commandments and obey You, instead of our family patterns. Remove the darkness in our minds so that we can clearly perceive Your truth and Your will.
John 16:8 ESV And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
Help the prayer warriors in this family to put on our armour of God so that we are fully prepared to stand up to, protect against and deflect the enemy’s schemes over every member of our family.
Luke 10:19 ESV Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
In Jesus’ name, we pray for a softening of the hearts of those who have yet to know You, so they will come to know You as their personal Lord and Savior. We pray that those who are having problems will seek wise counsel and break free from any strongholds that bind them.
We ask for a day that we will all be able to break generational curses and be renewed in Christ, so that we can be reflections of You, our perfect Father in heaven, and not our own broken family lines.
We ask for Your firm protection over the marriages and relationships in this family, so that our lives may be used as salt and light for Your kingdom.
Proverbs 14:26 ESV In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen!”