A Family Affair

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18 NLT

Admittedly, one of the hardest things for Christians to do consistently is to pray. We can all rattle off every excuse we can think of for being laxed, but that is not the point of this devotional. First allow me to ask a question; how often do we pray for our families? The chances are we favor pretty well when it comes to praying for our loved ones, and that is how it should be. But how often do we pray for our church family, or do you ever considered those you worship with every week is your family. How about Christians worldwide, they’re our extended family. The point is our church is a family in every sense of the word as our biological family.

Below are a few Scripture verses for us to ponder over on the subject:

“But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.” (Acts 12:5 nlt)  –  “The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other.” (1Pt.4:7-8 nlt)  –  “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.” (Col.1:9 nlt)

“And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.” (2Cor.2:11 nlt)  –  “Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.” (Ro.15:30 nlt)  –  “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thess.1:2-3 nlt)

Additional verses: 2 Thess. 1:11-12; Col.4:2-4; 1 Thess. 3:9-13; John 17:9.