Family Transformation: Developing Family Prayer Time

Joshua 24:14-15 >>

14Then Joshua told the people:

Worship the LORD, obey him, and always be faithful. Get rid of the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. 15But if you don’t want to worship the LORD, then choose right now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you’re living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you’ll worship their gods. I won’t. My family and I are going to worship and obey the LORD!

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 >>

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

—

1. The commitment made by Joshua and his family was that despite everyone else around them (the norm) serving idols and false “gods,” Joshua and his family would serve the Lord! The spiritual condition of my family at this time is that we serve the Lord but I should spend more time with them and build unity. My family tries to put Jesus first, but I think we should evaluate regularly so that we can improve upon things (grow) and not stay stagnant. I care about the spiritual condition of my family.
2. God’s Word must continually be taught and/or discussed in a household of believers to encourage one another and because it is so important. We need to be always reminded and meditate on His Word so that it becomes a part of who we are and we think Biblically (on Biblical principles).  Praying together with my family is so important also [Deuteronomy 6:6-9]. The benefits are that it will unify us in the way we think and act and I believe our discussions would also please the Lord.

Family Transformation: Developing Family Prayer Time (2)

Joshua 24:14-15 >>

14Then Joshua told the people:

Worship the LORD, obey him, and always be faithful. Get rid of the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. 15But if you don’t want to worship the LORD, then choose right now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you’re living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you’ll worship their gods. I won’t. My family and I are going to worship and obey the LORD!

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 >>

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

—

1. The commitment made by Joshua and his family was that they would worship the Lord and not the gods and idols of their ancestors!

2. God’s word must continually be taught and discussed in a household of believers so that we remember and also to honor God and the importance of His Word and will in our lives. It is good to talk about it because we can also encourage one another by discussing how God is involved in our everyday lives. Praying together with my family is also important because we show God how important HE means to us in our lives, and also we can lift up any conflicts we have with one another there. We are also sharing an experience together where our focus is not on our problems but on God and His love. And strife will cease to exist. We’d be unified in Christ and stronger together than if we were separate. And we’ll be an impact to our community!

Family Transformation: Respect/ Honor One Another

Ephesians 6:1-4 >>
Children and Parents

1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,[a] for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”[b]

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

—

1. My relationship with my family is I believe better than ever. I want to cultivate our relationship continuously by regularly spending time with them.
2. The way I show Biblical respect and obedience to my family members is to be caring and not rude and to listen to them.
3. When conflicts take place in the family, my attitude is to try to help out and appease things and to come to God. I try to be aware and not ignorant, cold, or react with anger, rebellion, and stubbornness. I try to act in God’s love?

Love = Learn to Respect and Honor One Another

Ephesians 6:1-9, 1 Peter 3:7, Ephesians 5:22-23, 33

Ephesians 6:1-9,
Children and Parents
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2″Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3″that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

—

1. My position in the family is as a child and sister. To do according to what God wants, I must obey and honor my parents.
2. To improve the relationship in my family, I must perhaps be patient with my parents, but know that neither I nor they are perfect. Perhaps praying for one another will allow us to be better family members in Christ, and I believe that practicing this at home will also extend to practicing it out in the real world.

9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

1 Peter 3:7,
7Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Ephesians 5:22-23, 33
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.