Prayer Practices That Grow Your Family’s Faith

Written by Tina Bradford, Director of Prayer

I have found time in prayer to be the pathway to blessings of peace and strong hope in God’s power and promises. These times of prayer spring forth from my time in God’s Word. I especially like praying God’s Word back to Him.

The book of Psalms and the Gospel of John have especially strengthened my faith and brought peace to my soul. As it says in John 20: 31, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name!” That is God’s good plan for us – to have an abundant life full of grace and truth, giving Him glory as we radiate the fruit of His Spirit within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Psalm 1 tells us, “How blessed is the one who delights in God’s law and meditates on it day and night.” What testimony can you share of this truth? How have you seen God bless your life due to the time you spent in His Word? Do your grandchildren know how important spending time in God’s Word is to you? My prayer is that you will grow in your love of God and His Word in 2026!

The Westminster Shorter Catechism states, “the chief end of man is to know God and to enjoy Him forever.” To know God is to learn of Him through the pages of Scripture and communion in prayer. The fact that we can enjoy Him forever speaks of our eternity with Him. To know God is to know His great love and purpose for our lives – what a blessing!

Additionally, what a privilege and blessing to have been created to share God’s greatness, His love, and His truths with all generations in our families, our friends, and neighbors. We can help others to know God and enjoy Him forever!

Prayer Creates Nearness With God

A great way to get to know someone is by spending time with them. Psalm 145:18 reminds us that “God draws near to those who truly seek Him.” Communication is also key to a close relationship – a nearness with one another. Spending time with God creates that nearness, resulting in our good! Prayers of heartfelt adoration, praise, and thanksgiving bring us near to God, blessing us with joy that we belong to Him.

These prayers come from a heart that knows His banner over us is love, He is a shield to us, and He will give us victory over death. His Word and His Spirit instruct us and guide, so we know how to comfort or encourage others with the comfort and assurance He has given us; to name a few of the blessings. This natural overflow of receiving His blessing, so we can be a blessing to someone else in our family and in our sphere of influence, leads to giving Him glory.

How is God drawing you closer to Him? How are you getting to know Him better?

Our new Let’s Pray Cards resource was written to strengthen and encourage grandparents as they pray Scripture-based prayers for or with their grandchildren.

The enemy of God and His people has attempted to steal and destroy confidence in God’s truth and His good design of people and families. We trust God will answer our prayers as we pray in accordance with His will with a spirit of humility, repentance, and truly seeking to know and to love Him. (I John 5:14-15)

Recording God’s Work Through Prayer and Praise Journals

How do you record God’s work in your life? One way is to journal how God is showing up – it can be done daily or at whatever rhythm works best for you. I have a friend who journals faithfully the prayers she is praying in support of others.

Another friend shared that her grandchildren write each night in their journals what happened that day. Often, they include specifically where they saw God work. What a blessing to look back years later and see what God did. These journals are building and strengthening their faith as they focus on what God has done.

A third friend shared that their family keeps a Jehovah Jireh journal. In it, they record how God provided for their family, no matter the need. Stories include finding just the right dress in the right size and color at a price they could afford, as well as answering a serious health need. No matter is too small or too big, all give an opportunity to focus on God. Still another friend texts her prayers to those she is upholding in prayer.

Do you enjoy writing prayers of faith or ways God has worked in a praise journal? Have you seen how praising God for His faithfulness and thanking Him for His promises changes your perspective as you focus on God’s power and promises?

Setting Our Mind on Things Above

The Holy Spirit led the Apostle Paul to admonish the church to set our minds on the things above. (Colossians 3:2) By looking back to enumerate the fingerprints of God in your life and His blessings to us, we are led to rejoice in His faithfulness. All of life, even the difficulties, are blessings in disguise as we look to God and rest in His steadfast love as well as His refining purposes.

Hopefully, as we grow in a spiritual perspective, we see God conforming us to the image of Christ. We strive to be godly servants who are meek and devoted to communing with the Father, surrendering to His good will and purposes. Let’s focus on God turning our prayer concerns into confident praise to God for His sovereign, good plans!

Why not consider starting or continuing your journaling of praises to God for who He is and what His revealed will is for you! Consider listing your favorite verses and verses you have memorized in your journal. Additionally, you could list verses your grandchildren have memorized and recited to you. My husband’s grandmother generously paid him to memorize passages of Scripture. Maybe this is something to consider.

You could even add lyrics of your favorite music to your journal. Consider thanking God for music and name your favorite hymns or worship songs. My grandmother taught me, “The B-I-B-L-E, Yes! That’s the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!” I believe God used that simple song to build a foundation of faith in my young life. An added blessing of having a journal is that your grandchildren can read it now and have a written record to read after you are gone.

Go Boldly…Praying With Confidence

As a child of God, we have the great privilege of approaching His throne of grace with confidence and boldness! (Hebrews 4:16)

Come to your Heavenly Father with a spirit of gratefulness for not only your creation but also your giftedness. (Ephesians 2:10) With your whole heart, seek to use your giftedness to build up not only the church but your community. You are a unique, precious creation of God. He created you on purpose with a purpose. God desires you!

How can you pray for and encourage others in faith within your sphere of influence? Think through how God could use you to focus others on Him so they can be encouraged and lifted in the faith. Consider starting with your own children and grandchildren, then branch out into your church and community. How have you seen God stirring the hearts of your family to draw closer to Him?

Living for Our Good and God’s Glory

So, as you move ahead in this year, let’s study and pray, let’s focus on God and gain His perspective, knowing we can come confidently and boldly to the throne of grace to receive help as we need it. Let’s live this year, getting to know God better so we can share Him more with our grandchildren.

We would love to hear from you. Do you have Scripture prayers that mean a lot to you? Do you have a prayer need we could pray for you? Are you looking for Scriptures to pray about a particular subject? Please let me know at TinaB@legacycoalition.com.

“May the LORD bless you and keep you, the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)