Praying For Our Families || Day 11

Prayer Focus: The Fruits of the Spirit:: SELF-CONTROL

Central Scripture: “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Prayer:

Gracious, merciful Father, thank You for Your gifts to us. I am quick to thank You for Your gifts of grace and salvation and for things I observe during my days, but I often forget to thank You for some of the things that actually carry me through those days. Thank You for sending Your Spirit to us, and thank You for the incredible possibilities in our lives because of His presence.

Lord, as I pray for my family today, I pray against fear. Fear is a thief and one of the go-to weapons of our enemy, but it is so often our default reaction in times of uncertainty. Fear deceives us into thinking we have some degree of control over our situations. It steals the joy from our days and makes us forget the gifts You have given us.

So I pray that in my home, there would be no place for fear – only for the good and perfect gifts You have given. Protect my family from the anxieties and fears of life in this increasingly dark world, and help us to walk in truth.

Make my family aware of the power available to us in Your Spirit. Help us to seek You out instead of pursuing the easier routes of panic and worry. Show us how to walk in courage and strength, knowing that we are ambassadors of the victorious Kingdom. Remind my husband, my children, and me daily that we are not children of darkness, but of light. Help us to seek and follow that light.

Lord, when we see differences between us and people around us, let my family default to a reaction of love instead of fear and suspicion. When we see things we don’t approve of or agree with, let us respond with love instead of harsh words of condemnation. When there are things we don’t understand, let us love first and ask questions later.

Help us to have self-discipline, Lord….but not as the world teaches us. Help us to train ourselves in YOUR discipline, so we are led not by our selfish desires but by Your Spirit. I ask not that we would be mindless followers, but that we would be disciplined and engaged in following You with every part of our being.

God, please work in my husband and children to cultivate self-control. It truly is a gift to be able to react not from instinct, but from a higher place. Thank You that we aren’t under the rules of the flesh, but that we are subject to You – and that You have overcome this world, including our sinful natures. Help my family to walk in truth, seeking You and carrying Your light into the world.

Amen.