Southeast Pinnacle Toastmasters
Mood:  happy
Topic: Public Speaking
The Southeast Pinnacle Toastmasters meets every 1 & 3 Saturday at 4pm at The Vance Chavis Library. For more information please contact Michelle at 336-988-2845.

Family Prayer and Restoration:
An essential tool for keeping the family together.
By
Michelle Lucas

One of the major crisis that America is experiencing today is the separation of the family or the breaking down of the family. Over the years our lives have become more and more bombarded with going here and there. We rarely take time out for our family. There is an epidemic that is sweeping our nation and is out to destroy us. This country was founded on the principles of the having the right to freely worship God (3 John 1:2). It is his will that we be in good health and prosper. Not letting the enemy kills and destroy us (John 10:10).

The Family as always represented strength. One example of family strength, in the Bible, is Noah and his family. Noah the first Preacher witnessed and spoke of the flood for close to 100 years. No one listened, but his family members. You may not be able to save the world, but you should strive to save your family. By Noah taking head to what God instructed him to do he not only saved himself, but he saved his family and through this family nations were born.

One of the most powerful ways to save your family is through prayer and devotion. I am a single parent of a 9 year-old son. He always complained that we never spent enough time together. He would always go to his room and shut the door. I always wanted to make the effort to have a closer relationship with him, but like most people I didn’t know how. So I began to pray and seek God’s wisdom concerning the matter. I told the Lord that I didn’t want to lose my son to the world and I wanted him to have everything that you (God) wanted him to have, I wanted his life to exceed my expectations. That he would be in a position to give an inheritance not just to his children, but also to the next generation and the generations to come.

One day while listening to the radio, I heard the Minister speak of devotion time in the home. In my mind I said what is that? I have been a Christian, a believer for since childhood. I was raised in a Christian home and attended church on a regular basis. I always would devote time to praise, worship, and read my bible. I would set aside time to pray. It was an “I” thing. Me, myself and I. Never considering that my son deals with issues on a daily basis too.

God gave me the answer to my prayer. Have devotion once a week in your home. When I explained to my son, what we were going to do. He was very reluctant at first. So we had out first devotion, we didn’t know exactly what we were going to do. We started out with group prayer, I prayed and then he prayed. He read the scripture and we sang song. It dawned on me to carry out devotion like a service. The only difference is that we would take time to communicate. He would speak on a subject one week and I would speak the next week. This gave him the opportunity to feel that he is more involved. It also made us study the word more because we are teaching Gods word. We talked about the problems that we have in our daily lives and problems we have with each other. Something happened that night that was very special. We walked away better understanding each other and better understanding our relationship with God.

Since that time God had shown us favor in ways that are unexplainable. My son had problems making friends and behavioral problems in school. That yoke has been broken. I had problems with my health that is better. I could go on and on about the many gift that God has given us. The main point is that God honors prayer and he will pour out blessings on those that believe. (2 Chronicles 7:14).

I told my son that this would be a tradition in our family. The generations to come would set aside time to have family pray in the home. He told me that I right, the family that prays together stay together. Make time to have family prayer and devotion and watch your family be restored.


Five Steps that can help your family be restored:

1. Attend Church Services.
2. Ask God to come into your life. (Rom 9:10).
3. Talk and pray with your family. Develop a line of Communication where you and your family pray discuss the issue going on in your lives. This will break Satan’s stronghold on your family.
4. If you have a family member that does not believe. Just ask them about coming to church with you or invite them to devotion at your home. God can and will put your family circle back together again.
5. There is a saying that stuck with me. It is easier to build a boy that to rebuild a man. If you have young children start now. Ask God to guide you.
6. Make sure you find time to have fun. Find activities that your family can spend quality time together. It is just as important as prayer.
7. When you pray you gain power to break yokes. (Matthew 17:21). You will kill the natural fleshly, (carnal) man. When you are not praying, you are not gaining power. Pray about everything and worry about nothing.