Family conflict and challenges in our families are inevitable. Some feel easy to sort through, while others leave us heartbroken or feeling paralyzed. No matter the situation, the first and best place to start always is with prayer over your family conflict. Prayer puts things back in the hands of God, relinquishing our control.
Let’s talk about how you pray for family problems so you can have simple strategies to guide your prayer life. (Make sure to download our list you can save to your phone with 28 easy prayers for family problems.)
HOW DO YOU PRAY FOR FAMILY PROBLEMS?
1. How Do You Pray for Family Problems? Pray the Promises of God
One of the most common pitfalls when it comes to family conflict is we get stuck in a negative viewpoint. All the bad, the frustrations, the hurt are what stay top of mind. So when it comes to prayer for family conflict, your starting point needs to reinsert a new perspective instead: Start by praying the promises of God.
You might not be ready to look for the good in your situation but you can begin by praying for the good God has always intended for your family. As you pray over family conflict, maybe it’s God’s promise to never leave you, or maybe it’s God’s promise to give wisdom for whoever asks. Claim God’s promises when your own words fail!
(Get the full prayer guide with the list of prayers here!)
2. How Do You Pray for Family Problems? Pray Against the Enemy
As you pray for family problems, you also need to recognize the enemy’s role. He doesn’t have authority over your lives, but he certainly will do everything to keep you distracted and discouraged. Your family is not your enemy, so use this prayer strategy to back up and remember who you are fighting against and the true battles that need to occur.
Get specific here as you identify where the enemy may be tripping your family up. Pray against distortion of truth, spiritual attacks, discouragement, etc. You need to fight back actively for your family and have eyes to see what is going on spiritually.
3. How Do You Pray for Family Problems? Pray the Fruits of the Spirit
The “fix-it” prayers can be a sneaky way of just continuing to air grievances as opposed to true heartfelt prayer, so let’s break that routine. If you want truly powerful prayer for family conflict, switch from praying for all the things you want God to “fix” in your family member and begin praying instead for the fruit of the Spirit.
Through the 9 key traits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, focus on where God is prompting your heart as a family. What needs to be developed in each of you? Where, even in your family problems, can you find opportunities to water these seeds of the Spirit?
(Get the full prayer guide with the list of prayers here!)
4. How Do You Pray for Family Problems? Pray for Understanding
Lastly, if you want to know how to pray for family problems, it will also require silence. Ask God for understanding and then remain still. Seek His presence, not just His provision. It might not always yield the answer you expect, but if you are not first abiding in the Lord’s presence, it will be impossible to hear God and to understand His leading.
Especially in painful moments of family conflict, don’t let the noise and chaos have the last say in your hearts and lives. Seek God’s presence and you’ll find the wisdom you need there.
Here’s your strategy list to memorize:
- Promises
- Against the Enemy
- Fruits
- Understanding
Use that simple list for easy reminders next time you are navigating how to pray for family conflict. God delights to walk with us, even in the fire and deep waters. It doesn’t always remove the situation, but God’s presence is the rock of refuge we can cling to.
Prayer for Family Problems Becomes Family Connection
There is good news through all of this. Even your places of frustration, suffering, and challenge can be where God meets your family. Prayer can be your tool through conflict into connection. It is one space where you can all link arms and join together as you pray for good things, not praying at each other.
Download our quick list of 28 prayers that go with these 4 strategies and save them on your phone for when you need a quick reference!
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Want to build a better process around your family conflict as a whole? We’ve designed a simple study that will help you set standards for your conflict and create your own process for your family to navigate conflict together. Explore The Family Conflict Blueprint here!