Family Matters

Prayer: The Missing Link


Prayer is one of the fundamental pillars in the lives of Christians. That is why I will be teaching on the place of prayer and worship in our homes.

In today’s fast-paced world, where men and women are busy working round the clock to make ends meet, most Christian homes have long forgotten this integral part of the family foundation, which is the family altar.

What is family altar?

The word family altar simply means a time when all family members gather together in worship, sharing of the Word and in prayer. One of the gimmicks of the devil to attack homes today is to successfully lure them away from praying together, and before you know what is happening, the family that was once happy and united, gradually falls apart. No wonder a wise man said ‘the family that prays together stays together.’ No doubt, prayer is one of the foundation stones of a happy family. Therefore, watch out so that your foundation does not get out of place. The Bible says:
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3).

I would like to share with you the purposes of the family altar. Myles Munroe said, “If the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable,” I agree absolutely.


The Purpose of Family Altar

As seen from the above definition, it is a time set aside deliberately and purposely to worship God and to reverence His Word.

Not only should it be a time of prayer, but the Word of God must be shared during your family devotion as well. The Bible says:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"(Matthew 4:4).

Just like you will not allow your family members to go hungry physically, it is very important also to see to their well being spiritually. Your home is a good place to practice what Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:16. He said:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord

Today many schools do not regard the teachings of the Bible; infact some of them out rightly reject and negate the teachings of the word of God. So you must keep the Bible and its teachings central in your home and teach your children from it.

There are many forces out in the world contending with our faith as Christians on a daily basis. Family altar time should therefore be a time to teach your household faith from the Word of God that will inject into them the much-needed convictions and spiritual stamina to stand up against the pressures out there.

So, let your family members understand what you believe from the perspective of the word of God and be grounded in the doctrine of the Bible.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up (Deut 6:4-7).

Family worship time is also a time to share testimonies. Your household must know that God still answers prayer and performs miracles. So, when you pray over issues and God answers the prayer, it is good to encourage them to share it, giving all the glory to Him. This will constantly strengthen their individual faith, and there will not be any confusion about God and His ways even in the most tempting and difficult times. Encourage everyone therefore to be bold to share prayer points, expect God’s intervention and in turn share their testimonies when the answers come.

At the family altar, you also pray for others. You intercede for your pastors, unsaved loved ones, fellow believers in need, the leadership of your nation and others that the Holy Spirit lays on your heart to pray for. This is a clear scriptural injunction for all Christians:

“I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority…. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our savior.” 2 Tim. 2:1-3.

If this culture is established in your home, it will help your household to honour those in authority and to have compassion for the weak. Not only that, it will also provoke God to remember your own needs and turn your captivity like He did for Job when he prayed for his friends; Job 42:10.

Invest in Your Family!

In these days of global economic meltdown and depression, many have lost fortunes in the stock market. Financial advisers and motivational speakers used to encourage everyone to invest in the stock market and let their money work for them. This has proved to be not so fool-proof after all.
Interestingly though, there is an investment that can never fail. This investment can endure and withstand anything from generation to generation. You have your interest compounded when you invest in it. Investors in this market know this secret and are benefiting from it. It is the family.

Every investment you put into your family can never fail.

The little you are doing today in addition to that of the future will speak in hundreds of years to come. You will reap the dividends in your children, and your children’s children will also eat of the interest that your investment is yielding.

Like fiscal investments, the following are some of the characteristics of family investments:

The earlier you start the better: Those who take advantage of opportunities early enough usually get a head start ahead of others. Let me be quick to add though that as far as the family is concerned, it is never too late to start investing now that you know the potentials therein.

Investments are done consciously: Nobody invests without knowing; it is something that is done deliberately. Investing in your family is something you will have to do deliberately and by design, because you know nothing great happens by accident.

Investments take sacrifice: If you intend to reap generational dividends from your family tomorrow, you must be willing to sacrifice time, resources, some pleasure and so forth today. You have to be futuristic in your outlook to be a wise family investor.

Investments require discipline and consistency: It takes a lot of restraint and regularity of investment to have the kind of family you will be proud of tomorrow. You must be willing to tread the high road today no matter how inconvenient.

Investments take time: You have need of patience as you invest in your family. It will take some time before you begin to see the results of your input over the years. So, don’t be naïve today thinking you are wasting your time and energy because you are not seeing immediate returns.

How do you invest in your family?

Be a good example; obey God

The Bible says:

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalms 11:3)

Here is a story of a man who left a good legacy for his children. As at today, the sixth generation of this man is still reaping the dividends of their great-great-grandfather.

Peter Loritts was a slave who gained his freedom at the end of the civil war. He established a little town which today is known as Conover, North Carolina.

Although this man could not read or write but he knew stories and passages of the Bible through sermons that he had heard. He was a man that loved the Lord, he obeyed Him to the best of his ability.

Peter got married and had three children. He taught them to love and practise the principles of the Lord, as written in the scriptures. He lived as an example which today reflects in the traditions of the family.

As it was recorded, in the Loritts’ family, there is a strong tradition of male leadership; husbands loving their wives and children and Jesus being the centre of each day’s responsibility. What a legacy!

How do you lead your family in order to have this kind of result? You do it by being a Godly father and mother today. You put in a spiritual capital, by living in obedience to Christ. This is what most parents are too pre-occupied to do. If you walk in obedience to God, He who sees your faithfulness shall surely reward it.

Your children must learn from you how to obey God and practise His Word. This should be a legacy in your family. You will discover in later years that your children have picked up spiritual batons that they will also pass on to the next generation.

In the next edition, I will be looking at more ways by which you can invest in your family, in order to leave behind a godly legacy.

If you are reading this and you do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I would like to invite you to begin a walk with Him that will impact upon your life and destiny forever. Please pray this prayer truthfully if you are ready: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. Save me from my sin. Make me a new creature. Write my name in the Book of Life. Thank You Jesus for saving me. Now, I know that I am born again.

Congratulations! For taking this bold step, your life will never remain the same.