Sunday, May 11, 2008

A prayer for family

Tim Challies posted this on his blog and I wanted to repost it here. It's such a powerful example of how we should pray for our family.

O SOVEREIGN LORD,
Thou art the Creator-Father of all men, for thou hast made and dost support them;
Thou art the special Father of those who know, love and honour thee,
who find thy yoke easy, and thy burden light,
thy work honourable,
thy commandments glorious.
But how little thy undeserved goodness has affected me!
how imperfectly have I improved my religious privileges!
how negligent have I been in doing good to others!
I am before thee in my trespasses and sins,
have mercy on me,
and may thy goodness bring me to repentance.
Help me to hate and forsake every false way,
to be attentive to my condition and character,
to bridle my tongue,
to keep my heart with all diligence,
to watch and pray against temptation,
to mortify sin,
to be concerned for the salvation of others.
O God, I cannot endure to see the destruction of my kindred.
Let those that are united to me in tender ties
be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory.
Sanctify and prosper my domestic devotion,
instruction, discipline, example,
that my house may be a nursery for heaven,
my church the garden of the Lord,
enriched with trees of righteousness of thy planting,
for thy glory;
Let not those of my family who are amiable, moral, attractive,
fall short of heaven at last;
Grant that the promising appearances of a tender conscience,
soft heart, the alarms and delights of thy Word,
be not finally blotted out,
but bring forth judgment unto victory in all whom I love.

Did you catch that?

" how imperfectly have I improved my religious privileges!" May I take full advantage of the opportunities I have been given to learn and grow in Christ.

"devoted to thy glory" May all my family be devoted to showing God's glory.

"my house may be a nursery for heaven" May my children grow up with a full, saving knowledge of Christ.

" Let not those of my family...fall short of heaven at last" May no one miss this chance to accept Christ's sacrifice for us all so that we spend eternity together with Christ in Heaven.

Amen.

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