April 21 - Seek God for Families to Serve the Lord

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15) 

Beautifully illustrated pictures with the verse Joshua 24:15 have hung in the entryways and living rooms of many homes throughout the years. As a child, I remember reading it daily as I entered and exited our family’s home. I wonder how many of us have read it but never considered the rewards that would come to a family who truly lived it. What would be the result of not seeing it as an invitation to go to Sunday School but as a call to give our very lives, as a family, to the love and work of Jesus? Would we bear up under the persecution it would cause, and could we imagine the generational blessing that this type of dedicated life would provide? 

Samuel Wesley knew and lived this verse to the fullest as he and Susanna raised their nineteen children in the midst of persecution, illness, and trials of every kind. The unkind treatment this family endured was unthinkable and should have been enough to bring about great doubt and resentment in his children. Instead, John Wesley, the leader of the revival movement that later become the Methodist Church, and Charles Wesley, the writer of over 6,500 hymns, gave their lives to the same gospel their parents had relentlessly proclaimed. 

The day in which we live is becoming increasingly evil and the need for our children to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might is becoming more obvious. Let’s pray that we, as families, will find the strength that Joshua of the Old Testament and Samuel Wesley of the eighteenth century had. Let’s ask Jesus to unite and empower our families to serve him with our whole hearts for our entire lives. One family serving God together could be the tiny spark to light a revival flame. One family praying and believing will bring the change that our lost and dying world needs. Let’s pray for the strength and the resolve to serve Jesus as a family. 

Our Father and the Father of generations of believers, thank you for placing us in families. Thank you for making us a powerful unit of love and faith that can change the world. We ask you to light a fire in the hearts of parents and children to know and love you. We ask you to cause us to see serving you as the mission and joy of our lives. More than comfort, entertainment, education or even protection of our lives, cause us to want to know you and make you known. 

Give us wisdom as we teach our children to love and serve. Help us to make the most of every opportunity to show your truth and your love to this world. Unite us as servants to bring the salvation and healing of the gospel to our neighborhood and our community. Please protect us from the discouragement and temptation that would weaken the bond we share. We ask you to unite us as one for the glory of your name. 

--Adapted from Praying God’s Word Over Your City: 40 Days of Prayer for A Transformed Community by Trey and Mary Anne Kent. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.

Prayer Points

• Praise the sovereign Lord who cares for his sheep (Ezek. 34:11).
• Thank the Lord for shepherding you, caring for you in his rich pasture (34:14).
• Confess times of wandering away from the side of the Good Shepherd.
• Commit yourself to rejoicing in the bounty he provides for you.
• Ask God to help you be a blessing with the blessings you’ve been given.
• Pray that your church’s caregiving and fellowship efforts will be led by faithful shepherds who care for the flock (34:1-10). Ask God to give them compassionate diligence to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, and bind up the injured (34:4).