Welcome to Day 24 of our 60 days of fasting and prayer. Today we would be lifting up our families in prayer but before we do so, let’s look at God’s heart when it comes to the family structure.

Genesis 12:1–3
New King James Version)
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Here we see the beginning of God’s covenantal relationship with Abraham. God calls him to leave his familiar surroundings and trust completely in divine direction. Note that this instruction was not only going to affect Abraham. Through Abraham’s obedience, God promised to raise a family that would become a nation and, ultimately, the channel of blessing to all families of the earth. The Messiah was going to come from his lineage. This reveals something profound: God’s redemptive plan for humanity was tied to the structure of family. Now imagine Abraham didn’t obey. His entire lineage would have missed out on something so divine.

The Bible, again speaking about Abraham says

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭17‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭
New King James Version‬‬
9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.”

God gave specific instructions on how the men in Abraham’s family ought to be circumcised in order to mark his own covenant people. And although this had great significance in typifying what God would ultimately do by the spirit, this also shows that God can give specific instruction on how to raise your family, he can show you what to do in order to make sure your family is at the center of his will. Like Abraham he can show you how they ought to be raised to stand out in their generation.

Being sensitive to the leadership of God can be the salvation of your family. For example, the Bible says

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬
‭New King James Version
‬1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.”

Genesis‬ ‭19‬:‭12‬-‭13‬
‭New King James Version‬‬
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!
13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

Their obedience to God’s instructions was what preserved them from danger. The Lord can lead us in such a way that it preserves our present and future generations. Even from these examples, the Lord has a track record of leading people as it pertained to their families and we should expect any less from Him.

Many of us grew up in Christian homes where convictions were lived out in simple yet powerful ways through morning devotions, songs of worship, shared prayers, and scripture reading. Many of our parents took time to shape our hearts, to teach us consecration, sometimes waking us early with songs like “Good morning, Jesus” or the familiar “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart.” These practices were not mere habits; they were spiritual foundations. They instilled a reverence for God and built a culture of faith and obedience to God within the home. The family altar became a sacred space where hearts were molded, values were formed, and destinies were shaped. Even when we complained about it or grumbled, most parents would refer to one scripture:

Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭6‬ ‭
New King James Version‬‬
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

In doing all those things, they were acting in obedience to the word of God. They were taking the word of God for what it was and acting on it. There were many decisions our parents made that maybe at the time didn’t seem wise to us, but it was them being obedient to God’s voice and were better for it. The question then is, will your children find such in you? Will they learn reverence from you?

Can you follow God’s instruction concerning your family and not just your present family but your future family, because God can instruct you on what to do even for the family you’re yet to raise.

The Bible says;

Judges‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭
New King James Version‬‬
2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.
3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

The Lord told Manoah and his wife what manner of child they were going to have and even gave clear instructions on how he ought to be raised. And when they eventually conceived, the child was just as the Lord said. He can do the same for you, even now the lord can open your eyes to how you ought to raise your future family, he can give clear instructions what to do with your children, he can tell you what to expect from them.

From Noah to Abraham, from Jacob to Joseph, and even to the earthly family of Jesus, God has consistently worked through households to accomplish His will. He has given consistent leadings on operations within different families. It was through their obedience that they remained at the center of God’s plan and even contributed to God’s overall plan to save the earth.

Through Jacob came Israel, the nation that would carry the covenant. And through Mary and Joseph came the Messiah. History and Scripture alike affirm this truth: God is interested in your family, and he wants to lead us even in our family affairs.

Supernatural leadership is something that our families can benefit from. If you’re standing in the gap for your family, the Lord can give you direction on how to carry out your dealings with them. For as many of us who still have unsaved family members, our obedience to God’s leadings can mean the salvation of their souls.

Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭30-‭32
‬ ‭New King James Version‬‬
30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31 and said, “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.”
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‭‭Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬ ‭
New King James Version‬‬
24 “And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.”

God had given Cornelius an instruction to send for Peter, because he was going to speak to him words by which he would be saved. And in Cornelius’ obedience to that instruction, he and his entire household were gathered before Peter that day, and all of them were saved!

2 Timothy 3:15
New King James Version
15 Paul later reminded him, “And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”

This is a powerful reminder that faith is often first kindled at home, where parents model devotion and teach Scripture. This is the legacy we must give our children, that generations can call us blessed because we honoured the Lord and taught those after us to do the same. Look at what Timothy went on to do in ministry with the right foundation. I pray for you that your seed would be a testament that you indeed poured out your life before the Lord.

God cares about our families and wants to lead us even when it comes to them! We ought to expect it, we ought to walk in it, in fact, it is critical. Like much else in our lives, we operate best under God’s guidance and leadership.

Prayer point:
Father, in these 60 days, my heart is open to your leadership concerning family. I receive clear instructions and direction concerning my family’s present and future.