Do We Overlook Our Family in Kingdom Work?
How can I pray for you?
How can I help you?
My roles often prompt me to ask these two questions of others, especially other women.
This includes life roles and callings in both the past or present. Like pastor’s wife, youth pastor’s wife, women’s leader, mentor, Christian writer, blogger, and speaker.
Asking how to pray and help someone for mentoring, a conversation, hard circumstances, a Bible study, small group, a stranger in need, or simply talking with a friend fosters a connection unlike any other.
Prayer is one of the greatest gifts we give someone.
And offering real, authentic, and tangible help?
It’s what few are willing to do.
But what about my family and yours?
Do we overlook the people right in front of us in need of prayer and help?
First and foremost, those under our roof, our husband and children. And adult children who already left home. Yet it also includes siblings, parents, grandchildren, in-laws and possibly other extended family.
We often ask God to send us a ministry to help others. But we overlook our family members right in front of us in need of help and prayer. Click To TweetLet’s consider some examples of how we flesh this out in real life.
Overlook or ask our spouse how we can pray for them.
This may seem uncomfortable at first. Still, it shows great love and care toward our spouse to even ask. So if we really hear our spouse and follow through, think of the deep connection it will bring in our relationship and the sure to follow effects of specific prayers prayed for them.
Gather our spouse’s prayer needs when we know there are hardships with a job or a particular area of life. But let’s not forget to find out how to pray during times when things are going along fine.
Overlook or ask our children how we can pray for them.
Start when they are Kindergarten age and continue through teen, college, and adult years. If your kids are hesitant, keep asking in a sincere way.
For example, if your five-year-old doesn’t like school, finding out how to pray may reveal the issues. Or, if your teen displays signs of withdrawing, asking how to pray might reveal a broken friendship or bullying.
You get the idea. Practice asking and praying for other family members during sunny and rainy seasons in life.
Overlook or reach out to our family members and ask how to help.
Our spouse may need our insight with a situation at work or for a project. Maybe our daughter needs our help with how to address her teacher over something that happened at school.
Perhaps our sister comes to us for help with a hurt she experienced with a close friend. Or, our aging parent needs direction on a purchase or medical decisions.
Because when we ask how we can help, it causes our family member to think through what they really need, ways we can help (or not help), what they can do for themselves and if outside help is even needed.
God, give me a ministry to my family.
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3 (ESV)
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3 (ESV)
By wisdom a house is built (Proverbs 24:3), children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15) Click To TweetI meet with women who ask God to give them a ministry, one where, as women of God, they leave their mark for the Kingdom of God and make a difference in the world—their world.
I’ve asked the same thing of the Lord. You see, you don’t have to be in ministry to touch people’s lives. We all minister where we are.
In my current life season, I’m working full-time outside the home in a job I enjoy. This is where the Lord has placed me to minister to others. But it doesn’t stop there.
I desire a ministry inside my home and with my entire family. The Lord wants this for me.
Friend, God has placed you in your home and with your family for a reason, to minister to them. This, too, is Kingdom work.
…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15c (ESV)
Friend, God has placed you in your home and with your family for a reason, to minister to them. This, too, is Kingdom work. Click To Tweet
Next Step
Ask God to grow our heart to desire to minister to our own family within the walls of our home. Then, begin to ask those two important questions to our spouse, children, and extended family.
See also: 15 Scriptures to Pray Over Family and Ourselves
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Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Recharge Wednesday/Let’s Have Coffee/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected (Grace & Truth) and Faith On Fire.
© 2021 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Powerful and necessary message. All too often families can become “orphans” of those in ministry, leading to resentment, division, and broken relationships.
Ava, we’ve all heard those stories of the forgotten ones while loved ones were attempting to save the world.
This is a good word, Karen. It’s so easy to focus on ministering to others and not even notice when our own family member is struggling. I pray I have eyes to see and ears to listen.
Yes, Jerralea, I pray for those eyes to see and ears to listen too. Sometimes instead of fixing the problems, our family member needs us to walk shoulder to shoulder with them through the struggle.
Our family is our first and foremost area of service, love, discipleship, and prayer. When we prioritize them and their needs, not only do we strengthen the bonds we share, but we also equip them for life in the wider world. They are our dearest and most significant ministry. By guiding them, we go forth and make disciples.
Such a good message, Melinda. We truly are making disciples and planting and sowing spiritual truths into our world and our family member’s world. And teaching each generation the importance of family ministry, first and foremost!
This is an important message. As we seek to serve others, I pray we don’t overlook the ones closest to us. I pray we show the love of God to everyone.
A powerful prayer for all of us to keep in mind, Melissa. We all minister where we are.
What a convicting, but necessarily so, post Ms. Karen. Do I pray for my spouse, children, and other family (and extended family) members? Absolutely. Every day. Do I take time to pray with them about things? Not nearly as much as I should. Showing we love them enough to pray with them should not be reserved for those crucial moments like going into surgery or upon receiving terrible news. We need to make ourselves available to our loved ones even more than we do strangers. Thank you for speaking truth into, what I suspect will be, many lives today. God’s blessings ma’am.
J.D., that’s so true. Sometimes we make prayer a last resort thing or “when it comes to that” instead of starting with prayer and making it part of our lives and our family ministry. I want to be more consistent to ask my husband and my kids, “How can I pray for you?” This, too, is Kingdom work.
It is something I can forget to do. I love this thought, “ God, give me a ministry to my family.”. Something I will try to pray daily. Thanks for the reminder and ideas.
Yvonne, we all easily forget this and it’s a daily prayer that can change us and bond our family together stronger than ever!
Ministering to our family members and praying for them should be first and foremost in our lives, Karen. After all, if our house is in disarray, how can we even hope to shine a light to others? Wonderful advice and reminders here about the all-encompassing power of prayer!
Martha, I love how you said, “if our house is in disarray, how can we even hope to shine a light on others?” That’s a good word! By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3 (ESV)
Sometimes, the simplest ways are the best–but we too easily overlook them. Thanks for laying it all out so clearly, Karen.
Hey Nancy, serving and ministering to my family in the simplest and smallest ways becomes some of the greatest parts of God’s Kingdom. And one of the best jobs on the planet.
I don’t know why we think the great things we could do for God are “out there” somewhere instead of the everyday ways of ministering to those right in front of us, but we do. May God give us grace to serve those closest to us.
Agreeing with your prayer, Barbara. There are plenty of everyday opportunities to minister to our loved ones the Lord has entrusted to us!
Amen Sweet Sister in Jesus-Yeshua Christ-Messiah Karen!!
Kristi Ann, a thousand Hallelujahs sister!
Good words here! This year I’ve struggled with an ache to do ministry beyond my home, but God turned my gaze inward to focus on my hurting daughter. I’m called to be His hands and feet everywhere–in the home and out. The important thing is listening to where God is telling me to go.
That’s a wonderful and powerful testimony, Jessica. I’m so thankful you shared it here as it drives home the point of the importance of “home.”
What a wonderful and necessary reminder, Karen. Family is always part of our mission field.
Thanks, Ashley. We talk about whether the Lord is calling us to cross the ocean for missions or cross the hallway at work to minister to others. And those are definite callings and necessary to the gospel. But, we forget sometimes it’s also crossing the living room, speaking life across the kitchen table, or crossing the hallway at home to a child’s bedroom to pray and minister in Jesus’ name.
Karen, our families ARE the ministry. They are the most important people God has entrusted to us. “God has placed you in your home and with your family for a reason, to minister to them. This, too, is Kingdom work.” Amen, the most important Kingdom work. So grateful you shared this post!
Glad this resonated with you, Joanne. I love how you said our families “ARE the ministry.” Yes!!!!