Prayer for my husband
Pray for him, not only about him. Ask what is weighing on him this week, and pray for that. If your marriage is in a hard place, our prayers for marriage go further.
For my husband
Lord, thank You for my husband. You know what he carries that he does not say out loud. Give him strength for his work and rest when the work is done. Keep him honest, gentle and brave. Guard his mind from whatever would pull him away from You or from us. Where we have hurt each other, help us both forgive quickly. Let him put down deep roots in You, like a tree by the water. And help me to be a good gift to him too. Amen.
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither”
Prayer for my wife
Thank God for her, specifically, before you ask for anything. It changes how you pray, and often how you love.
For my wife
Father, thank You for my wife, and for (name one thing you love about her). You see the load she carries, much of it unseen. Give her strength for today and real rest tonight. Let her know she is loved, by You and by me, not for what she does but for who she is. Give her wisdom in every decision and joy in small things. Where I have been careless with her heart, show me, and help me make it right. Amen.
“Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”
Prayer for my son
Whether he is four or forty, he is still your son. Pray for who he is becoming, not only for what he is doing.
For my son
Lord Jesus, You were once a boy growing up in a family. Watch over my son. Help him grow in wisdom as well as in size, and give him favor with You and with the people around him. Give him friends who make him better, and the courage to walk away from the ones who do not. Teach him to be strong and kind at the same time. And when he fails, let him know he can always come home, to You and to us. Amen.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
Prayer for my daughter
Many voices will tell her who she is. Pray that God's voice is the one she trusts.
For my daughter
Father, thank You for my daughter. You made her on purpose, and You do not make mistakes. When the world tells her she is not enough, remind her that she is fearfully and wonderfully made. Guard her from people who would use her, and surround her with people who will honor her. Give her a brave heart, a wise mind and a faith of her own. Let her always know there is a safe place with You and with us. Amen.
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
Prayer for family unity (when we are in conflict)
Every family fights. This prayer is for the cold silences and the old arguments that keep coming back. It is not a prayer for keeping quiet about abuse. If someone in your home is hurting you or your children, your safety comes first: in the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.
When our family is at odds
God of peace, our family is hurting, and I am part of the reason. Show me my share before I point to anyone else's. Soften the words we say and the way we say them. Where there is an old wound, begin to heal it. Where there is a misunderstanding, bring it into the light. Give us the humility to apologize first and the grace to forgive without keeping score. Make us one again, not by pretending, but by love. Amen.
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
Prayer for a family going through a hard time
A lost job, an illness, money worries, a move, a death. When a family is under strain, everyone gets tired at once. Pray for the strength to hold each other up.
For a hard season
Lord, this is a hard season for our family. You know what we are facing: (name it). We are tired, and sometimes we take it out on each other. Hold us together. When one of us falls, help another lift them up. Provide what we need for today and give us hope for tomorrow. Send friends who will show up with real help. And let us come out of this closer to You and to each other, not further apart. Amen.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
Prayer for a family member who is far from God
You cannot argue someone into faith, but you can love them and pray for them for as long as it takes. God is more patient than we are.
For someone I love who does not know You
Father, I bring You (name). You love them more than I do, and You have been patient with them longer than I have. Open their eyes to see You and their heart to want You. Send the right people into their life, people they will listen to. Keep me from preaching when I should be loving, and from giving up when I should be praying. Whatever it takes, bring them home. Amen.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Prayer for our home
A home is more than a building. Pray over the rooms where your family eats, argues, laughs and sleeps.
A blessing for our home
Lord, bless this home. Let the kitchen be a place of thanks, the table a place of good talk, and the bedrooms places of real rest. Let the front door open to neighbors and close on nothing we need to hide. When there is shouting, bring us back to gentleness. When there is sickness, bring comfort. Let everyone who walks in feel that You are welcome here, and so are they. Amen.
“And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places”
A short family prayer to pray together at dinner
Keep it short enough for the youngest at the table to join in. One person can say a line and everyone answers Amen, or you can all say it together. For more mealtime graces, see our prayers before meals.
Family dinner prayer
Thank You, God, for this food and for the hands that made it. Thank You for each person at this table. Bless the people we love who are not here tonight. Help us listen to each other, laugh together and be kind, tonight and all week. Amen.
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
If your family would like a little Scripture with dinner, Faithero can read a chapter aloud, verse by verse, while everyone listens at the table.
Frequently asked
What is a good prayer for my family?
A good prayer for your family is short, specific and honest. Thank God for each person by name, ask for what each one needs today, and pray for your home to be a place of love and forgiveness. The daily prayer at the top of this page is a good place to start.
How do I pray for my husband?
Pray for his walk with God, his work, his health, his temptations and your marriage. Ask him what he would like you to pray about this week, and then do it. Psalm 1:3 gives you a picture to pray over him: that he would be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water” (Psalm 1:3, KJV).
How do I pray for my wife?
Start with thanks for who she is, then pray for what she carries: her work, her health, her friendships, her faith and her rest. Ask her how you can pray for her, and ask again later how it went. Proverbs 31 gives good words to pray: “Strength and honour are her clothing” (Proverbs 31:25, KJV).
How do I pray for my son or daughter?
Pray for their faith, their friends, their safety and their character, and pray about the one thing in front of them this week, whether that is a test, a breakup or a new job. Our prayers for children have a prayer for every age, from babies to grown children.
How do I pray for a family member who is not saved?
Pray for them by name, often, and for as long as it takes. Ask God to open their heart, to bring the right people into their life and to help you love them without pressure. The Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, KJV). Your part is to pray and to love; changing a heart is God's work.
How can we pray together as a family?
Keep it short and regular. Dinner and bedtime are natural times: one thing to thank God for, one need, one person to pray for. Let children pray in their own words and do not correct them. A short prayer said together every day does more than a long one said once a year.
If your family looks different than you hoped
Some people read a page like this with an ache. Maybe your marriage ended, or you are raising children alone, or a parent or a sibling will not speak to you. Maybe the family you pray for is a blended one, a foster one, or a circle of friends who became family. God sees all of it. “God setteth the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6, KJV), and He is not finished with yours.
Pray for the family you have, not only the one you wish you had. Pray for the people who hurt you, from a safe distance if you need to. And let your church be family too: the people who sit near you on Sunday may be part of how God answers your prayers.
A prayer for my family
Start here if you only pray one prayer today. Say each name out loud.
A daily prayer for my family
Father, thank You for my family, the easy parts and the hard ones. I bring each of them to You by name: (say their names). Give each one what they need today, whether that is rest, courage, patience or simply a good day. Make our home a place where it is safe to be honest and easy to say sorry. Help us love You first and each other well. As for me and my house, we want to follow You. Amen.