Shape your family’s future

In this episode, we focus on praying intentionally over the family: the family we came from, the family we are leading, and the family God is building through us.

Drawing from Joshua’s declaration, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,” this message calls us to take spiritual responsibility for our homes. It is a reminder that we are not helpless concerning the future of our families. Through prayer, faith, and intentional spiritual covering, we can stand in the gap for our parents, siblings, spouses, and children.

This episode includes prayers and declarations for family direction, parental strength, sibling support, the continuation of faith in our households, unity between parents, balanced growth for children, age-appropriate development, and capacity for every assignment God places before our families.

May this message stir your faith to pray boldly over your household and declare with confidence: as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:23

But the scripture shows us that one person who takes a stand before God can shape the spiritual trajectory of an entire household. Today, our focus is on the family, the family we came from, the family we are leading, and the family God is building through us. Welcome to this morning's expression of igniting your day with Bamidelli or Lord and Otoba. Let's read Joshua chapter 24, verse 15 to 16. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods of your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Verse 16 Then the people answered, Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods. Friends, Joshua made a clear declaration before the people responded, He did not wait for the whole nation to decide before he took responsibility for his own house. That's how it works in every family. Until someone stands and says, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, things may continue without spiritual direction. Today, we are here to pray over our homes and shape the future of our families. Take a moment this morning. Thank God for your family. Thank Him for the family you came from. Thank Him for the family you are leading. Thank Him for your parents. Thank Him for your siblings. Thank Him for your spouse. Thank Him for your children and extended family. Yes, they may not be perfect. They may have been in pain. They may have been in stress. There might have been tears and disappointments lately, but thank God that there is still life. Thank God there are still people you can call your own. Yes. I want to let you know that what you have now is far better than what the enemy planned. Yes, what you have now is far better than what the enemy planned for you. I'd like you this morning to be a blessing to your family. Pray for your siblings specifically. If any of them is pursuing a project, a program, a business, a career step, or a major decision, speak blessings over them. Declare that they receive help from the Lord. Declare that they are not stranded. Declare that God strengthens them and opens doors for them. Be a blessing to them in prayer. Yes, be a blessing to them. You can also pray for your parents. Yes, the Bible says, honor your father and your mother. Some of our parents are carrying more than they tell us. Some of them look back and remember the things they could have done better. Some need comfort. Some need strength. Some need peace. Declare that your father and mother enjoy the help of God today. Declare that the Lord comforts them. Declare that they are not overwhelmed by regret. They are not overwhelmed by fear. They are not overwhelmed by loneliness. They are not overwhelmed by weakness in the name of Jesus. Yes, friends, do not wait until they call you before you check on them. Sometimes the comfort they need is hidden in that call. Sometimes the comfort they need is hidden in your care. Sometimes the comfort they need is hidden in your prayers. Go ahead, check on them today. Ask them questions and be a blessing to them. Hallelujah. The Bible also says something important in Isaiah chapter 60, verse 15. I read from the NIV. Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. When God makes a person the joy of many generations, friends, they bring joy to those before them, those who are their contemporaries, and those coming after them. Pray these over yourself and your siblings. Declare, I am joy to many generations. My parents will look at me and rejoice. My siblings will look at me and rejoice. My children will look at me and rejoice in the name of Jesus. Friends, if there is anyone in your family whose situation has brought concern or heaviness to your parents, bring that person before the Lord this morning. Declare that the story changes. Declare that joy returns to your family in the name of Jesus. Amen. We are also going to pray that this faith continues in our homes. Genesis chapter 18, verse 19 says of Abraham, For I have known him in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord. Friends, God's expectation was not that Abraham alone would know him. Abraham was to command his children and household after him. So we must ask ourselves, what are we doing concerning our households? If you are the light of the world, why should it be difficult for you to be the light of your family? Declare that the light of God shines through you into your home. Declare that your children will know Jesus early. Declare that your family will not lose faith. Yes, our children will not be counted among those who abandoned the way of the Lord. They will know the Lord, they love God, and they follow Jesus. Let me tell you this, friends. Parents must also stand together. Malachi chapter 2, verse 15 says, Has not the one God made you? You belong to Him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. Friends, God seeks godly offspring. Raising children in the way of the Lord is not the duty of one parent alone. The father must be on guard. The mother must be on guard. The husband and wife must also stand together. Can you declare this morning? I am on guard. My family is on guard. We will not be careless with the spiritual destiny of our children. In the name of Jesus. The devil will not rob our homes. Our children will be raised in the way of the Lord. In the name of Jesus. Yes. We are also going to pray this morning that your children will keep the way of the Lord. The Bible says something interesting in 1 Kings chapter 22, verse 43 to 44. I read, And he walked in the ways of his father Asa, talking of Jehoshaphat. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the way, in the eyes of the Lord, rather. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burnt incense on the high places. Verse 44. Also, Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. We see here that Jehoshaphat followed the godly path of his father Asa. He did not turn aside. We also see here that he preserved important relationships. Pray that your children will not turn aside from the way of the Lord. Pray that they will honor godly foundations, preserve valuable relationships, and respect the people God has used in your family's journey. Our children will not only know the way of the Lord, they keep the way of the Lord. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Let's pray concerning balanced growth for our children. There is something I saw in scriptures that came up to me as balanced growth for the children. Luke chapter 2, verse 52 says, And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. This shows that Jesus grew in four dimensions. Jesus grew in wisdom, that's mental development. Jesus grew in stature, that's physical development. Jesus grew in favor with God, that's spiritual development. Jesus grew in favor with men, that's social development. This is balanced growth. Declare balanced growth over your children. They will not be strong in one area and broken in another. Their minds will develop well, their bodies develop well, their spirits will be alive to God. Their relationship with people will be healthy in the name of Jesus. For every child who seems delayed, imbalanced, withdrawn, weak, confused, or struggling, we declare divine intervention this morning. The God who raises the dead can restore balance in the life of every child. Yes, in the name of Jesus. Friends, the Bible does not just speak of balanced growth for children, the Bible also speaks of age-appropriate growth. Deuteronomy chapter 33, verse 25, in the living Bible, it says, May your strength match the length of your days. May your strength match the length of your days. This is age-appropriate growth. A child should not be 10 years old and function with the strength of a two-year-old. When they are meant to speak, they will speak. When they are meant to walk, they will walk. When they are meant to reason, they will reason. When they are meant to take responsibilities, they will rise to it in the name of Jesus. Declare that your children's strength will match the length of their days. Yes, born and unborn, our children will grow appropriately, fully, and steadily in the name of Jesus. I also like us to pray for our children that they have capacity for every assignment. This is very important, but let's read the scriptures first. Helep said in Joshua chapter 14, verse 11, As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me. Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. At 85, friends, Helep still had strength for his assignment. It is not enough for our children to have balanced and age-appropriate growth. Their strength must match their assignments. Their capacity must match what God places before them. Why don't you declare this morning that your children will have capacity for school, they have capacity for work, they have capacity for purpose, they have capacity for ministry, they have capacity for relationships, they have capacity for leadership, and they have capacity for destiny in the name of Jesus. They will not talk themselves out of their future, they will not collapse under the weight of their assignment. God will strengthen them for every situation they must take. In the name of Jesus. Amen. In closing friends, this is the body of our prayer today: that our families will not drift without direction, and our children will not grow without covering. God has given us spiritual responsibility. We can stand like Joshua and declare, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We can pray for our parents, bless our siblings, cover our children, and insist that the faith of Christ continues in our homes. We are not helpless concerning our families. No, we are not spectators over the future of our households. In the place of prayer, we partner with God to shape the direction of our homes in the name of Jesus. So we have declared today that our families serve the Lord, that our parents are strengthened and comforted. Our siblings receive help from the Lord. Our children know the Lord early. Our homes will not lose the faith. Our children keep the way of the Lord. They grow in wisdom, they grow in stature, they grow in favor with God and favor with people. We declare that their strength matches the length of their days and that their capacity will match every assignment before them. We declare that they do not collapse under the weight of destiny. They will not be stranded in their journey of life. They will not turn aside from the ways of the Lord. Yes, the Lord strengthens them for every mountain they must take in the name of Jesus. So I declare concerning myself and concerning you this morning. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I believe you have been blessed by what you heard this morning. Be a blessing to someone else. Share this episode of the podcast to a friend, a family member, or even your parents. I wish you an amazing weekend. God bless you.