Whew! Yesterday, we prayed for our World. It’s a big prayer, but it is a great one. Today, we bring our focus closer to home. We are going to pray for our extended families. Parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and all your other family members are part of your world, and they have prayer needs too.
If you see your family often, you know them well enough to know what those prayer needs are. Think back to the first part of this series. We prayed many things for ourselves, our spouses and the children in our lives. Many of those same things apply to your extended family as well.
Day 27- Praying for the needs of your extended family
If you don’t see your extended family very much, you can still pray for them. God knows what is going on in their lives right now. Your family members may not think to pray for themselves. Many people don’t pray consistently for themselves. If you are the type of person who does, you can lift up your family and ask God for those things.
Think about your extended family for a moment and think of the things you can bring to God.
Pray for your parents and your in-laws if you have them.
If your parents are healthy, you can pray for their continued good health. Sometimes, as people get older there are some health challenges. If there are things they need prayer for, you can ask God to bring healing and restoration to their bodies. Ask Him to restore them to good health, and protect them from sickness and disease as they age.
If you are fortunate enough to still have grandparents, you can pray for their health and well-being.
I have lost all but one of my grandparents. Maybe many of you have too. We can thank God for the time we spent with them, and ask Him to bless those grandparents we still have.
Many grandparents, especially if they live alone, can find themselves lonely. Pray for them to find joy in something new. My paternal grandmother kept herself very busy for the many years she spent as a widow. I’m sure I have mentioned her here before. She had all types of craft projects and things that she enjoyed doing. She had endless ideas of things to do. I believe those projects and ideas kept her young and vibrant in the remaining years of her life.
Ask God to be close to them if they are alone a lot.
You can pray for your grandparents to find a new and exciting hobby if they don’t have family and friends that can visit often. Ask God to inspire them to learn something new and fun to do.
Also, pray that they continue to feel loved whenever they spend time alone.
Think about ways you can serve them. Even if you cannot visit often, maybe there are ways that you can bless them. Maybe a letter or a phone call would be nice. Or, ask if there is something that they may be looking for, that you can help them find. My grandmother was pretty computer savvy, but some people are not. Helping someone find a specific book or other small item online is sometimes easier for those of us who do it more often.
Your aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, etc., are part of today’s focus too.
I grew up with a pretty small family, but now that we’re older, many of my cousins are married with their own children. Even a small family can grow into a big one. When we take the time to think about who our extended family is, we can think of so many things to pray for. Spending a little time thinking about specific people can get our minds ready to bring those needs to God.
If you aren’t close to the people that make up your extended family, whether it is because of geographical, or even personal differences, ask God to be with them no matter where they are. Pray that God walks with them in their lives and that they are comforted if they are struggling. Pray that they know they are never alone.
Let’s not forget the family members we grew up with.
I am talking now about our parents and siblings, or whoever you lived with growing up.
I was raised by my dad and mom and had one sibling. It was just the four of us, but, we are pretty close. I find that whenever I want to pray for my sister and my parents, I can think of a lot of needs, because I know them so well.
If you feel like you don’t know what to pray for your family, it’s okay. It is sometimes overwhelming to think of all of these people and what is going on in all of their lives. Remember that when we pray, we do not always have to ask for a long list of things. Sometimes, it’s good just to pray for God to bless your family and be with them.
We can thank God for our family.
In the class I just recently took, we studied the book of 1 Corinthians. In chapter 1, Paul greets the Corinthians, and goes on to say in verse 4, “I give thanks to my God always for you….”¹ He does the same thing in other letters. I frequently think about this when I am sitting down to pray. It is a great way to get your mind focused when you are ready to talk to God.
It is important to give thanks to God for our family as well as to bring our requests to him.
For the people you may not have a good relationship with, you can pray for them today too.
It’s a perfect time to bring that situation to God.
If you are not in contact with a member of your family right now, maybe it is on your heart to pray for them too. Today would be a good day to pray for restoration of relationships that need restoration. Sometimes, there are seasons that families are not connected for a time. God’s timing is important in those seasons.
I have walked through those seasons too. I am happy to say that those relationships were restored. It is not always the case for everyone. I know people who did not experience restoration in their families. You can pray for that restoration in your life if you need it. If you do not have contact with a member of your family, take today to pray for that person. You may not know their current situation, but God does, and He is with them right now.
Let’s take a minute and say a special prayer for our pets right now too.
This may seem silly, but think about it. Sometimes those special animals in our lives are there when things get a little rough. Personally, I think its worth acknowledging their special place in our lives.
I am an animal lover.
I’ve had many different pets. When I was younger, I raised rabbits, chickens, ducks, and geese. I had a few dogs, lots of cats, gerbils and small birds. I raised a couple of sheep, some goats, and even a few hermit crabs!
As an adult, I’ve pretty much stuck with cats. My most recent pets were a couple of cats. They were buddies, and they loved their humans. Our cats knew when each member of the family came home. The younger one would not let you be anywhere in the house alone. If you were up and around, she was in your business. Actually, if she heard us moving in the morning, she would come running in and get right up in your face. Honestly, she didn’t always wait until you were awake! If you have a pet like this, you get it. This little girl just had to be where we were. We stopped latching the doors in the house when we went in and out of rooms, because she would scratch to get to us if we closed them. The other cat is pretty great too. He’s just a little more patient.
The two kitties used to lay together in front of the heat vent in the winter. They were so close. Last year, our girl kitty passed away. Losing her was hard. We had her for eleven amazing years. It left us with one very special Siamese kitty.
Our remaining cat is such a special guy. He is doing well after having lost his ‘sister,’ and we are all very aware of his new found need for attention. Because he is now the only cat in the house (for now, anyway), he gets a lot of extra snuggles, and we all make a point to show him love.
I know that some people don’t agree, but I think pets are family. They bring a lot of joy to our lives. God knows how special they are to us. If you have a special pet, it’s okay to consider them your family. Today’s focus can include them too.
Whatever your family looks like, pray for them today and lift them up to the Lord.
My prayer for today:
Dear God,
Thank you for all of the members of my family and extended family. I know that even if I don’t get to talk to many of them, you know where they are today and what they are doing. Thank you for watching over all of them when I cannot. Lord, if there are special needs in any of these people’s lives, please be with them. I ask you to make yourself known to my family members. Comfort those who need comfort. Bring good health to those who need it. Give them wisdom where they are seeking it.
God, I will admit, that I feel afraid to ask, because I can be self-centered, but show me where I can be of service if it is your will. If there are places you need me to be in my family’s lives, I ask you to help me to do that. If you are asking me to be the one to serve one of my extended family members, show that to me now.
Lord, you know some of the more difficult relationships. Please go in and help those relationships heal in the way that you see fit.
Lord, please be with all of my family, my grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, parents and siblings. Thank you for the gift that is my family.
And Lord, I ask a small request today. Please guide us to a new pet for the household if it is the right time. Lord, they are so special, and it seems so small, but I know that you understand our needs. God, help us find a new little one to bring into the house when you think the time is right.
Bless my family members God, each and every one of them. Bring them peace, joy, and prosperity. Most of all, I pray that you guide them into a relationship with you. Help them to find their hope in you.
Amen 
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I am not a professional counselor, coach, doctor or health professional. I am not a legal professional nor should my views be consider legal advice in any way
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¹Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
