The first Thursday of May is recognized in the United States as our National Day of Prayer. The day is generally intended as a time to pray for the nation, the government, and our political leaders. Still, many consider this observance a time to reflect, pray for a variety of needs, and praise God for His many blessings.
Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
What Your Family Can Pray For Today
Our circumstances here on this Earth can seem bleak at times. Naturally, we turn to God to pray for change. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this, it’s important to remember that God also deserves our praise.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” So, as you go throughout National Day of Prayer today, be sure to give thanks for the Lord’s blessings, whether those are small joys (like the sun shining or birds chirping in the morning) or a larger miracle (the Lord healing a loved one of an illness).
With that said, here are several ideas of what your family can pray for on this year’s National Day of Prayer:
Your Family
Begin your time of prayer today by starting small: what can your family pray for one another about? Since we are approaching the end of the school year, perhaps you could pray for your student’s upcoming final projects or that the Lord will guide your family’s path this summer.
Another great way to start your prayer today is to walk through the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) together. Or you can pray through the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), asking the Lord that He would give your family the desire and courage to demonstrate these fruits in action.
Your Community
Don’t forget to pray for your community! As a Classical Conversations member, this doesn’t just mean your local community of homeschool families. Instead, pray also for what’s going on in your hometown, for your local leaders to make wise decisions, or for sports teams, dance organizations, or scout groups that your student is involved in.
The Homeschool Movement
Currently, the Lord is using the homeschool movement to capture the hearts and minds of many families across the world. As so many families are waking up to the issues in the traditional education system and opting into homeschooling, the Lord is meeting them through local communities, co-ops, and other homeschool organizations.
Your family can pray that these new homeschool families are encouraged, strengthened, and supported in their homeschooling journey. As you do, ask the Lord how your family might be a blessing to any new homeschool families in your own Classical Conversations community.
If you’re interested in learning how God is working through the homeschool movement, the documentary Schoolhouse Rocked: The Homeschool Revolution captures this well. Through testimonies and conversations, the film tells the inspiring story of how many families are turning toward homeschooling, among many other reasons, to seek religious freedom. The growing popularity in homeschooling is certainly something that the Lord deserves our praise for.
The Church
Pray for both your local church and the global church. Pray that God uses your local church to bring the gospel to the surrounding area and that your pastor and other church leaders make wise decisions. For the global church, pray that it reaches the nations while finding effective ways to share the good news with unbelievers. Also, thank the Lord for any blessings that have happened in your own church, such as new believers coming to Christ, baptisms, and births.
Political Leaders
Please pray for that your government officials make wise choices. Pray for the political leaders in your hometown, county, and state. Pray also for those on the national level.
As a homeschool family, this can also be a great opportunity to explain to your student how the different branches of our governmental system work, praying for each branch as you learn about them.
National and Global Conflicts
We don’t have to look too hard to find brokenness to pray for in our world. Indeed, there are many tragic conflicts going on in the world right now, including the war in Ukraine, that need your prayer.
One way to go about praying for conflicts both on a national and global scale is to open a news website and pray through the current events that the articles cover. Although reading or viewing the news is often sobering, it’s important still to understand how we can pray for people who are suffering greatly in our world.
National Day of Prayer Is a Reminder
National Day of Prayer is a reminder to make prayer a habit in our daily lives. Whether your family spends time praying together throughout the day or just once in the morning or evening, today is a time to really reflect on what it is we can continue to pray for all year long. In addition, National Day of Prayer is just a great opportunity to spend some quality time praying to God with the whole family.
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