“POWERFUL PRAYER”

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

James 5:16

The idea of worship is not confined to mere music and lyrics. Truth be told, when it comes to glorifying God, relationships matter.

This series aims to help you establish a healthy worship life with your family. In our previous blog, we learned that brokenness before God is a legitimate way to train our families in worship.

Here’s our last suggestion to establish a family worship tradition:

Close with a meaningful prayer.

Is there a better way to conclude worship time than prayer? This is a moment to thank God for the opportunity to come boldly into His presence and offer Him worship. But this doesn’t mean that your prayer should sound the same every day.

In today’s verse, the writer encourages his readers to offer prayers to God in faith and confess their sins to one another. To confess means “to acknowledge openly and joyfully.” It reminds me of Jesus’ command found in Matthew 18:15-20. The idea is to come clean and restore one’s relationship with a fellow believer. This mutual confession is an act of a “righteous man,” someone whose sins have been confessed and forgiven. This kind of prayer guarantees positive results.

To make your prayer mean more, apply the lessons you have learned from your short Bible study. For example, reading from Matthew 5 where Jesus talks about anger, you can ask God to give you the strength to manage your anger. If you read from 2 Timothy 3 where Paul talks about godlessness in the last days, ask God to give you discernment and self-control to overcome the ungodly influence of the world. Also, ask your family members how you can pray for them, making this moment more personal and encouraging.

Keep in mind that worship requires us to forgive (see Matthew 5:23-24). Therefore, train your family to free themselves of excess baggage through confession. Praying for one another can be a great time to confess sins and let go of resentment and grudges, allowing us to experience relief and comfort.

Conclusion

How do you train your loved ones to be a worshiping family?

• Read the Bible together.
• Sing theologically sound songs.
• Close with a meaningful prayer.

Pursue the Savior today!