Where do you consider to be the most personal and comforting place in your life? For many people that place is their home. There are many different types of dwelling places that people call home – some consist of only one room, others have many rooms and garages. The important part is to transform your home into a house of prayer.
As a family, pray in every room of your house – for God’s presence to fill everything and every person (Colossians 3:11).
The foyer
A foyer and front door provide access to our homes. Nobody can enter the house unless we open the door. We only allow access to someone we trust.
Lord Jesus, we welcome You in our home. Please enter and make our home Your dwelling place. We place our trust in You – for our family, our lives and our home. You are the Cornerstone of this entire household (Ephesians 2:20).
The bathroom
The entire family knows when you have just come out of a shower or bath. You have a fresh fragrance about you! You also look and feel clean, relaxed and recharged after a bath or a shower. Sometimes you only feel awake once you have had a nice, hot shower!
Lord Jesus, cleanse me from all sin with the Blood You shed on the cross. Purify me from all my unrighteousness. Break the bonds of the evil one over me and my family. Cause me to be alert and to obey Your Word, to hear Your voice and to listen to it. Enable me to spread the beautiful fragrance of Your gospel in my home and wherever I may go.
The kitchen
The kitchen is mom’s domain where her word counts. Mom’s food is the best. This is the place of provision, satisfaction, of creativity and to follow mom’s orders!
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your provision in our house, for our daily bread, clothes and providing in all our basic needs. Thank You for showering us with Your good gifts. Teach us to obey Your voice. Help us not to take anything for granted; to be thankful for everything we have and to always express our gratitude (1 Timothy 4:4).
The dining room
Here we spend quality time as a family. We share our dreams and plans. We discuss family matters, the news and the events of the day. This is the place where we reason with one another and come together for Bible study.
Lord Jesus, we welcome You into our hearts. We share our dreams, thoughts and concerns with You. Accept our worship. Come and fill our dining room with Your presence; let the fullness of Your presence reside in us. When we pray, let it be in faith; when we hear Your Word, cause us to respond with heartfelt conviction. May every thought in our hearts be subject to You, obey You and bring honour to You (2 Corinthians 10:5).
The living room
This is our place of relaxation. We laugh and talk, watch television and listen to music. We share laughter in our household and with others who visit us. Tears are shed in this room about things we do not understand. We share this part of our house with family, friends and fellow believers. This is where our cell groups or ward meetings take place and we seek the Lord’s face with people outside of our family unit.
Lord Jesus, we invite You to be a part of our lives; to guard our speech, to prevent us from gossiping or speaking ill about others; to set ourselves to look upon that which is honourable, uplifting and giving honour to You. Cause us not to dishonour You when You reveal yourself to us and we are unaware of Your presence. Jesus, come and be part of our conversations and meetings. Enable us to hear Your voice when we listen to what the Holy Spirit says and reveals to us (Romans 8:16; 9:1).
The children’s bedroom
Here our children do their homework, study for the exams and also have their devotions. Sometimes it is also the place where children go to when they cry or feel heartbroken.
Lord Jesus, I invite You to be present in my children’s rooms. May they always experience Your presence – when they feel alone, upset or heartbroken. Help them to focus on their homework and studies. Touch their hearts when they feel alone or lonely, when their friends mistreated them or when they feel downcast. Convince them of right and wrong, and not to act in rebellion against our love for them (Colossians 3:20-21).
The guest room
Guests become part of the atmosphere in our home. Their lives have an influence on ours and vice versa. Often we only have one opportunity to model Jesus to someone who is visiting.
Lord Jesus, I pray for Your tangible presence in this room to touch each person’s life who has stayed over. May they have a renewed hunger and thirst for a personal relationship with You. Talk to them while they are sleeping through dreams and show them Your will for their lives. Answer their prayers and may the witness of our family be an encouragement to them to serve You (John 13:35).
The main bedroom
The main bedroom is my meeting place with my Maker; the place where I can be alone with God. This is my resting place when I am tired or when I have the need to be alone. It is also the place where I can share my heart, love and respect with my spouse. We pray together concerning things that seem impossible, we share our sadness and disappointments, our joys and breakthroughs.
Lord Jesus, we invite You into our bedroom, our secret place. Come and be a part of every conversation and direct our conduct. Set our hearts to consider You and each other when we speak and when we share our love with one another, physically and emotionally. Let everything bring honour to You. Convict us of our sins and correct us when we do each other and You wrong (Colossians 3:16-17).
The garage
In addition to keeping a vehicle safe, the garage can become a storage place in most households. Everything we do not have a purpose for is stored in the garage. Everything we have bought and no longer use, all the ‘white elephants’, go to the garage.
Lord Jesus, I confess that there are so many things that I hoard in my life. Help me to generously give material things to those in need. I have also hoarded sin, unfinished conversations, bitterness and so many things that I cannot face or want to deal with. I am struggling with maintaining good discipline, with permissible sins and things that break Your heart. I pray for strength and grace to surrender the things that break Your heart to You. Please reveal every hindrance in our relationship and enable me to part with it. I long to experience complete freedom in my relationship with You and with others.
(Download and print this article as a creative z-fold pamphlet to engage your children in praying through your home.)
