15 Scriptures to Pray over our family

15 SCRIPTURES TO PRAY OVER OUR FAMILY, Photo by Kevin Delvecchio on Unsplash
15 SCRIPTURES TO PRAY OVER OUR FAMILY, Photo by Jessica Rockowitz on Unsplash

Try this at home. Here’s one feat I encourage every believer to attempt. Insert the names of loved ones into Scriptures, then pray the truths over family members and see what happens.

Recently, I recognized the eight-year-anniversary of my father leaving this earth in a social media post. In the write-up, I mentioned the years my dad spent as an atheist.

When I met Christ at sixteen, I started praying for my dad. Prayers for him to believe in the heavenly Father. And God answered my prayers sixteen years later when my dad gave his life to the Lord.

The Power of Praying Scriptures

But in the middle of the long process, my faith often waned. I struggled to believe my dad would ever become a Christ-follower.

Needing help with my own unbelief, I inserted my dad’s name into Scriptures. Then I prayed the truths out loud and back to God. And I think it played a part in my dad’s salvation.

Because I know this: There’s power in prayer and we move mountains in the spiritual world with the truth of God’s Word.

Also, this practice acquaints us with the Scriptures, aids in its memorization, and reminds us of all of God’s promises.

I’m sharing 15 Scriptures I’ve personalized and prayed for family members. However, keep in mind the wealth of Bible topics available at our disposal.

Examples include: salvation, freedom from something/addictions, fear, healing, spiritual growth, strength, faith, trust, love, forgiveness, bondage, sin, wisdom, wayward souls/children, and depression. Simply research Bible verses that address your family members’ specific needs

Inserting Names into Scriptures 

1.)  Salvation/John 3:16, For God so loved ________, that he gave his only Son, that if ________ believes in him, he will not perish but have eternal life.

2.)  Fear/2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given ________ a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.

3.) Forgiveness/Ephesians 4:32, ________ will be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving others as God in Christ forgave him.

4.)  Victory in an area/Ephesians 3:20, Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all ________ asks or thinks, according to the power at work within her.

5.)  Strength in the Spirit/Zechariah 4:6, This is the word of the Lord to ________: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

6.)  Healing/Malachi 4:2, But for ________ who reveres my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. ________ shall go out leaping like a calf from the stall.

7.)  Life in Christ or calling/1 Corinthians 1:9, God is faithful, by whom ________ was called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ her Lord.

Praying Scriptures Over Our Family

15 SCRIPTURES TO PRAY OVER OUR FAMILY, Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash

8.)  Surrender and support/2 Chronicles 16:9, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to ________ when her heart is completely His.

9.) Secure in God’s love/1 John 3:1, See what kind of love the Father has given to ________, that he should be called a child of God; and so ________ is.

10.)  Discouragement/Psalm 90:14, Satisfy ________ in the morning with your steadfast love, that he may rejoice and be glad all his days.

11.)  Peace/Isaiah 26:3, You keep ________ in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because she trusts in you.

12.)  Comfort for hard times/Psalm 32:7, You are a hiding place for ________; you preserve her from trouble; you surround ________ with shouts of deliverance.

13.)  Christian walk/Micah 6:8, He has shown ________ what is good. And what does the Lord require of him? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with his God.

14.)  Wisdom for decision/Proverbs 2:6, For the Lord gives ________ wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

15.)  Sin or away from the Lord/Acts 3:19, Repent, ________, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Inserting names of our family members into Scripture becomes a powerful prayer. And keep in mind, there’s nothing selfish about inserting your own name into Bible verses for needs. In my office, on the wall above my computer, hang several bright-colored sticky notes with my name inserted into Scriptures.

The Name Above All Names

Write the Bible verses with names on a notecard, sticky note, in a journal, or type out and save where you will see them. It serves as a reminder to pray and also builds our faith.

My list gives you some ideas. The important message remains.

Prayer changes things and people. So pray with intention, specifics, God’s Word, and with names. Call out names to the Name above all names.

What Scriptures would you add? Tell us in the comments.

15 SCRIPTURES TO PRAY OVER OUR FAMILY, Photo by Juan Cruz Mountford on Unsplash

Read my IAF article, How to Laugh and Play More as a Family.

* 2 Timothy 1:7, Micah 6:8, Proverbs 2:6, and Acts 3:19 are based on the NIV, all other verses based on ESV.

*Featured photo by Kevin Delvecchio on Unsplash/Top photo by Jessica Rockowitz on Unsplash/Middle photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash/Last photo by Juan Cruz Mountford on Unsplash.

Karen Friday

Whether the spoken or written word, Karen thrives in moving an audience to experience laughter, tears, surprise, and deep reflection. She not only possesses an affection for words (just ask her family), but she also cherishes God’s Word. Karen is an award-winning writer who has published both devotions and articles with a mission to know Jesus more and make Him known. She contributes to several national sites while she works on her first non-fiction book. In the blogging world, she is referred to as “Girl Friday” where she shares a central message: you are never far from hope. And she considers her life as a pastor’s wife and women’s ministry leader a sacred calling. Karen and her husband Mike reside in East Tennessee and have two grown children and two grandchildren. The entire family is fond of the expression, “TGIF: Thank God it’s Friday.” They owe Monday an apology. Connect with her blog community, Hope is Among Us.

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13 comments

  1. These are ALL really so good, Karen! Some I hadn’t considered before! I would add this one to your list:

    “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you (____________) to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your (_______) inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your (_________) hearts through faith—that you (________), being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you (_______) may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

    1. Thank you, Melinda. And I’ve always loved that passage (and prayer) Paul gives us in Ephesians 3. What a powerful prayer to pray over loved ones and even ourselves. Appreicate you joining the conversation and adding a Scripture.

  2. Love this! I pray scriptures for people a lot, yet I never thought of entering their name. Such a special way to pray for people. Many Thanks 8)

    1. Appreciate your kindness, Debra. It becomes so much more personal to actually pray the passage or verse with a specific person’s name. Thanks so much for stopping by today.

  3. Praying scripture is powerful. We are praying God’s very will when we do. What a great post, Karen! Numbers 6:24-26 is a passage we have prayed many times over for our children.

    1. Thank you, Marcie! And, I agree, we are praying God’s will when we pray His Word. Thanks for adding that passage in Numbers, it’s one of my favorites!

  4. This is really helpful, practical, and easy to do, Karen. And it seems like a great way to help even those whom we aren’t able to encourage or confront about a particular issue. I remember a post from a while ago where you had us insert a name. What a great habit you formed for yourself. I will try to do the same.

    1. Hey Stephen, yes, I did have a blog post a while back about inserting names of friends into Scripture. I like the point you made about praying and ministering to certain people when we cannot communicate with them directly. Perhaps we are too close in a relationship for them to hear from us or it’s a sensitve issue for the person. But regardless, it is a way to take it to God’s throne room where real change takes place.

  5. Oh you are one blessed woman! I think these scriptures are fantastic, and to persevere in prayer is a must. We also need to be patient with prayer, as you know, it’s not some “magic bullet” that is answered instantaneously. It takes years, sometimes. God bless you!

    1. Thanks so much, Lisa. Prayer isn’t some magic bullet or even secret code to break. But I know this: prayer does tap into the spiritual world and it does breakthrough to the Most High God for our family’s needs. When we are faithful in prayer, even over the longhaul, waiting on God to move, it even changes us by bringing us closer to the Lord.

  6. Printed this one out so I could refer back to it often. So simple but yet so profound. Several of the prayers I really needed to pray for some of my family. Beautiful and useful. Thanks Karen

    1. That’s awesome, Yvonne. Remember you can look up any topic and find Scripture to use in the same way. And use it for yourself…I do and it’s another powerful way to pray.

  7. I love this, Karen. I think praying Scripture is the most sure way to know we’re praying God’s will. You’ve made it so wonderfully simple for us to have these always ready to pray. And, you’re so right, I love how it aids with memorization. The verses I remember the easiest are indeed the ones I pray often. Thanks for putting this together and sharing it!

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