A Family Circle of Prayer

Something sweet happened the other day when we were spending time in prayer. My family and I spend time together in prayer every day. It is a very sweet and needed time in our lives and seldom goes by that we do not spend our family devotion time together. Even when I am out of town I make sure that I call and gather my family together so we can spend time in prayer together. It is always a sweet time and I would not replace it for anything. We spent time praying over a specific need and as we finished wiping the tears away Dylan made a discovery that touched our hearts. He looked down and saw our footprints indented in the carpet to where we made a circle with our feet. Immediately my wife and I welled up with tears again seeing the blessing in this beautiful sight.

In the believers life we are constantly being pulled in different directions. Wether it be work, or school schedules, or extracurricular activiies, they are all pulliing us in different directions. In today’s world we have Moms trying to balance careers along with family life. Dads worker longer hours while they are trying to advance in their careers to make a little or lot more money. Kids trying to have the “Well Rounded” childhood and are involved in several different extracurricular activites. All of these things going on and you know what ends up suffering, our time with the Lord, but more specific then that…our time with the Lord as families!

As a look at the Church today I realize that we have programs, we have groups, we have worship practice and so many more things which are wonderful blessings in their own aspects, but what I do not see is a calling of the Church back to a time of family worship. I have known many believers over the past several years, and in conversations with these individuals and families I notice that people are so busy with Church they get to busy for God. How backward we have become. As a Pastor one of my biggest fears is that my children would become more familiar with the routines of Church, the programs of Church, or the aspects of Church instead of the wondrous God who died for the Church!

As my son looked down and saw the footprints in the carpet I realized that I need to be more zealous then ever in my ministry to show people the need and blessing that comes from time together as a family. I heard a statement made years ago and wanted to broaden it for famlies sake. A family that is to busy to pray is to busy for God. Let us search our lives and schedules and make sure that we are first and formost with God in prayer and in worship.