Biblical Promises
How wonderful to note the Bible contains over 1,200 promise from God to His people! A vast majority of these have implications for every day life including the challenges of raising a healthy and happy family. There are far too many dealing with prayer and answers to prayer to list here but some are too good not to mention.
A Short List of Scriptures
The following few scriptures are offered as examples of Biblical Promises for families. We hope you'll take the time to consider the wisdom and help they offer:
Christ is the guarantee of God's promises
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 1:20
With so many Biblical promises it's great to know Christ, in heaven on our behalf, is God's signature guarantee for them all.
Better to pray than worry
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
Worries are a reality of life. Diligent prayer, specifically on behalf of our loved ones should be as well. How much time and energy we invest in each is choice we should thing long and hard about.
God's Four Spiritual Steps
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
This perfect formula for repentance gives directions as simple as A+B+C+D = EFG for experience answered prayer, forgiveness and healing.
Ask and receive
"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:23-24
Personally experiencing God's promise to hear and answer prayer is reason for great joy. Such hope is worth the effort of learning to pray acceptably and diligently.
Keep asking, seeking and knocking
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8
One word that describes overcoming faith is tenacity. Pressing in consistently with serious prayer on behalf of our families may be required to see the answers we desire.
Persistence is key
"Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said,'There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!' He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.' Then the Master said, 'Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?'" Luke 18:1-8
We have a tendency to give up when our prayers go unanswered. This is all the more true when family members fall into serious sin that goes on unchecked. Hurt and anger can arise when the love we have feels threatened and by foolishness on the part of our loved ones. Here and elsewhere Jesus suggests that the answer is to dig in, praying day and night, until we receive God's blessing.
You have need of patience
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36
Wrestling in prayer over sin in ourselves and family develops spiritual strength and builds the endurance we need to receive God's promises.
God identifies with parents
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:9-11
God, as the Ultimate Parent, assures us that He is more willing than we are to give good gifts and the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
God promises us everything we need
"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises." 2 Peter 1: 3-5
Employing His divine power God offers to give us everything we need including the privilege to share His very divine nature. We should give all we have to receive such glorious promises.
Believing means receiving
"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22
Faith is essential to prayer. The first step in the journey of faith and answers to prayer is simply asking.
You have not because you ask not
"You don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it." James 4:2
Asking God for what we need seems easy enough yet James warns not doing so is the chief reason behind many of our problems. This suggest "asking" may mean more than throwing up a prayer not and then. Might persistence and vigilance be necessary.
Right motives are essential to prayer
"And even when you ask, you don't get it because you motives are all wrong, you want only what will give you pleasure." James 4:3
Unanswered prayer provides an opportunity to examine our motives. Doing so we may find it is God who is waiting for us to answer His requests rather than vice versa.
God swears to fulfill His promise
When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!" Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. Hebrews 6:13-17 The Message
Other translations say since God could swear by nothing greater He swore by Himself to fulfill the promises made Abraham, his family and descendants. What guarantee could we ask for?
The Lord's promises are trustworthy
The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation." Psalm 12:6-7
Though often ignored and mocked, God's word is perfect and true. Divinely inspired, it's commands, promises and prophecies have and continue to stand the test of time. That's why taking the time and effort to praying them into our family's life is a worthy endeavor.
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