You count heads without even thinking about it. In the car, at the dinner table, and in the doorway at night, part of you is always checking that everyone you love is okay. Then the house goes quiet, and the worries you held off all day come back: the child who seemed off after school, the marriage that feels tired, the parent whose health is slipping.
You can hand every one of those names to God tonight. Start with the short prayer below, then find the one for whoever is weighing on you most.
A prayer for family is a simple conversation where you bring the people you love to God by name and ask Him to care for them. You can thank Him for them, tell Him what worries you, and ask for His protection, peace, and guidance in your home.
A Prayer for Your Family You Can Pray Right Now
This short daily prayer is the place to start, whether you have one quiet minute or you’re praying in the car line. It thanks God for each person in your home, asks Him to watch over them today, and asks for patience and kindness under your roof. Where it says “each one,” you can say their names out loud, which makes it your own.
God, thank You for my family, for every person in this house and every one I carry in my heart. You know each one better than I do, and You love them even more than I can. Please watch over them today wherever they go. Give us patience with each other, kind words when we’re tired, and a home where everyone feels safe and loved. Draw each one of us closer to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Every person you love is already held in God’s hands, even on the days you can’t keep track of them all. The prayers below cover every part of family life, from rushed mornings to the hardest nights.
Find what you need
- Why pray for your family
- How to pray for your family every day
- Prayers for family protection
- Prayers for peace and unity
- Morning prayers for family
- Evening and bedtime prayers
- Prayers for each person in your family
- Prayers for difficult times
- Prayers from Scripture
- A traditional prayer for families
- A final blessing for your family
- Bible verses to pray over your family
- Frequently asked questions
What Is a Good Prayer for Family?
A good prayer for family is personal and simple. Name the people you love, thank God for them, tell Him what you’re worried about, and ask Him to care for them in the ways they need today.
You don’t need long or polished words. God already knows your family by name, and the Bible invites you to bring every request to Him with thanksgiving instead of carrying the worry alone (Philippians 4:6, CSB). A prayer as simple as “Lord, please be with my kids today” is a whole prayer, and He hears it.
It also helps to pray specifically. Instead of asking God to bless everyone, tell Him about your son’s hard week at school, your husband’s stress at work, or your mom’s upcoming appointment. Specific prayers keep you paying attention to the people you love, and over time you’ll start to notice the ways God has been caring for them all along.
Free Prayer Journal
Words to Pray When You Can’t Find Your Own
A free 12-page prayer journal with simple prayers, Scripture, and gentle prompts for the days you need God most. Enter your email and we’ll send it to you right away.
We’ll send your free printable and occasional emails with new prayers. Unsubscribe anytime. Read our Privacy Policy.
Why Pray for Your Family?
Praying for your family brings the people you love to the One who loves them most. It also changes you, softening your heart toward them and helping you hand over worries you were never meant to carry alone.
Paul asked believers to pray for everyone, urging “that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone” (1 Timothy 2:1, CSB). Your family is the closest “everyone” you have. When you pray for them, you’re doing the quiet, faithful work of carrying them to God.
Joshua put it plainly near the end of his life when he told Israel, “As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD” (Joshua 24:15, CSB). Praying for your family is one way you live that out, even on the days when you’re the only one praying and the rest of the house is asleep or unsure what they believe.
Prayers for Family Protection
Some of the heaviest worries are about safety: the news you can’t stop thinking about, the teenager out with friends, the long drive on a dark road. These prayers bring those fears to God and trust Him with what you can’t control.
A Prayer for Your Family’s Protection
Pray this one when the news is frightening or a worry about someone’s safety won’t let go. It asks God to watch over your family, keep them from harm, and give you peace in place of fear. It leans on the picture in Psalm 91 of God as a shelter for those who trust Him (Psalm 91:1, CSB), while leaving the outcome in His hands.
Lord, there’s so much in this world that scares me when I think about my family. I can’t be everywhere, and I can’t keep every bad thing away from them. Thank You that You see each of them right now, wherever they are. Please watch over them, guard them from harm, and give them wisdom in the choices they make. When fear rises in me, help me trust them to Your care. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer to Place Your Family in God’s Care
Pray this when you want to bring every part of your family’s life to God at once: their bodies, their minds, their friendships, and their faith. It asks God to surround them with His care and stay close to them in whatever comes, even on the hard days no family escapes.
Father, I bring my whole family to You today. You know their bodies, their minds, and the things they don’t tell anyone. Thank You for loving every one of them. Please surround them with Your care in their friendships, their work, their schools, and their quiet moments. Keep their hearts soft toward You and toward each other, and stay close to them in whatever this day brings. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for Safe Travel and Daily Safety
This prayer is for the moment you watch someone pull out of the driveway, whether they’re driving across the state or just to work on icy roads. It borrows from Psalm 121, a song travelers sang on the way to Jerusalem, which says the LORD will protect your coming and going (Psalm 121:8, CSB). It’s a picture of God’s watchful care, and this prayer trusts Him with the road ahead.
God, my family is heading out today, and I can’t ride along with every one of them. Thank You that You go with them when I can’t. Please watch over their coming and going, keep them alert and careful on the road, and bring them home safely tonight. Calm my heart while I wait, and help me trust You with every mile. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Psalm 91 Prayer for Your Family
Psalm 91 has comforted worried parents for generations, and this prayer borrows its opening words, where the writer calls the LORD “my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2, CSB). The psalm is a song about where to run when you’re afraid. This prayer brings your family into that safe place and leaves their days in God’s hands.
Lord, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Today I bring my family into Your shelter, every one of them by name. You know the fears I carry for them, the ones I say out loud and the ones I keep to myself. Thank You that we can rest in Your shadow. Please keep them close to You, guard their hearts and their steps, and help me trust You with what I can’t see. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayers for Peace and Unity in Your Family
Every family has tense seasons: siblings who can’t stop bickering, a marriage that feels distant, or an old hurt nobody talks about. These prayers ask God for peace in your home and in your hearts, starting with your own.
A Prayer for Peace in the Home
Pray this when your home feels loud, tense, or short-tempered, especially at the end of a long day. It asks for gentle words and patient hearts, beginning with yours. That part matters, because asking God to change your own tone is often the first step toward peace in the whole house.
Lord, our home has felt tense lately, and I don’t like who we become when we’re all tired and short with each other. I’ve been part of it too. Thank You for this family, even on our hardest days. Please bring peace into our home. Help me speak gently first, help us listen to each other, and fill these rooms with patience, laughter, and kindness again. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for Reconciliation and Forgiveness
When there’s a rift in your family, like a sibling who stopped calling or a hurt between you and a parent, this prayer asks God to begin healing it. It borrows from Colossians 3, where Paul tells believers to forgive just as the Lord has forgiven them (Colossians 3:13, CSB). Forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt, and it never means staying somewhere you aren’t safe.
God, there’s a hurt in my family that I don’t know how to fix. Some days I’m angry, and some days I just miss how things used to be. Thank You for forgiving me when I didn’t deserve it. Please soften my heart and theirs, show me if there’s a step I can take, and give me wisdom to know what healing should look like. I trust You with what I can’t repair. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for a Christ-Centered Marriage
This prayer is for your marriage, whether it’s in a sweet season or a strained one. It asks God to be at the center of your home, to help you both love with patience, and to protect the friendship between you. It draws on Colossians 3:14, which calls love “the perfect bond of unity” (CSB).
Lord, thank You for my husband and for the life we’re building together. You know the places where we’re close and the places where we’ve drifted. Please be at the center of our marriage. Help us choose kindness when we’re tired, listen before we react, and keep finding our way back to each other. Bind us together with Your love, today and in the years ahead. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Morning Prayers for Family
Mornings set the tone for the whole house, and they’re often the most rushed part of the day. These two prayers are short enough to pray before anyone is up or on the way out the door.
A Morning Prayer to Start the Day
Before the lunches, the lost shoes, and the rush out the door, this prayer gives your family to God for the day ahead. It borrows from Lamentations, where the writer remembered that God’s mercies are new every morning even after a terrible loss (Lamentations 3:22-23, CSB). Whatever went wrong yesterday, today is a fresh start for all of you.
Good morning, Lord. Before this house wakes up and the day gets busy, I want to give my family to You. Thank You for new mercies this morning and for another day with the people I love. Please go with each of them today. Give them courage for whatever is hard, kindness toward the people they meet, and a reminder that they are loved. Help me be patient and present. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer Before School and Work
This is a quick prayer for the doorway or the car, right before everyone scatters. It asks for focus, good friends, and wise choices, and it’s short enough to pray out loud with your kids so they hear you bring their day to God.
God, thank You for this day and for each person heading out the door. Please go with my kids to school and with us to work. Help them focus, be kind, and make good choices, even when no one is watching. Give them good friends and teachers who care. Be with us in every hard moment today, and bring us all back together tonight. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Evening and Bedtime Prayers for Family
Evenings are when the family finally comes back together, tired and full of the day. These prayers fit the dinner table and the edge of the bed.
A Family Dinner Prayer
Dinner might be the only time all day your family sits in one place, even if it’s takeout on a Tuesday. This short prayer thanks God for the food and for the people around the table. It’s simple enough for little ones to learn and say along with you.
Thank You, God, for this food and for the hands that made it. Thank You for each person sitting at this table and for bringing us back together tonight. Bless our conversation and help us really listen to each other. Remind us of the people who need a meal tonight, and show us how to share what we have. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Bedtime Prayer for Children
Pray this one at the side of the bed with your hand on a small back, or just loud enough for a teenager to hear through the door. It thanks God for the day and asks for peaceful sleep, echoing David’s words that he could lie down and sleep in peace because the LORD made him live in safety (Psalm 4:8, CSB).
God, thank You for my child and for every part of today, the happy parts and the hard ones. You were with them in all of it. Please give them peaceful sleep tonight and sweet rest for their body and mind. If they’re scared or worried, let them feel You close. Watch over them through the night, and wake them up ready for a new day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayers for Each Person in Your Family
Sometimes you need to pray for one person by name. These prayers are written for the people closest to you, and you can add their names and the details only you know.
A Prayer for My Husband
This prayer is for your husband in the middle of whatever he’s carrying, whether it’s work stress, a health worry, or a heavy season he doesn’t talk about much. It asks God to strengthen him, guide him, and help him feel loved at home. Praying for him often softens your own heart toward him too.
Lord, thank You for my husband. You know the pressure he’s under and the things he keeps to himself. Please give him strength for his work, wisdom for his decisions, and rest when he’s worn out. Draw him close to You and help him know how much he is loved, by You and by me. Show me how to encourage him well. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for My Wife
If you’re a husband reading this, this prayer is for you to pray over your wife. It thanks God for her, names the weight she often carries for everyone else, and asks God to refresh her. It might be a good one to pray out loud with her sometime, too.
God, thank You for my wife. She carries so much for our family, often without anyone noticing. Please give her rest when she’s tired, peace when she’s worried, and joy in the ordinary days. Help her know she is deeply loved, by You and by me. Show me how to serve her, listen to her, and lighten her load. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for My Son
Whether your son is five or twenty-five, this prayer asks God to protect him, guide his choices, and shape the man he’s becoming. Every son struggles sometimes, and this prayer places him in the hands of the God who loves him even more than you do.
Father, thank You for my son. I love him more than I know how to say, and I worry about him more than I let on. Please protect him, guide his choices, and surround him with good friends. Give him courage to do what’s right and a tender heart toward You. Help him grow into the man You made him to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for My Daughter
This prayer is for your daughter through every stage, from scraped knees to friendships to big decisions. It asks God to help her know her worth, guard her heart, and give her wisdom. It’s a sweet one to pray over her while she sleeps.
Lord, thank You for my daughter. She is such a gift, and I want so much for her. Please help her know how loved and valued she is, especially on the days she doesn’t feel it. Guard her heart, give her wise and kind friends, and lead her as she makes her own choices. Let her grow to know You for herself. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for My Parents
As parents get older, the roles in a family start to shift, and that brings its own kind of worry. This prayer thanks God for your mom and dad and asks for their health, peace, and comfort in this season. It also asks for patience and grace for you as you care for them.
God, thank You for my parents and for everything they’ve given me. As they get older, I worry about their health and about the days ahead. Please give them comfort, good care, and peace in this season of life. Help them feel Your presence and know they are not alone. Give me patience and grace as I care for them, and help me cherish the time we have. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for My Grandchildren
Grandparents pray in a way no one else can, with years of watching God work. This prayer leans on Psalm 103, which says the LORD’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him and His righteousness reaches even the grandchildren (Psalm 103:17, CSB). It asks God to let them come to know Him for themselves.
Lord, thank You for my grandchildren. They bring so much joy into my life. Please protect them, help them grow strong in body and heart, and give their parents wisdom and patience. Let them come to know You for themselves. Help me be a steady, loving presence in their lives, and let them see Your faithfulness in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayers for Your Family in Difficult Times
Hard seasons tend to hit the whole family at once. These prayers don’t pretend things are fine. They bring the hard thing to God just as it is and ask Him to carry you through it.
A Prayer for a Family in Crisis
When everything seems to fall apart at once, whether it’s a job loss, a diagnosis, or a crisis you never saw coming, this prayer is for you. It holds on to the God the psalmist called “a helper who is always found in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1, CSB). It asks for wisdom for the next step and people to help, not for everything to be fixed overnight.
God, my family is in the middle of something hard, and I feel like I can’t catch my breath. I don’t know how this ends. Thank You that You are with us right here in it. Please give us wisdom for the next step, strength for each day, and people who will help carry this with us. Hold us together when it feels like we might fall apart. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If the crisis in your home involves someone being hurt, threatened, or afraid, praying and getting help belong together. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
A Prayer for Healing of a Family Member
When someone you love is sick, this prayer asks God for comfort, good care, and wisdom for their doctors. It doesn’t promise a certain outcome. It brings your loved one to God and asks Him to stay close to both of you, because He is near the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18, CSB).
Lord, someone I love is sick, and I’m scared for them. I hate watching them hurt. Thank You for loving them even more than I do. Please give their doctors and nurses wisdom, ease their pain, and bring healing to their body. Comfort them through every hard night, and give our whole family the strength to care for them well. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for Financial Provision
Money stress has a way of seeping into every room of the house. This prayer names the worry and asks God for what you need today, wisdom with what you have, and peace while you wait. It borrows Jesus’ words about asking for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11, CSB), and it treats prayer as trust in God, not a way to get rich.
God, money is tight, and I’m worried about how we’ll cover what we need. I’ve been lying awake running numbers. Thank You for every way You’ve provided for us before. Please give us what we need for today, wisdom with what we have, and open doors for work and help. Keep this stress from turning us against each other, and give me peace while I wait. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer for a Prodigal Family Member
Few things hurt like watching someone you love walk away from God or from the family. This prayer comes from Jesus’ story of the lost son, where the father saw his son “while the son was still a long way off” and ran to him (Luke 15:20, CSB). It keeps your heart open and trusts God with their story, without promising when or how they’ll come home.
Father, someone I love has walked away from You, and maybe from us too. My heart aches every time I think of them. Thank You that You love them even more than I do and You know exactly where they are. Please draw them back to You in Your time. Keep my heart soft, help me love them well while I wait, and give me peace when I can’t fix it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayers from Scripture for Your Family
Some of the most beautiful prayers for a family are already in the Bible. These three borrow words God’s people have prayed for thousands of years, so you can pray Scripture over the people you love even when your own words run out.
A Prayer from the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26)
God gave Moses these words for Aaron and the priests to speak over Israel, asking the LORD to bless, protect, and give peace to His people (Numbers 6:24-26, CSB). This prayer turns that blessing into your own words for each person in your home. It’s a sweet one to pray at the front door in the morning or over a sleeping child.
Lord, I place my family in Your hands today. Please bless each of them and protect them wherever they go. Let Your face shine on them, so they know they are seen and loved. Be gracious to them when they fall short, and look on them with favor when they feel unnoticed. Thank You for loving them even more than I do. Give our home Your peace, today and every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer from Jesus’ Prayer in John 17
The night before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed for His followers, and one of the things He asked was that the Father would protect them from the evil one (John 17:15, CSB). He asked for them to be kept safe while they lived in the world, which is a good prayer for children growing up in a hard world. This prayer borrows His request for the people in your home.
Father, Jesus prayed for the people He loved, and today I want to pray the same way for mine. I can’t take my family out of this world, and I wouldn’t want to keep them from the life You have for them. Please protect them from the evil one, keep their hearts close to You, and help them love each other well. Thank You that Jesus still prays for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer from Paul’s Prayer in Ephesians 3
Paul wrote that he knelt before the Father “from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14-15, CSB), and then prayed for his friends to be strengthened in their inner being and rooted in love (Ephesians 3:16-17, CSB). This prayer borrows his words for your own family. It asks for strength on the inside and a home where Christ is at the center.
Father, I kneel before You today, the One who gave my family its name and knows every one of us by heart. Please strengthen each of us in our inner being through Your Spirit, especially the ones who are tired or struggling right now. Let Christ live in our hearts through faith, and root our home in Your love. Thank You for holding this family together. In Jesus’ name, amen.
How to Build a Family Prayer Habit
Tie prayer to something you already do every day, like the drive to school, dinner, or bedtime. A few minutes on most days matters more than a perfect routine.
Family prayer doesn’t have to look like a picture-perfect devotional time with everyone sitting still. These four simple steps help prayer become a natural part of your family’s day, and you can start with whichever one feels easiest right now.
If most of your family prayers happen quietly on your own, you’re in good company. In a Barna survey, 94% of adults who pray said they most often pray by themselves, and 67% of women said they pray for the needs of their family and community (Barna Group, 2017). A whispered prayer in the car still counts.
1Pick a Time You Already Have
Attach prayer to a moment that already happens, like breakfast, the school drive, or the last few minutes before lights out. You don’t need to squeeze new time out of a full day. You only need to notice the time you already have and invite God into it.
2Choose a Place
Pick one spot where prayer naturally happens, like the kitchen table, the front door, or the edge of a child’s bed. Over time, that place becomes a gentle cue for everyone. Kids tend to remember the places where they heard their mom pray for them.
3Keep the Format Simple
A simple pattern makes it easier to keep going: thank God for something, tell Him one worry, and ask Him for one thing. Little ones can say a single sentence, and older kids can take turns leading. Some nights it will just be you whispering a prayer over everyone, and that counts too.
4Take Turns Praying for Each Person
Choose one family member to pray for each day of the week, by name and in detail. Monday might be your husband, Tuesday your oldest, and Wednesday your parents. It keeps prayer personal and helps you notice what each person is really going through.
Save These 4 Simple Ways to Pray for Your Family Every Day
A Traditional Prayer for Families from the Book of Common Prayer
My mother always had a Book of Common Prayer, and this prayer for families is one Christians have prayed for generations. It comes from the 1979 edition, and its older words carry a quiet weight that newer prayers don’t always have. If some of the language feels unfamiliar, the explanation below walks through what it’s asking.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who settest the solitary in families: We commend to thy continual care the homes in which thy people dwell. Put far from them, we beseech thee, every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who, in holy wedlock, have been made one flesh. Turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore be kindly affectioned one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From The Book of Common Prayer (1979), “For Families,” page 828.
The opening line, “who settest the solitary in families,” echoes Psalm 68:6, which says God provides homes for those who are deserted (Psalm 68:6, CSB). The prayer then asks God to keep bitterness, showing off, and pride out of our homes, and to fill them with faith, self-control, patience, and godliness. “Holy wedlock” simply means marriage, and the line about turning the hearts of parents and children toward each other borrows from Malachi 4:6 (Malachi 4:6, CSB). It ends by asking for warm, lasting love among everyone in the house, which is still the heart of every prayer for family.
A Final Blessing to Pray Over Your Family
A Blessing for the End of the Day
Paul closed one of his letters by asking that “the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16, CSB). This short blessing borrows that wish for your own home. It’s a gentle way to end any family prayer, whether you’re at the bedside, at the front door, or at the end of a hard day.
Lord of peace, thank You for every person in this family and for carrying us through today. You saw the good moments and the hard ones, and You stayed with us in all of it. Please give us Your peace always and in every way, in our hearts, in our home, and in the places we go tomorrow. Be with all of us tonight. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Verses to Pray Over Your Family
These are verses to read slowly, write on a card for the fridge, or pray back to God over the people you love. Each one comes with a little background, because knowing who first heard these words makes it easier to see what they mean for your family today.
24:15Joshua
“As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15, CSB)
Joshua spoke these words near the end of his life, when he gathered Israel together and asked them to choose whom they would serve. He didn’t wait to see what everyone else decided before he settled the question for his own home. For you, this verse is a quiet daily decision more than a sign on the wall. Even if you’re the only one in your house praying right now, you can choose to bring your family to God every day, and that choice matters.
6:24-26Numbers
“May the LORD bless you and protect you; may the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD look with favor on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26, CSB)
God gave these words to Moses so that Aaron and the priests could speak them over the people of Israel. It’s a blessing, a way of placing God’s name and kindness over His people, and it’s one of the oldest prayers in the Bible. You can pray these same words over your children at bedtime or over your husband as he heads out the door. It’s a beautiful way to close a family prayer, because it asks for God’s favor and peace rather than a particular outcome.
127:1Psalm
“Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.” (Psalm 127:1, CSB)
This psalm is a song of ascents, sung by worshipers traveling to Jerusalem, and its heading credits it to Solomon, a king who knew a lot about building. He’s saying that all our hard work and careful watching only go so far without God. Your hard work matters, and this verse invites you to stop carrying your family’s whole future on your own shoulders, because God is the one who builds and watches over your home with you.
4:6-7Philippians
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, CSB)
Paul wrote this letter while he was in chains, to a church he loved deeply. He isn’t telling a worried mom to simply stop worrying. He’s showing her what to do with the worry: turn it into a prayer, add thanks, and hand it to God. The promise is God’s peace guarding your heart and mind, a peace that can hold you even before anything about your family’s situation changes.
3:13-14Colossians
“Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (Colossians 3:13-14, CSB)
Paul wrote this to believers who were learning how to live together, and the same words fit any home. He describes love like clothing you choose to put on, over patience, kindness, and forgiveness. Family is where forgiveness gets tested most, because it’s where we get hurt most often. This verse reminds you that the forgiveness you offer flows out of the forgiveness God has already given you.
3:22-23Lamentations
“Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22-23, CSB)
The writer of Lamentations had just watched Jerusalem fall, and most of the book is raw grief. Right in the middle of it, he remembers that God’s faithful love hasn’t run out. For your family, this means yesterday’s argument, bad day, or hard news doesn’t get the last word. Every morning you get to start again, with God and with each other.
4:8Psalm
“I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety.” (Psalm 4:8, CSB)
David wrote this psalm while he was in distress and people were insulting him. Even so, he could lie down at night trusting God instead of lying awake. It’s a good verse to pray over your children at bedtime, or over yourself when you’re the one who can’t sleep. It reminds you that you can rest, because your family is in God’s care and not held together by how long you stay up worrying.
91:1Psalm
“The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1, CSB)
Psalm 91 is a song about God as a refuge for those who trust Him, full of pictures of shelter and shade. It doesn’t promise that nothing hard will ever touch your family, and the rest of the Bible is clear that God’s people still face trouble. What it offers is a place to live: close to God and under His care in every season. When you’re afraid for the people you love, you can bring them into that shelter in prayer.
If you’d like to keep going, our guide on how to pray walks you through talking with God in five simple steps. When one of you is running on empty, these prayers for strength are written for hard days, and our prayers for anxiety can help on the nights worry keeps you awake. You can also pray Bible verses about love over your marriage and the people under your roof.
Free Printable: Words to Pray When You Can’t Find Your Own
We made a free 12-page prayer journal with simple prayers, Scripture, and gentle prompts, including two pages just for praying over your family. Keep it on the kitchen counter or by your bed so you remember to pray for the people you love. Enter your email below and we’ll send it to you right away.
We’ll send your free printable and occasional emails with new prayers. Unsubscribe anytime. Read our Privacy Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Prayer for Family
The most powerful prayer is a heartfelt one, not a special formula. Name each person, tell God what you’re afraid of, and ask Him to watch over them, then trust Him with what you can’t control. The protection prayers on this page are a good place to start.
The Bible asks believers to pray for everyone, and your family is the closest place to start (1 Timothy 2:1). Joshua said that he and his family would worship the LORD (Joshua 24:15), and Numbers 6:24-26 gives a blessing you can pray over the people you love.
Tie prayer to something you already do, like breakfast, the school drive, or bedtime. Thank God for something, share one worry, and ask for one thing. You can also pray for one family member by name each day of the week.
Here is one you can pray in under a minute: God, thank You for my family. Please watch over each of them today, give us patience with each other, and draw us closer to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Keep praying for them by name, keep loving them, and trust God with their story and His timing. Jesus’ story of the lost son in Luke 15 shows a father who never stopped watching for his son to come home.
You can pray one prayer that names every person in your home and asks God to care for each of them. The short daily prayer near the top of this page was written for that, and the blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 is a beautiful one to pray over everyone.
Sources
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Joshua 24:15 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). 1 Timothy 2:1 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%202%3A1&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Philippians 4:6-7 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204%3A6-7&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 91:1 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091%3A1&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 121:8 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20121%3A8&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Colossians 3:13-14 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%203%3A13-14&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Lamentations 3:22-23 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations%203%3A22-23&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 4:8 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%204%3A8&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 103:17 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20103%3A17&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 46:1 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2046%3A1&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 34:18 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034%3A18&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Matthew 6:11 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A11&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Luke 15:20 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2015%3A20&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Numbers 6:24-26 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%206%3A24-26&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 127:1 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20127%3A1&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 68:6 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2068%3A6&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Malachi 4:6 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Malachi%204%3A6&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Psalm 91:2 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091%3A2&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). John 17:15 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017%3A15&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Ephesians 3:14-15 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%203%3A14-15&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Ephesians 3:16-17 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%203%3A16-17&version=CSB
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (CSB). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians%203%3A16&version=CSB
- The Episcopal Church. (1979). The Book of Common Prayer (p. 828). https://www.bcponline.org/Misc/Prayers.html
- Barna Group. (2017, August 15). Silent and Solo: How Americans Pray. https://www.barna.com/research/silent-solo-americans-pray/
- National Domestic Violence Hotline. (n.d.). Get help. https://www.thehotline.org/
How Can We Pray for You?
Is there something you'd like us to pray for? Is there a prayer or verse that has carried you through a hard season? We'd love for you to share it here.