May your family shine like stars!
Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 20
Family Discussions for a New School Year
Praying through Philippians Together
“Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Philippians 2:15,16 (NIV)
I had the desire to pray Scripture for my children on their first day of school and kept being drawn to verses in Philippians, so… I decided to pray through Philippians for them. Now I’m posting a version of that prayer for the whole family to use.
*To read the corresponding Bible verses, click on the Scripture references within the prayer.
Father God,
Thank You for our family.
We pray our love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1:9-11)
Whatever happens, may we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; may we stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together with our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose us. (Phil. 1:27-28)
We pray we will be like-minded with each other and our fellow believers, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. May we do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, may we value others above ourselves, not looking to our own interests but each of us to the interests of the others. (Phil. 2:2-4)
In our relationships, may our family have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
“Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage;
7rather, He made Himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!9Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
Philippians 2:6-11 (NIV)
and gave Him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
Lord, we pray we will continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is You, God, who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill Your good purpose. (Phil. 2:12-13)
May our family do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that we may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” (Deuteronomy 32:5). We pray we will hold firmly to the word of life, for then we will shine among our generation like stars in the sky! (Phil. 2:14-16)
We pray we will rejoice in You, Lord, serve You by Your Spirit, boast in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. May our family come to consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. May we even come to consider all our earthly gains as garbage that we may gain Christ and be found in Him. We pray each of us will come to know and understand that we do not have a righteousness of our own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Phil. 3:3, 7-9)
We want our family to know Christ — yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:10-11)
We pray our family will press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us! May we, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14)
Father God, we pray each of us will mature in the faith to the point where we can take such a view of things. We trust You to make things clear to us where we think differently. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Phil. 3:15-16)
May each of us keep our eyes on those who live for Christ, who model the faithful Christian life. Lord God, we pray none of us will ever become or follow those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ, those whose destiny is destruction, whose god is their stomach, whose glory is in their shame, and whose minds are set on earthly things. (Phil. 3:17-19)
We praise and thank You that our citizenship is in heaven! If any one of us has not yet put saving faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, we pray You will make the truth of the gospel clear to them. Holy Spirit, work in the hearts and lives of each member of our family. Father God, draw us to Yourself. (Phil. 3:20)
May our family stand firm in the Lord as we eagerly await our Savior from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body. (Phil. 3:20-21)
We pray that we will learn to “rejoice in the Lord always!” May our gentleness become evident to all. “The Lord is near!” (Phil. 4:4-5)
May we not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, may we learn and remember to present our requests to You so Your peace, Lord, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)
We pray we will think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable — anything excellent or praiseworthy. Help us create a home environment that promotes thinking on these things! May we put into practice all we have learned from Your Word. Thank You, that You, Lord, the God of peace, will be with us. (Phil. 4:8-9)
Father God, our family prays that we, like Paul, will learn to be content whatever our circumstances. May we know enough about what it is to be in need, and what it is to have plenty, that we, too, can learn the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want: that we can do all this through Him who gives us strength. (Phil. 4:11-13)
We pray that our family will have godly concern for others and will share in the troubles of our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, giving generously of what we have to give, aiding our fellow believers who are in need. We know if we live like this You, our God, will meet all our needs according to the riches of Your glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:10,14-19)
“To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Phil. 4:20)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirits of each member of our family. (Phil. 4:23)
Amen.
