Take Back The Family

The family has been under attack from the time the earth was created in Genesis and the story of Adam and Eve! What God has created as beautiful, the enemy has worked so tirelessly to destroy. Now more than ever, we have an opportunity to take back the family.

How to Take Back the Family

1. Recognize the family was created in God’s image.There is power in walking with the knowledge that God created you in a wonderful way! God is the Creator of the family and your family is beautifully crafted in His image.“

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

Our words and thoughts can have a drastic effect on our daily walk. The enemy works hard to plant lies in our thoughts, which when spoken out, can flow directly into our hearts. You see, the enemy cannot attack our hearts, so he does whatever he can to work through our thoughts, words and actions to eventually reach our hearts.

When you recognize that you are created in God’s image and that your family is created in God’s image, you walk with freedom. Speaking life over your family is an important piece in taking back your family from the attacks of the enemy.

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4

Take heart that God is the Creator of the family and what God creates, he loves and protects. We just need to be willing to accept that love and protection through every circumstance and situation! Lord, today I pray for confidence in knowing you created my family perfectly in your image. Thank you for your love and protection. I pray for wisdom in what I think and say in my home.

2. Put on the full armor of God.

Lean into this today! As Christ-followers, the armor of God is essential in changing our narrative. Our trajectory shifts when we put on this armor because we know our spiritual battles cannot be fought in our own strength. Don’t miss this! This armor is not just available, it is essential in our own lives, but also in our homes.“

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:10-18

Belt of truth: our full and complete belief in God’s truth and power to win the victory for our entire family.

Breastplate of righteousness: a right relationship with God and His character in our families.

Shoes for your feet: boldly proclaiming Christ’s message to overcome the enemy’s schemes to dismantle the family.

Shield of faith: actively placing faith over fear and courageously letting faith rise up in our homes.Helmet of salvation: a regular renewing of our minds and confidence in our families through Him.

Sword of the Spirit: God’s Word, which is our offensive weapon to attack the enemy. But more than that, a belief that His Word is true and will be victorious.

Taking back the family is a spiritual battle, but the beautiful thing is that God knows that! He has provided us an enormous amount of tools to fight well. We are stronger than we think we are and because of that, our families are better! Lord, thank you for your armor that serves as a guide to our steps in battle. I pray my family grab ahold of these tools and use them daily. I pray we strengthen together with the knowledge you are in control!

3. Ask for your DAILY bread.

You may feel like the battles you are up against in your family change daily. It may be finances one day and disobedient children another day. It may be a wayward child, or it may be generational curses you so desperately have prayed will break.“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11

Every day we face new trials, joys, battles, and victories. This is why Jesus was so clear during the Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew to not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will bring its own worries. It’s important to never underestimate the power of prayer in our daily lives.

All we do should start and end with prayer. Every. Single. Day. Asking for our daily bread is essentially asking for the tools and wisdom to face whatever the day will bring. It teaches us to bring our lives and families to God in a spirit of humble dependence to make our needs known to Him, trusting that He will provide.God is the creator of the family, He is the protector of the family, and He is the sustainer of the family. Because of Jesus, we can now go directly to His throne to ask for our daily bread. Be assured today that He will not fail to provide it. Lord, today I approach your throne with a boldness that you will provide what I need. I ask for the daily bread my family needs to grow closer to each other and closer to you.

4. Let God start to paint.When many couples get married, many to-be husbands joke about letting their bride-to-be plan all of the details. I remember going to appointments when I was getting married and many of the sales representatives only addressing me.

My husband said from the beginning, “I want both of our fingerprints to be all over that day,” which makes sense. When people are attending the event that joins us together, we want them to see both of us in the details. This is a lot like our families and how God sees them. He created the family and He knows what’s best. So often we say we open our hands, hearts, jobs, lives, and families up to Him, only to find we are still holding tightly. When people look at our families, they should see God in all of the details. We should be living in a way that people notice. A way that causes people to pause and say, “How can Jesus change our family?” In essence, His fingerprints should be all over your family.“

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”Ephesians 2:10

Your family is the expression of the very inner being of the Artist. So today, let that Artist continue His masterpiece! Ask yourself, what in my family do I need to surrender? How can I take authority over the things that keep His fingerprints off of my life?

God sent His son Jesus to die for us as an ultimate sign of surrender. And now He asks us to do the same with our families. It’s time to take back the family and give it fully to Him. Lord, thank you for making the masterpiece that is my family. I pray we continue to fully surrender all to you. I know you are continuing to write our story and I pray for the obedience to step out in what you ask of us.