December 5, 1996
Dear Br. Short:
I trust that you are praising the Lord every day for the rich blessings He showers upon you and your wife? It is our privilege to praise Him for all things, as the apostle Paul admonishes, for all things come of thee, says the old testament writer of Chronicles.
Family prayer is just as vital to spiritual health as good food
is to physical health; it may even be more important. Systematic,
consistent morning and evening family prayer is as important as
attending church. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with
this sacred time when the entire family, father, mother, children,
and guests gather around the family alter for prayer. This alter
may be nothing more imposing then the family room, but there should
be a special place in the home where the we can gather for prayer,
undisturbed by outside noises, ringing telephone, television (which
should be turned off during this time) and any other earthly distraction
that would prohibit us from communicating effectively with our
God.
It is our responsibility, as men and moral and spiritual leaders
of the home, to inspire and lead these times of worship. They
should be short times of devotioni. We should offer prayer for
our families, our wives, our children (wherever they may be),
our church, our leaders, and ourselves.
We must all learn how to pray. We should speak distinctly and
clearly, to the point, and with fervor and earnestness. “The
effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
We should never come before the Lord unless we really mean what
we say; He understands the heart and does not appreciate the insincere,
hypocritical prayer, paying lip service or going through the formalities;
this type of prayer rises no higher then the ceiling.
We should never be in such a hurry that we neglect family worship.
Neglect breakfast if we must, overlook the morning paper or television
program if necessary, but never skip morning devotioins; if required,
rise half an hour earlier then customary, to accommodate the hour
of prayer.
It seems that modern society is in such a hurry that we are too
busy for our own good. We need to slow down, to appreciate the
flowers and sunrise, to savor the moment of quiet before the dawn,
to listen to the twitter of the birds, to pet the cat, to speak
kindly to the children and hold and comfort our wives. If we do
these things, we are better men, for then we have time for God,
who directs our day in a manner that we cannot anticipate. How
often we have suffered loss by not taking time for family prayer
in the morning, only eternity will reveal.
Evening devotions is just as important as morning prayer and just
as often neglected. After a busy and tiring day, we desire to
relax in front of the television and, before we realize it, we
are to tired for family supplications. Scheduling is important
to resolve this problem. Turn off the television, skip that exciting
program, as Christians we shouldn’t be watching it anyway,
go to bed earlier in order to obtain enough sleep, then evening
benediction will be enjoyable and beneficial for everyone.
The husband and father should lead out in worship confessing his
need for divine guidance and wisdom. When his wife and children
hear him pleading for council from the Lord, confessing his sins
and mistakes, and asking for patience to teach his children aright,
their confidence and trust in him and his leadership will rise
accordingly, but often we trust to our own abilities and fail
to consult the Lord for wisdom and strength to resist temptation
and our families suffer from careless or ineffectual leadership.
We are effective only as we confess our ineffectiveness for the
task the Lord has given us. We are strong only as we recognize
our weakness and need for His strength. These are the paradoxes
of Christianity.
Every man should be quick to spend time on his knees before the
Lord as he seeks to guide his family, be it only his wife and
himself, in the right directions that he and she may praise the
Lord through their chaste behavior and conversation. We draw strength
form the Lord as we spend time with Him in earnest and effectual
prayer.
May you be strong in the Lord and faithfully discharge your God-given
responsibilities as prayer leader in you family. Your brother
in Christ.
Allen A. Benson