Our Stimulus to Persevering Prayer

The FAM Club is all about fasting for the purpose of praying for our family.

The state of our family members’ souls before God should drive us to prayer and fasting. We don’t fast and pray so our kids will get better grades or win the big game on Saturday night. We don’t intercede merely so our parents will have a plush retirement or our siblings will succeed in their careers or our cousin will get married.

Our concern is much deeper. Our requests far greater. We beseech God to protect our family members from worldliness, or to rescue them from sin's entanglement. We ask God to give them an undying love and passion for the Savior. We pray that God would strengthen their faith and uphold them in the midst of trials.

We long—above all else—that our unsaved family members would repent and believe in Jesus Christ; that they would know Him and experience eternal life. 

This quote by Charles Bridges aptly expresses both our fervent hopes and the faith with which we ought to pray. Even though it was written to parents, it applies no matter which family member you are praying for:

But do we mourn over the evil of our child, especially when tracing it to its original source?  Oh! let it be our stimulus to earnest and persevering prayer, and to the diligent use of the appointed means for that entire change of heart and nature, which we so intensely desire….The answer may be delayed. But "though it tarry, wait for it. For at the end it shall come; it shall not tarry." Meanwhile "live by faith" (Heb. 2: 3, 4); work in faith. Never forget that we serve "the God of Hope."  Despair not of his grace. Doubt not his faithfulness. Hold on in active energy and patient hope. The tears of despondency shall be changed into tears of joy, giving a happy glow of warmth to every tender remonstrance, and animating every prudential effort…."The end of the Lord" will put unbelief to shame. (James 5:11.)

Whether or not you’ve been praying for a family member for many years or only just begun, we must “hold on in active energy and patient hope.” We must faithfully and earnestly preach the gospel to unsaved family members. We must encourage and correct those who are wayward. But we must always pray with confidence in the goodness of our God, for “'The end of the Lord’” will put unbelief to shame.”