How to Pray over Your Home

Just as we Christians pray and intercede for everything – such as the world, our government, specific sectors of society, and many more – we should never forget to pray and intercede for our home. Just as we fight in prayer for other people, all the more we should fight in prayer for our family. It is our family that we should put first, more than our friends and other people. In 1 Timothy 2:1, the Bible teaches us that we should make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all people. This not only pertains to national leaders, friends, the church, and others but also our family. While Christ has commanded us to love our fellow believers, Christ also commanded us to love our neighbors, including our family, even if they are not fellow believers. 

When we love others, we are to love them just as we love ourselves. For sure, we constantly pray about ourselves. We pray for the things we need, our protection, help from God, and many more. We should also do the same for our household members. It could be that the way we love them and pray for them is what might make them open to being reached out to.

It is important to note that when we say “praying over a home,” it is not the house that we are praying over. There is a difference between a house and a home. A house can be as luxurious as a mansion, yet it does not feel like home. Regardless of how the house looks, home feels like home because of the people you live with. When we say praying over a home, we are talking about praying over the people who comprise the home. 

Bible verses that you can use to pray over your home

One of the ways we show our love is by constantly praying for our household; you can pray for it either personally or during your devotion to God. Praying for your household is just one of the many ways we put the love of family into action. The Bible says that we should love not only through talk but also in deed and truth.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

[Mark 12:31]

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

[1 Timothy 2:1]

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

[1 John 3:18]

There are many Bible verses that you can use to pray over your home. There is no better way to pray for your home than to pray the Scriptures since they teach us the will of God. Praying the Scriptures over your home is what God wants, and the best way to know what God wants is by going to His word. Some Bible verses are explicitly talking about a household. However, even if a Bible verse does not talk about a household at all, you can still use it to pray over your home. 

The first verse on our list is Proverbs 22:6. It talks about children being trained—growing up in the way they should go and never departing from it. You can pray for grace upon the parents of the home to discipline and train up their children in the ways of God so that they shall walk in them and never depart from them. You can also include praying Psalm 86:11 over the children, as it talks about being taught God’s ways and walking in the truth.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

[Proverbs 22:6]

Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

[Psalm 86:11]

In line with the children walking in the ways of the LORD, you would also want the children, whether young or adult, to honor their parents. You don’t want rebellious children to grow up in your home. You want children who will listen to what their parents instruct. As Proverbs 15:20 says, a wise son makes a father glad.

Praying for the children to walk in the ways of the LORD and to walk in wisdom is not enough. You would want them to become children who know the LORD. Throughout the royal lineage of Israel, even when it was divided into two kingdoms, there were several instances when the king was faithful to God, and yet the son who succeeded him was evil and disobeyed God. What arose was a generation that did not know the LORD, similar to what happened after the time of Joshua (Judges 2:10). That means we should also pray for the next generation of the household to know God, and they can know this only by knowing Christ and becoming a follower of Jesus. Of course, it is also a given that parents should also preach the Gospel to their children.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

[Exodus 20:12]

A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

[Proverbs 15:20]

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

[2 Timothy 1:5]

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

[2 Timothy 2:2]

Of course, praying for a home is not just about praying for the kids; it is also essential to pray for the father, the household leader. The father has the responsibility not just to provide for his family’s needs but to protect them from any harm or danger. Still, he also has the responsibility to lead his family spiritually. Just as a pastor shepherds his flock, so does a father with his family. 1 Timothy 3:4 gives us a glimpse into what the man or leader of the household should be like. Though it talks about the qualifications for an overseer, it still refers to a role model for fathers or leaders of a household to emulate.

One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

[1 Timothy 3:4]

It is a delight to see not only the parents but the kids as well being in church and serving God; as the whole household goes to church every Sunday, worships God, obeys the mandate to make disciples, and participates in church ministries. In other words, from Joshua 24:15, one of the things that you can and should pray for your home is that you will be a household that will serve the LORD and be sold out for His kingdom. 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

[Joshua 24:15]

The Bible encourages us and teaches us to pursue wisdom and walk in it. Therefore, one of the best prayers that we can pray for our home is that it will be a home that fears the LORD and walks in His ways, as is mentioned in Psalm 128:1. Also, you can pray Proverbs 9:10 over your home, as it talks about the fear of the LORD being the beginning of wisdom. Pray that your home shall always walk in wisdom, prudence, and good sense and that everyone shall always be blameless in their ways.

Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

[Psalm 128:1]

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

[Proverbs 9:10]

A home or household will not bear fruit or will fall completely apart if it doesn’t abide in Christ. If Christ is the church’s foundation, He is still the foundation of a family. Therefore, a family must continually abide in Him because apart from Christ, a family is nothing. One of the essential prayers you can pray for your home is that it shall always be a Christ-abiding home.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

[John 15:4]

Another important thing that you can pray for your home regarding each person’s relationship with God is that as they live their Christian lives, they shall always remain steadfast and faithful toward God and never go back to the world. The Bible likens our Christian life to a race; something like a marathon. It is not easy but full of hardships. However, we have to endure and persevere up until the very end. That is what you can pray over your home. Pray for God’s preserving grace upon your home; that your home shall always endure and faithfully run the race that God has set before all of you, knowing that Jesus is the perfecter of your faith.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

[Hebrews 12:1-2]

A while ago, we mentioned praying for your home to fear the LORD and walk in His ways. That also means living a life of obedience toward God concerning His holiness. If we obey God, that also includes obeying every commandment in the Bible, such as being the salt and light wherever we are and making disciples when we preach the Good News to those who don’t know Christ. Imagine a family where everyone is sold on being the salt and light to their community, school, or workplace and is unashamed of preaching the Gospel to others. 

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

[Matthew 5:13-16]

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

[Matthew 28:19]

Another prayer that you can pray regarding your household’s Christian life is that it shall always crucify the flesh together with its passion and desires. The Bible teaches us that the flesh is constantly at war with our spirits, and that is why we have struggles with sin. But it is also a good sign because it means that we are being sanctified. We struggle because we try to fight sin and not embrace it. It means that our desires are also being renewed and sanctified. If you loved a specific vice before, you now hate it. We need God’s grace to always put whatever is earthly in us to death. That also leads us to another verse from Paul’s letter to Galatians, which says that as we live our lives, we don’t live them for ourselves anymore, but we live them for Christ. It is no longer us who live but Christ Who is in us.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

[Galatians 2:20]

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

[Galatians 5:24]

Peace in your home is something you should also pray for. It is only in Christ that we can find peace alone. The peace that Christ offers us is a kind of peace that doesn’t just restore our standing with God, but it’s a shalom kind of peace where we are always whole, and nothing is broken or missing, despite whatever circumstance we are going through. Since Christ is our peace, it is also in Him and through Him that we are united and have peace with others, no matter the tensions or conflicts that may arise.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

[John 14:27]

The last verse in our list is 1 Corinthians 10:31, which tells us that in everything that we do, we should glorify God. In other words, we should also pray for our homes to be God-glorifying homes where God is always revered in everything we do. 

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

[1 Corinthians 10:31]

The verses given here are just some of the many Bible verses that you can find to pray over your home. Prayer alone is not enough; you should also read your Bible to know what things you can pray over your home. 

How do I pray over my home?

You can use the Scriptures and pray them over your home. As mentioned before, Scripture is what the will of God is. Praying the Scriptures is praying for God’s will. There is no better way to pray for your home than to pray for God’s will itself. You can use the scriptures given above or refer to other Bible verses as you pray for your home. 

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

[Matthew 6:10]

However, it is essential to note that you should first know the context of a specific Bible verse before applying it. Just because a Bible verse sounds good does not mean it should be automatically applied as a prayer for your home. For example, Jeremiah 29:11 is not about worldly prosperity but about a future hope for the exiles, which applies differently to us Christians since Jeremiah 29:11 was explicitly for the Israelite exiles and didn’t apply to us in the New Covenant.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we should pray with a renewed mind whenever we pray, not just over our home but for everything else. When we pray with a renewed mind, we pray that which is pleasing and acceptable to God. Having a renewed mind is the Holy Spirit’s work in us as we read the Scriptures.

Here is an example of how you can pray over your home:

Heavenly Father, You are the God of grace and mercy. I pray that You would always give my home the grace to be a home that fears You and turns away from evil. May my home be a household that serves You and always pursues glorifying You. Help us faithfully run the race You have set before us with endurance and perseverance. Give our father, who is the leader of our home, the grace to lead us spiritually. Also, help us always honor our parents and walk in the ways of the LORD. May our home always be a home of peace and love, where we get to exhibit the character of Christ to one another. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If you are the only Christian at your home, then the first and most important thing is to pray for your family’s salvation. Pray that the Holy Spirit shall turn their hearts of stone to hearts of flesh and that He shall open their spiritually-blinded eyes so that they may repent and believe in the person and work of Christ. Of course, that would also mean that you must preach the Gospel to them.

Here is how you can pray for the salvation of your home:

Holy Spirit, You work in the hearts of the people. I pray that You would turn their hearts of stone to hearts of flesh so that they may receive the Gospel, repent from their life of sin, and commit to following Christ. Open their spiritually-blinded eyes so that they may see Christ and their need for a Savior. I pray that You would regenerate their hearts so that they may believe the finished work of Christ on the cross. Give me the boldness and courage to preach the Gospel to them, and may the way I live my life and how I treat them be a testimony of Who Christ is. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

There is no such thing as a perfect family or home. But it would be amazing to see the Bible verses we have listed above evident in one’s home. That is possible only through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, Who sanctifies us to become more like Jesus. Christ is the foundation of every goldy home because a household can only pursue and desire holiness if they are in Christ.