A Prayer for Broken Families

Psalm 102

Hear my prayer, O LORD;

let my cry come to you!

Psalm 102:1

Divorce. Estrangement. Abandonment. Early childhood trauma. Broken boundaries. Miscommunication. Rebellion. Psychosis. Abuse. Feeling unloved. Bitterness. The effects of the fall on the family have been numerous. Even the very first family God created was marked dramatically by sin. Adam shifted blame on his wife Eve for disobeying God. Cain envied his brother Abel, which led to murder. Cain was estranged from his family as God sent him out as a wanderer.

Sin has deeply affected family relationships. Where love, encouragement, joy, peace, and closeness should be, there can be hatred, criticism, fear, strife, and coldness. Where there should be nourishment and an environment for flourishing, there is instead rivalry and selfishness.

The context of Psalm 102 is “A Prayer of the Afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD” (NASB). Family contention is a great affliction and can cause weary and fainting hearts for those who long for healing, restoration, and peace in their families. As the psalmist does, those who are experiencing brokenness in their families can pour out their complaint to the Lord. He is a God who inclines His ear to His people (102:2), abides forever (102:12), has compassion on His children (102:13), regards the prayer of the destitute (102:17), and hears our groanings (102:20). As the God of peace, He can establish peace within our families or uphold us while we walk through the valley of family contention. Whatever the cause may be for the mild or severe breakdown of the relationships within our families we can rest in Him. For He has been our help and will continue to be. We can sing for joy in the shadow of His wings where we have sought refuge in times of turmoil. We can cling to Him, and His right hand will uphold us on this painful road (Psalm 63:7). And He alone, because He has defeated sin and death, can infuse our families with His love and bring unity where now there is discord. Christ has immeasurable power to change what appears hopeless.

Let’s pray through Psalm 102 for our own families or those we love who are experiencing heartache and turmoil in their family.

Answer me speedily

102:1-2 Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!

Lord, I pray:

▫️Hear my prayer, O Lord, for my family. Let my cry of pain and sorrow come to You! You know intimately the turmoil we face as a family. We need Your peace and healing.

▫️Father, do not hide Your face in the day of my distress. You see the heartache that I feel because of the tension and hurt in our family. Make Your face shine upon us and be gracious to us and give us Your peace.

▫️Oh please answer me speedily! How long must we suffer the consequences and effects of sin? How long will hearts be hard toward one another? Give us Your grace and power to overcome __________.

I lie awake

102:3-11 For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread. Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh. I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down. My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

Lord, I pray:

▫️Strengthen my heart today and those in my family that are hurting and are feeling the effects of the strain of our family in their physical bodies. When our hearts feel struck down by others’ comments or actions, revive us and help us to keep our eyes on You.

▫️There are times of loud groaning because of the pain. Hear our groaning and grieving.

▫️When I lie awake feeling anxious or sorrowing over the brokenness of our family, bring to my mind Your Word and help me to turn my anxious thoughts into supplication with thanksgiving and trust in You.

▫️Heavenly Father, cause our troubles, strife, envy, silence, anger, bitterness, or ________ wither away like grass. Remove those things which have caused hurt. Grant forgiveness in the hearts of those who have been injured.

He regards the prayer of the destitute

102:12-17 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations. You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust. Nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. For the Lord builds up Zion; he appears in his glory; he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.

Almighty God, I pray:

▫️I would trust You knowing that You are enthroned forever. You are ruling and reigning even over this family heartache. You have purposes for our family that will not be thwarted. Help my heart to rest in Your sovereignty.

▫️Rise up and have pity on our family. Move in compassion and bind up the wounds, the severed relationships, the strained conversations, the estranged family members. You can make whole that which has been broken in this family.

▫️Give the members of our family fear of You. When hearts are turned toward You and reconciled to You, then reconciliation in our family will be possible. Cause those who have sinned to repent and seek forgiveness. Cause those who have been wronged to forgive.

▫️Lord, build up this family. Strife and contention and other things have torn it down. Rebuild it on Christ.

▫️Regard my prayer today, do not despise it. Turn Your ear to me and incline Yourself toward me to help me. Sustain me in this sorrow.

He hears our groans

102:18-22 Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

Lord, I pray:

▫️You would heal this family so that the people yet to be created may praise You. This brokenness could affect many generations. Let it be that Your healing and Your power shape the generations to come of this family, not sin and brokenness.

▫️Look down on this family and pour out new mercies today. Do not let Your lovingkindness cease or Your compassion fail toward our family (Lamentations 3:22-23).

▫️Hear my groans today. I have boldly approached Your throne of grace on Christ’s merit and I am seeking grace and mercy in my family’s time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

▫️Lord, my heart’s desire is for this family to declare Your name together, and together sing Your praise, and to gather together and worship You as one. Lord, it seems impossible the way things stand now, but there is nothing too hard for You.

He endures forever

102:23-28 He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!” Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.

Lord, I pray:

▫️Please do not break my strength or shorten my days. Use me in my family to draw them to You and to one another. You are my strength and my salvation. Help me not to grow weary or lose heart while seeking to do good for my family (Galatians 6:9)

▫️You, Lord, remain forever. These troubles, heartaches, strains, and sin that affect my family will not last forever. These troubles will pass away. Help me to rest knowing that the trouble we face now is light and momentary compared to the glory that shall be revealed (2 Corinthians 4:17). Help me to glorify You in the midst of this turmoil.

▫️Oh, Father! May our children dwell securely and be established before You! You can bring beauty from ashes. Take the things that are broken in our family, and with the resurrection power of Christ use them for Your glory and Your kingdom. Cause this family to know and walk with You for generations to come.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo credit to kellysikkema

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