Shield Your Home

A strong prayer shield must start at home – including the children.

A prayer shield that does not begin here:

• Leaves both you and those who are dearest to you with inadequate protection.
• Does not mobilize those who love and know you best.
• Is poor role modeling to those who look up to you on a day-to-day basis.
• Ignores your primary responsibility for your spouse and children.
• Leaves you lacking, for “out of the mouths of babes and infants I have ordained praise to silence the foe and the avenger.”
• Does not protect your place of rest, restoration and fun.

I am sad as I travel to find pastors and small group leaders praying here, there and everywhere, yet their prayer with and for their family is virtually nonexistent. It is easier to protect than to have to win battles to rescue. Sadly there are “rescue missions” all over the world rescuing the marriages, broken wives and wayward children of Pastors who are so beaten up themselves.

Start at home. The praying family will build a fortress where they can live, fight battles, and bring in the hurting. This, according to Timothy, is where it must start with leaders. You will then make disciples who make disciples following your example. Neglect this and you may well replicate disciples who also neglect the prayer shield for their families.

This must be the epicenter of prayer and from there – go and make disciples who know how to pray and who know where to start.