A Dynasty is often tied to kings and rulers- and it is also tied to powerful families. Going to the dictionary I discovered that a dynasty: “a succession of people from the same family who play a prominent role in business, politics, or another field:”
I believe we all are a part of a dynasty that our family began many years- centuries ago. Following family trees, and doing genealogies is big business now. People want to discover where they ‘came from.’ I know the basic sequence of events of the Benike family tree when they came to the United States. Many of you know yours as well. And I have to agree that it is fun to know where your family originated from- and what kind of heritage you have. Knowing that my great, great grandpa settled in the Farmington township wilderness in the 1800’s is interesting. The other cool part of that is that my brother is still running that same piece of land even now. It’s been in my family for over 160 years! That’s a dynasty. Now I can’t say that my ancestors or present family play any prominent role in our world- but we have a legacy- we have a family dynasty that is passed down through the generations.
Families pass a long all sorts of things. They pass on the obvious genetics- and DNA structures. They often pass along property, heirlooms and things of value to the future generations. And there’s the broken pieces that can also be passed on to future generations; a predisposition towards addiction or sexual immorality or obesity. There’s good and bad passed down through the generations of our families. Our dynasties…
God set a precedent in the beginning of His calling of the people of Israel- He wanted them to know they were chosen a part of a royal priesthood- Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10.
As believers we are all a part of this family- this Dynasty, of believers. And God has set each of us into a human family as well. A place where we can grow, where we can be loved and cared for, and a place where we can learn more about Him. As believers we are a part of a royal priesthood- an amazing dynasty of believers throughout the centuries- some prominent, others well-know, and most quietly living out lives that reflect the holiness of God in their everyday life. For the majority we are called to live out our faith and to pass it on to the next generation. We are called to go and make disciples.
If we want our dynasty to stand for God- we need to begin with the basics. “There’s a famous saying, “The family that prays together stays together.” The author is Fr. Patrick Peyton, a priest who later became famous for promoting the rosary all over the world. When he was a kid in Ireland, his mother would call him and his eight siblings to pray. Then their dad would teach them the rosary. Well, sort of. He didn’t have to teach it. He would just kneel and lead it. By and by, the kids learned it.” One of the reasons that praying together is so powerful is that praying together bonds people together.
Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 18:19-20, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
When 2 or 3 are together- and pray together- there is a promise that our Father God in heaven will do it. As we agree together- believing God hears us and that God has the power to answer. When families pray together there’s a bond that is formed- there’s excited in seeing the answers together, to seeing the problem through and joy and blessing when we become part of what God is doing.
For many Americans, every day is a day of prayer. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey: more than half (55%) of Americans say they pray every day. What is it about prayer that affects relationships that helps families be closer and have greater unity?”
Prayer helps us to get closer to God, to know Him more. When we pray with our families we’ll experience reduced relational tensions and more feelings of closeness and unity. Praying together as a family is a great way to communicate and an intimate way to share our hearts and lives with those that we love.
The study authors — Chelladurai, Dollahite and Loren D. Marks, all from the School of Family Life at BYU — identified seven positive outcomes when we Pause to Pray:
If you think that praying with your family is impossible or that it is going to be too difficult; start with baby steps- begin by praying before a meal or with your children before they go to bed. Start in healthy small steps- and don’t give up!
If you want to create your family dynasty- to be strong for generations to come, you need to begin by Pausing for Prayer. You must come to God and seek His will for yourself and for our family. Parents, teachers, leaders- we are called to lead. To Pray for our children and pray over them. We are called to pray for each other. As men and women, boys and girls, Grandpa and Grandma, Dads, and Moms; we are called to pray together. The first step is to begin. Set aside time today to pray for your spouse, your parents, your significant other. Pray for their peace, their faith, their health- God will hear you- God longs to spend time with you and your family.
God is calling you to build your Family Dynasty on the foundation of Prayer. That’s where it all begins. God hears our prayers, and He will answer- He will bless the family that prays together- Lets begin to build our dynasty this week- Praying together.
