This week for our Wednesday Resource I feel like we need to stay in our focus on creating a prayer 
culture in our homes. According to Barna Research “The forces of our individualistic culture have influenced what was once a more communal and corporate conception of Christian identity to one now focused primarily on the individual. This “personal” faith focus plays out most explicitly in the practice of prayer: almost all American adults (94%) who have prayed at least once in the last three months most often choose to pray by themselves. Not only are most prayers a solo practice, but the vast majority are also most often silent (82% compared to 13% audible and solo prayers).” Whilst I struggle with the idea Barna presents that praying at least once in a three month period constitutes having a prayer life at all, their statistics even further relate to a lack of prayer culture in that only 2% of those who have prayed at least once in the last three months did so 
collectively with other people or a group, and 2 % of those who have prayed at least once in the last three months did so corporately with their local church. According to these statistics, if we counted that our Family fits Barna’s description “other people or a group,” then 2% of families are praying together at least once during a three month period.(Source)
In Hebrews 13 Paul exhorts us to: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Emphasis Added) One such leader we can consider the outcome of their life and imitate their faith was Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758)
“It is God’s will through His wonderful grace, that the prayers of His saints should be one of the great principal means of carrying on the designs of Christ’s kingdom in the world.” – Jonathan Edwards. I consider myself a revivalist and a fan of Jonathan Edwards life and writings, he is considered one of the fathers of the First Great Awakening, as he Pastored the Northampton Church where revival broke out in 1733. It is written of Jonathan Edwards routine that “Edwards was so devoted to prayer that it is hard to find a daily routine for him that wasn’t permeated with it. He prayed alone when he arose, then had family prayer before breakfast. Prayer was a part of each meal, and he prayed again with the family in the evening. He prayed over his studies, and he prayed as he walked in the evenings. Prayer was both a discipline and a part of his leisure.” Today’s Wednesday 
Resource – 40 Prayers that Changed America by Dr. Paul E. Barkey includes an excerpt of the life of Jonathan Edwards as one of the 40 Prayers that Changed History and it is my favorite part of the book, albeit it is so full of many wonderful historical accounts of transforming prayer lives. I met Dr. Barkey in 2017 at the Midwest Parent Educators conference in Kansas City and was able to talk with him about this book when I picked up a copy for our family. This book is full of great accounts of historical transforming prayer’s and the people who prayed them. Dr. Barkey challenges us all in this book to take these few select examples of how prayer changed history to incorporate prayer into our lives and to include praying transforming prayers for our nation. Side by side with last weeks resource, between these two books a family could choose one account and read and prayer once a week for over a year. Or one could take just this work by Dr. Barkey and use it as he inspires: to take a 40 day prayer journey, reading each day for 40 days one of the accounts in this book and using that theme and topic to pray. A 40 day concert of prayer in your home. Let me encourage you today to pick up a copy of 40 Prayers that Changed America by Dr. Paul E. Barkey and take a prayer journey with your family.
I leave you today with another quote from Jonathan Edwards, in his “Farewell Sermon” spoke of the significant importance of the family, and family consecrated to Christ: “We have had great disputes [about] how the church ought to be regulated; and indeed the subject of these disputes was of great importance: but the due regulation of your families is of no less, and, in some respects, of much greater importance. Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by his rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove in effectual. If these are duly maintained, all the means of grace will be likely to prosper and be successful.”
Friends, the Spiritual life of your family is of the highest regard to Christ and the furtherance of his Kingdom. Develop a prayer culture in your home.