Praying Over Your HomeSample

Outside Your Home

I love to drive through the historic neighborhoods in my city. As I look at the homes, one thing always stands out. The front porches are huge. There was a time before television, social media, and air conditioning, when people spent a lot of their time outside their houses, and one of those places was the front porch. Families would gather, neighbors would stop by, and life outside was strengthened by a sense of community.

As a kid, I loved being outside. Our front and back yards were my playground, and it was awesome. In our world today, most of us spend more time inside our homes than outside them. New homes with big front porches are rare. Families gather more indoors than outdoors. TV, social media, mobile devices, and the AC are indoors.

In spite of that switch, the space outside your home is still very important. It offers us a place to be a living witness to our neighbors. As believers, our home is a place to share God’s hope and love with our neighbors in kindness and hospitality and to “let your light shine before others,” as Jesus said in Matthew 5.

Our home is an area that we want God to keep safe for us, whether from an enemy or the temptations of the world. Our homes represent a shelter; a safe place where we find refuge. Yet we need to recognize where our true security is found. God is truly our refuge and shelter, and He is the One who protects us wherever we go. Our verse today in Psalm reminds us where our real protection comes from.

Today, spend time praying over the outside of your home. Here are some suggestions to guide you. Pray:

• For opportunities to be a living witness to your neighbors.
• That family and friends would feel welcome in your home from the moment they arrive.
• For peace to permeate your home from the outside to the inside.
• For protection from the enemy, whoever or whatever that may be.
• That the Holy Spirit would guard your home day and night.