Power To Rule Relationships – Overcoming Obstacles

By Pastor Juliana T Akinbami

The Divine power of God for overcoming attacks against your home.

There are many obstacles that can come against family relationships. We cannot exhaust all in one prayer email. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct you as you pray.

1. Obstacles to family prayer

Isaiah 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

A praying house is a united house, and the enemy will do anything to stop families from praying. Prayer is the powerhouse of any family, and it must not be toyed with. Here is a list of some of the obstacles which will serve as a prayer distracton.

  • Busyness
    Lack of Discipline
    Distractions
    Disagreements
    Spiritual Struggles
    Lack of Understanding
    Lack of Interest
    Time Constraints
    Inconsistency
    Lack of Leadership

Let Us Pray
Busyness: Father, we ask that you help us to prioritize our time so that we can make room for prayer. We pray that You give us the strength to resist the temptation to prioritize the things of this world over our spiritual lives. As Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Lack of Discipline: Lord, we pray for the discipline to make prayer a regular part of our routine. Help us to establish habits that will enable us to pray consistently. 1 Corinthians 9:27

Distractions: Father, we ask that you help us to avoid the distractions of this world that can make it difficult for us to focus on prayer. Help us to eliminate those things that are not beneficial to our spiritual growth. Colossians 3:2
I come against the distractions of this world that can make it difficult for us to focus on prayer. I declare our understanding is open to seeing what we have set as a priority over our prayer time. I declare every distraction is eliminated, and we find ways to protect our prayer altar.

Disagreements: Lord, we ask that You help us to find common ground in our prayer lives. Help us to be respectful of one another’s opinions and to pray together in unity. As Ephesians 4:3 I take authority over the arguments and disagreements that have prevented my family from enjoying a healthy prayer altar.

Spiritual Struggles: Father, we ask that You help us to overcome any spiritual struggles that prevent us from praying. We pray for healing and strength, and we ask that You help us to find comfort in Your love. As Isaiah 41:10
I address every confusion and spiritual struggle standing as a hindrance to my family prayer altar. I bind you and cast you out of my home, out of my family relationships, in Jesus’ name. I declare henceforth your stronghold over any individual in my family is broken. Your power is broken in Jesus’ name.

Lack of Understanding: Lord, we ask that You help us to better understand the importance of prayer and how to pray. Help us to grow in our knowledge of You and to seek Your wisdom in all things. James 1:5.
I declare every covering cast over the eyes of my family causing us to

Lack of Interest: Father, we ask that You help us to cultivate a desire for prayer. Help us to see the benefits of prayer in our lives and to make it a priority. As Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” We delight in You, O Lord, we delight in communicating with You. We make this a priority in Jesus’ name, amen. We set our hearts and minds on things above where Christ dwells, amen.

Time Constraints: Lord, times and seasons are in Your hands. Our life and times are in Your hands, and we desire to be good stewards of our time. We ask that You help us to find time to pray together as a family. We pray for your guidance in prioritizing our time so that we can make prayer a regular part of our routine. Psalm 90:17
I take authority over every spirit entity assigned to steal our time and distract us away from experiencing the power of Your presence as a family. I render you powerless you will no longer prevail in the name of Jesus.

Inconsistency: Father, we ask that You help us to establish a consistent prayer routine. Help us to make prayer a habit so that it becomes a natural part of our daily lives. Today, irrespective of where my family is located, we will pray as one family. We will stand before You as one. Thank You, Father, for the grace to pray consistently. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Lack of Leadership: Lord, we ask that you raise up leaders in our family who can help organize and encourage us to pray together. We pray against time constraints and lack of leadership that can make it challenging to pray together consistently. Lord, help us to make time for prayer and to seek your guidance in establishing a structure that works for our family. Amen “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

2. Intimacy

Intimacy is a crucial aspect of any successful marriage. It involves more than just physical contact, but also emotional and spiritual connections between partners. However, intimacy can be challenging to maintain over the years, especially when life gets busy and responsibilities pile up. As Christians who desire successful marriages, it is essential to understand the role of intimacy in our relationships and how we can cultivate it.

First, it is important to recognize that intimacy is a gift from God. He created us with the desire for connection and designed marriage as a way for us to experience deep intimacy with our partners. As such, we must approach intimacy with reverence and respect, recognizing that it is a sacred aspect of our relationships.
To cultivate intimacy in our marriages, we must first prioritize our relationships with our partners. This means setting aside time each day to connect with them, whether it be through conversation, physical touch, or shared activities. We must also be intentional about creating a safe and comfortable environment for intimacy to thrive, free from distractions and stress.

Another crucial aspect of cultivating intimacy is communication. We must be open and honest with our partners about our needs and desires, as well as our fears and insecurities. By sharing our hearts with each other, we can deepen our emotional and spiritual connections and build a foundation of trust in our relationships.

Finally, keep inviting our Heavenly Father into the home. When we invite Him into our relationships, He can guide us toward deeper intimacy and help us overcome any challenges that arise. We can pray together, study the Bible together, and seek counsel from fellow believers to help us grow in our intimacy with each other and with God.

This is ideal, but we know that so many forces fight against intimacy in marriage. Personal differences and family stressors from within and without stand in the way of being intimate with our partners. The devil finds many excuses, and many spouses have adopted these excuses as their reason for lack of intimacy.
God has given us the power to rule even in relationships, and we must exercise our rule where needed.

Pray

If you have been dealing with a lack of intimacy in your marriage, spend a season asking our Heavenly Father, the righteous judge to reveal to you the reason for this anomaly.
When He opens it to you, ask Him what you should do.

Physical intimacy

Physical intimacy is an important aspect of any marriage, and it is a gift from God. The Bible teaches us that physical intimacy is not only for the purpose of procreation but also for the enjoyment of both spouses. In fact, the Song of Solomon is a beautiful book in the Bible that celebrates physical intimacy between a husband and wife.
Physical intimacy is a way for couples to express their love and affection for each other. The Bible tells us that the husband and wife are one flesh, and physical intimacy is a way to strengthen that bond. It is important for couples to prioritize physical intimacy in their marriage and to make time for it.
However, many factors affect the ability of couples to enjoy the blessings of physical intimacy. As beautiful as physical intimacy can be for couples, many couples struggle due to numerous factors beyond the scope of this prayer email. If you are married, and there has been no physical intimacy between you and your spouse for a reasonable period, then you know that this cannot be the will of God for you. Some of the issues are:

Lack of communication, stress and fatigue, Busyness and lack of time, Health issues, psychological issues, Differences in sexual desire, Past experiences. Other issues can be guilt and shame, negative beliefs about sex, unresolved conflict, negative emotions about sex, lack of emotional and spiritual connection, pornography and other sexual perversions.

Whatever the issue, take charge and don’t just let it ride.

Pray

If there has been a long-standing standoff between you and your spouse, please seek God’s face on this issue and ask Him to guide you on what you should do. Only God knows what is happening in your relationship, and He will lead you according to His will. Do not let it slide.

Father, I come before you today to ask for your help in overcoming the obstacles to physical intimacy in our marriage. I know that you have designed sex to be a beautiful and fulfilling part of marriage, and I thank You for the power to overcome every obstacle to physical intimacy.

Guilt and shame: Father, we pray for your healing and restoration for any guilt or shame that we may be carrying regarding our sexual desires or behaviors.
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Help us to bring our feelings of guilt and shame to you and to receive your forgiveness and grace.

Negative beliefs about sex: Lord, we pray that you would help us to see sex as the positive and healthy aspect of marriage that you intended it to be.
Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
Help us to embrace the oneness that comes through physical intimacy and to view it as a gift from you.

Unresolved conflict: Father, we ask for your help in resolving any conflicts or resentments that may be hindering our emotional and physical intimacy.
Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
Help us to prioritize reconciliation and forgiveness in our marriage.

Lack of emotional connection: Lord, we ask for your help in deepening our emotional connection as a couple. 1 Peter 4:8, you say, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Help us to prioritize love and emotional intimacy in our marriage and to cultivate a deeper connection with each other.

Lack of spiritual connection: Father, we pray for your help in deepening our spiritual connection as a couple. Ecclesiastes 4:12, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Help us to prioritize our spiritual connection with you and with each other, and to seek your guidance and wisdom in all areas of our lives.

Pornography addiction: Lord, we pray for your help in overcoming any addiction to pornography that may be impacting our physical intimacy.
Psalm 51:10,, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Help us to turn away from any form of sexual immorality and to pursue purity and holiness in our thoughts and actions.
Pornography, sexual perversion and the like, I break your stronghold in Jesus’ name. I command you to lose your hold now in Jesus; name.

I take authority over every demon supervising these obstacles to physical intimacy, I bind you by the power in the name of Jesus. I command you to leave my home, leave my marriage, get out now and never return again in Jesus’ name.

3. Finances

Think of the following areas – Saving, giving, budgeting, debt
Are there issues regarding any of these areas pertaining to your family finances? If yes, then speak to it and command an end to lack of savings, poor giving culture, lack of budgeting and continuous dept.

Yes, once you have spoken, take your pen and paper and rewrite what you want to see.
Ask our Heavenly Father to help you make this a priority so that you and your family can rule in your finances.

Have you ever heard of RAS? Reticular Activating System. Find the time to read about it.
I want you to command your RAS to be activated now so that light will penetrate your mind and God will reveal new dimensions of financial glory in Jesus’ name.

Give thanks to God who has given us the power to rule and overcome obstacles in our relationships.