365 Day Prayer Shield Over South Africa

PRAYER WEEK FOR FAMILY

Family is the foundation of everything God has established and built. When marriages are healthy and families are strong, communities flourish—and ultimately, so does the nation.

That is why the family is target number one for the enemy to destroy.
The values surrounding family have shifted from strong Judeo-Christian principles to worldly norms.

This week, we will focus entirely on family and all that it includes: marriage, parenting, children, family unity, legacy, protection, peace, and declaring opportunities and blessings over families in South Africa

Scriptural Anchors:

• Joshua 24:15 (nKJV) “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

• Colossians 3:13-14 (nKJV) “13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.“

DAY 1 (2 May 2026) – THE BOND OF MARRIAGE

I felt led by the Lord to begin with the topic of marriage because it is, without a doubt, one of the most attacked covenants God has established. When there is unity between a husband and wife, it creates a powerful bond capable of accomplishing what often seems impossible.

ACTION ITEM 1: SELFISH MOTIVES IN MARRIAGE

• Philippians 2:3-4 (nKJV) “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
• Psalm 139:23-24 (nKJV) “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
• 1 Corinthians 13:5 (nKJV)  “[love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;”

Self-Examining Prayer: Our dear Heavenly Father, we bless Your holy Name and thank You for marriages in our nation, South Africa. Lord, we acknowledge Your hand in our lives, and today we ask that You search our hearts for any selfish motives or agendas—especially within our marriages. We give You glory for all that You have done, and we trust You to remove selfishness and replace it with love, respect, and honour. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thanksgiving for Marriages: Father, in the precious Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we bring the marriages of this nation before You. We give thanks for the marriages that are standing strong—especially those that reflect Your goodness and mercy. Forgive us where we have pursued selfish ambition at the cost of our spouses. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Recognition of God’s Goodness: Lord, thank You that You are a good God. Let Your goodness be poured out over our nation. May godly marriages once again become a strong foundation and a visible standard in our country. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

ACTION ITEM 2: REMEMBER THE COVENANT

• Malachi 2:14 (nKJV) “Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”
• Matthew 19:6 (nKJV) “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
• Ruth 1:16 (nKJV) “But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.

Remember the Promises: Father, in the Name of Jesus, please bring to our remembrance the vows we made to one another on our wedding day. We recall Your goodness in how You have grown us together as a couple. Let our testimonies and experiences with You be preserved and shared with our children and our communities as a sign that You are a good God.

Testimony of Faithfulness: Lord Jesus, let the testimonies that come from godly marriages echo throughout our nation. Let the covenant we made in marriage become a banner that overcomes discouragement and divorce in our land. May Your goodness be spoken of everywhere, becoming a testimony on the lips of many.

Covenant Keeper: Lord, let our posture in marriage be one of humility across this nation. Guard us against pride and arrogance, which often lead to broken covenants and divorce. Help us, Lord, to honour You above all and to find our strength and identity in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

ACTION ITEM 3:  WARFARE OVER MARRIAGES IN SOUTH AFRICA

• Ephesians 6:12 (nKJV) “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
• Hebrews 12:15 (nKJV) “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;”
• 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (nKJV) “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,”

WARFARE OVER OUR MARRIAGES WITH THANKSGIVING: Father, today we wage spiritual warfare over marriages in South Africa with hearts full of thanksgiving. We come before You in humility and gratitude, thanking You that marriage was Your idea—and that no plan of the enemy will prevail against it.

We come against separation, divorce, and the ungodly spirit of adultery that is so prevalent in our land. We are not unaware of the challenges we face—poverty, unemployment, and hopelessness—which often place strain on marriages. Yet, even in the midst of these obstacles, we ask that Your hand would move powerfully across marriages throughout our nation.

Lord, we know that marriage is a sacred covenant—a beautiful union designed to reflect Your love for the Church. Yet beneath the surface of many struggling marriages, there are unseen battles—spiritual forces working relentlessly to destroy what You have joined together. Today, we ask for Your help and guidance as we break off every unseen chain that binds marriages.

We pray for the removal of ungodly influences and the breaking of every stronghold that pulls marriages away from Your divine plan. We tear down toxic relationships and destructive forces that come against marriages. Let every stronghold fall, and let struggling marriages become fertile ground for true transformation in our nation.

We choose to stand firm. Strengthen us, Lord, so that we do not grow weary. We refuse to surrender our marriages to the enemy’s schemes, for we know that victory belongs to Jesus.

Lord, as we seal this altar with thanksgiving, we declare that nothing will be lost. Every prayer is preserved, every decree established, and every act of faith remembered before You. Let thanksgiving secure what has been built—establishing permanence, anchoring breakthroughs, and guarding against regression.

Be glorified, O God, in all things. Let every outcome point back to You. Let every testimony magnify Your Name. And as we move from thanksgiving into praise, may this foundation of gratitude carry us into deeper dimensions of Your presence.

We seal this day with thanksgiving.
We seal this altar with praise.
And we give You all the glory—now and forevermore. Amen.