A recent survey asked people around the world about the importance of their families. The strongest results were found in Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Mexico, and Ethiopia. The United Kingdom was number seven, and the U.S. was number eight on the list. If you had been asked, you probably would have said your family is very, very important. There’s a popular saying that shows up on wall plaques: “Family is everything.”

One of the most encouraging aspects of the story of Joseph is how his family came back into harmony at the end of Genesis. Few families had been more broken by betrayal, brutality, and bitterness. Yet God gave healing in the end. This shows how much the family unit means to God. He loves your family.

Like Joseph’s family, yours isn’t perfect. There are no perfect families. We all have heartaches and challenges. But God can do what we cannot. Give all your family members to Him. Pray for each one. Keep a prayer list of your close relatives. The Lord can do more with each one than we can imagine.

Many times it takes just one member of the family to initiate the action to bring a family back together again.
Billy Graham