Yesterday I wrote about one way grandmas (and grandpas, too) absolutely are able to make a real, significant, and important difference in the lives of their grandchildren – they are able to point them to Jesus. I shared a simple way we are able to do this . . . by reading books to and with our grandchildren and shared with you several of my favorite books I like to read with my grandsons.
Today I want to point out another important and essential thing we are able to do as grandmas to make a real, significant, and important difference in the lives of our grandchildren . . . we are able to - and must - pray for and with them.
When we think about praying for our grandchildren, there are three things for us to focus upon. The first is, if we, as grandparents do not pray for our grandchildren, they may not have anyone who prays faithfully for them on a regular basis.
When you think about this, what do you feel? Now, your grandchildren may have parents and their other grandparents who pray regularly and faithfully for them, but they may not. If you do not pray faithfully and regularly for your grandchildren, who will? This is an important question for you to think about and answer. And, keep in mind, even if they do have parents and their other grandparents who pray faithfully and regularly for them, your grandchildren need you to pray faithfully and regularly for them as well.
The second thing for us to think about when it comes to praying for our grandchildren, is for us to tell ourselves the truth, so we are not side-tracked or derailed by lies. It is so easy for us to believe a very big lie when it comes to praying. This is the lie which tells us our prayers do not even make it past the ceiling. The lie which tells us God does not really hear our prayers. This is absolutely a lie from the pit of Hell.
We need to tell ourselves the truth and the truth is God hears, listens to, and answers our prayers - we are able to read this throughout Scripture. We need to choose to believe the truth and stop letting lies influence how we pray - or how we do not pray. Hold tightly to the truth and pray knowing God hears, listens to, and answers our prayers.
Finally, the third thing for us to think about when it comes to praying for our grandchildren is for us to be intentional about helping our grandchildren learn to be people who pray. It is important for us to pray for them faithfully and regularly, but it is essential for us to help them learn to be people who pray; people who believe the truth of how God hears, listens to, and answers their prayers, too! Here are some simple ways you are able to do this.
- Pray with your grandchildren. This seems pretty obvious, but it is far too easy for us to skip doing this. Pray with your grandchildren at meals – at my house, rather than have just one person pray at meals, each person at the table has a turn to share something for which they are thankful, if you do this, when you all finish have everyone say “Amen” together.
- Help your grandchildren learn to pray Scriptures for themselves - use the book I and my grandsons wrote - Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children - it will help them learn to pray on their own.
- Help your grandchildren learn to journal their prayers. Consider buying simple notebooks for each of your grandchildren and when they are at your house, pull out the journals and draw and/or write how God is answering their prayers and add new prayer requests to their journals (consider giving them two so they are able to take one home.) In the Old Testament we see over and over again how new generations forgot God and did not remember all He did for them – they did not know Him. It is essential for us to help our grandchildren learn to watch for what God is doing in their lives and to help them remember these things. Journaling prayers and how God answers is a wonderful – and simple – way to do this!
- Pray a Scripture blessing for your grandchildren. This could be one passage which remains your blessing throughout your grandchildren's lives; or as God puts a new passage on your heart and mind, you could switch it out from time to time.
- Along this line, it is powerful to pray Scripture for your grandchildren as well. What could be a better way to pray for them? Work your way through Scripture and as a passage stands out to you, pray it for your grandchildren. Or, use a resource like my Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Grandparents & Parents, Too!
These are just a few ways you will make a real, significant, and important difference in the lives of your grandchildren by praying for them. What do you do to pray for your grandchildren?
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