Spring is finally arriving in Oregon with the daffodils and beautiful blooming trees. We have a beautiful pear tree blooming in our yard, with the bees pollinating the blossoms. It reminded me of the bees in Ephesians, which I will share with you today. Strolling through Ephesians, we bump into a bunch of “bees.” Be completely humble and gentle. (Eph. 4:2) Be patient. (Eph. 4:2) Be made new in the attitude of your mind. (Eph. 4:23) Be kind and compassionate to one another. (Eph. 4:32) Be imitators of God. (Eph. 5:1 Be very careful that you live as a wise person. (Eph. 5:15) Be holy and blameless. (Eph. 5:27) Be strong in the Lord. (Eph. 6:10) Be alert and always keep on praying. (Eph. 6:18)  By Lillian Penner, Prayer director for Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net PS: Strolling through Ephesians is an excerpt from Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren, available on this website.  The book will encourage you, challenge you, and give you many suggestions to intentionally pray for your dear grandchildren of all ages. The book is available on this website for $15.00, including shipping.       Toggle panel: Page Footer Settings Hide Footer Top Check this option if you want to hide the footer top (widget area).Hide Footer Bottom Check this option if you want to hide the footer bottom (e.g: copyright).Toggle panel: Post Format SettingsToggle panel: Mobius Grid item size settingSelect an item size for the current post An grid item allows to display featured image, title, and excerpt of the current postIf there is not featured image, the excert will fill the entire elementTallWideSquare topSquare leftNormal centerTall centerWide centerSquare center * All item sizes can also be set in Reorder Grid page settingsToggle panel: Page Header Settings Hide Default Header If you would like to hide the default header generated for post type, please check this option.SubTitle Please enter the page header subtitle.Header Height Please enter the header height.Transparent header Enable or not a transparent header over the page header/slider.Moving Particles Header Enable parallax moving particles interaction under the page header Toggle panel: Send as Newsletter  Yes, send this post as a newsletterTurn this on to send this post/page as a newsletter. Then configure it and Publish, Update or Schedule the post to execute.PostBlock Summary VisibilityPublic PublishApril 7, 2022 11:13 am URLgrandparentingwithapurpose.com/2022/04/strolling-through-ephesians-praying-for-your-grandchildren/Stick to the top of the blogPOST FORMATAudioGalleryStandardVideoAUTHORgrandparentingSwitch to draftMove to trash Revisions (8) Categories Culture, Grandchildren, Grandparents,GeneralMusicNewsPeopleStuffTripAdd New Category Tags ADD NEW TAG Ephesians (1 of 3)Ephesians Prayer for Grandchildren (2 of 3)Prayer for Grandchildren Praying grandparents (3 of 3)Praying grandparents Separate with commas or the Enter key. MOST USED Featured image ReplaceRemove Excerpt WRITE AN EXCERPT (OPTIONAL) Learn more about manual excerpts(opens in a new tab) Discussion Toggle panel: Extended PageEnable extended page This option allows you to have an extended page (fully customizable).By checking this option, you will don’t have any content displayed automatically.Toggle panel: Slider SettingAvailable slider(s) This slider will be added at the top of the pageMain SliderSlider home videoSlider home creativeSlider home standard * Themeone

It is God’s design for grandparents to pass their faith to multiple generations. Just as David was chosen for his generation, God has chosen grandparents for their next generation. We read in Acts 16:36, “David served God’s purpose in his generation.”   Today’s design for grandparents Moses told the Israelites, “Only be careful and watch yourselves closely not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and their children after them.” (Deuteronomy 4:9) Today grandparents have the same design for their grandparenting role. Asaph also gives us directions in Psalm 78:1-8. O, my people listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I say, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past— stories we have heard and known stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children. We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. He issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children so the next generation might know them, even the children not yet born—and they, in turn, will teach their children. So, each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors—stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God. New Living Translation (NLT) God’s design for grandparenting is two-fold to teach HOPE in God and OBEDIENCE. Our walk must match my talk Our grandchildren watch and listen to see if our life choices match our stated convictions. How we live our lives is a powerful example to our families. The best gifts we can give our families are not expensive luxuries but a good name. Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is better than wealth.” If we nurture our relationship with our children and grandchildren, we will speak into their lives and help shape their hearts. Can grandparents make a difference? Grandparents can make a difference. Grandparents can help their grandchildren navigate the rapid culture shift we are experiencing. The enemy is undermining God’s design for our grandchildren by filling our headlines, and social media feeds with a worldview. However, God has begun a powerful movement to awaken Christian grandparents to impact the next generation spiritually.   God chose us for our specific children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We are not living in past generations or future generations. We are living in this present generation with God’s purpose. He gave us an instruction book, God’s Word, to follow. My husband and I were chosen for this generation, our three sons, three daughters-in-law, nine grandchildren, their spouses, and five great-granddaughters to love, cherish, pray for them, and encourage them to follow Jesus. He has chosen you for your family.  Study Guide For personal reflection or group discussion “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1 “In everything, set an example by doing what is good.”Titus 2:7 “Set an example for the

Hannah is not the primary character in the story. Nor is Samuel. Pivotal to the whole story, the central cohesive element, the linchpin, is God himself. Everything else—Hannah’s barrenness, Hannah’s prayer, Samuel’s birth—is the working out of God’s eternal plan.” ¹ Hannah longed to give birth to a son. However, in I Samuel 1:5, 6, we read, “the Lord closed Hannah’s womb.” Hannah prayed, asking God to give her a son for several years. Hannah went with her husband to the temple to worship, and feeling hopeless, she prayed and wept. Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk. Hamah responded, “I am praying out of great anguish and grief.” God was not answering her prayer, but God had a plan. When she reached the point of desperation, she made this vow: “O Lord Almighty, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime” (I Samuel 1:11).  After Hannah returned home, her prayer was answered; God opened her womb, conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Samuel. Hannah asked for a son, and God gave her a prophet. God answered more abundantly than she wondered when her heart and God’s heart became a perfect match.   In Samuel 3:1, we read,” in those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” God needed a prophet to communicate His heart to the Israelites. God was working according to His plan. He was not at a loss. We read in I Samuel 2:35, “I will raise for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind.” God worked out His plan when Hannah found herself in this hopeless situation. If Hannah’s prayer for a son had been answered immediately, she might not have given him to the Lord as she did. Hannah’s prayer for a child began in the heart of God. Samuel became a mighty warrior on the battlefield and in the prayer closet. God powerfully used Samuel.   This is an excellent lesson to learn when praying for our grandchildren. When challenges come into their lives and are not answered according to their or our schedules, God may be working out His plan, which is far greater. When praying for your grandchildren, pray God will work His plan in their lives.  By Lillian Penner, Emeritus, Co-Prayer director for Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net 2003 The Praying Life, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Waiting on God. P 98

 For Preschoolers, pray they will: Develop a well-balanced personality Learn problem resolutions. Play well with others. Learn to obey quickly; respect authority. Explore and create without fear o failure. Develop a soft heart towards Jesus Develop confidence and independence. Learn to control their emotions and anger. Develop an awareness of God’s love. Build positive friendships. For Elementary-AGE CHILDREN, pray they will: Discover their God-given gifts and Develop a sense of satisfaction and enjoy using their skills. Be motivated, disciplined and challenged in their learning experiences. Treat others with respect. Stand firm for what is right and refuse the wrong with a positive attitude. Choose friendships wisely Obey their parents Understand their need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Develop a strong and healthy self-esteem and self-confidence. Have a safe, healthy classroom. Be protected from the deception of the world. Develop a hunger for God’s Word. For your Pre-teen & Teenagers, pray they will: Be motivated, disciplined, and challenged to apply him/her self in order to excel academically. Experience the reality of knowing Jesus Christ, as they grow strong in their faith. Recognize the deception the world offers. Be covered with God’s safekeeping physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Date wisely (which leads to a life’s partner). Be sexually pure. Have open communication and a good relationship with parents. Learn how valuable he/she is to You knowing his/her true worth comes from You. Choose friends who will have a positive influence. Develop a hunger for God’s Word to grow spiritually. Have a balanced view of his/her beauty, charm and strength. Live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct and devotion to You. Be willing to accept responsibility and make wise financial decisions. Will not worry about anything but pray about everything. Will live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct and devotion to God. For College/Young Adults, pray they will: Experience the reality of a relationship with Christ and live the adventure of following Jesus. Grow spiritually with a hunger for God’ Word. Be motivated, disciplined, and challenged to apply themselves in their studies to excel Seek God’s wisdom and direction in their management of time, money, and talents. Think creatively and live with integrity. Recognize their gifts so they can find their God-given assignment. Provide the resources to fulfill their God-given assignment. Date wisely (which leads to a spouse for a lifetime). Find a spouse with a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Remain sexually pure for marriage. Be willing to accept responsibility and make wise financial decisions. Have open communication and a good relationship with their parents. Recognize the deception of the world and flee from it. Be covered with God’s safekeeping physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Choose friends who will have a positive influence. Have a balanced view of their beauty, charm, and strength. By Lillian Penner, Emertis Prayer Coordinator,  Author and Blogger. pennerlp@gmail.com

As I look into 2024, our national and global climate is in turmoil. Our world is in a moral and spiritual decline; we are in a battle for the minds and hearts of our dear grandchildren. The enemy is trying to steal their hearts and God’s plans. In addition to attempting to destroy their faith, the enemy is trying to beat the morals of our country, especially the family unit. We must stand in the gap to pray for the spiritual, emotional, and physical protection of our grandchildren and their parents so they do not become victims of our culture.  For that reason, the mission of the Christian Grandparenting Network is to challenge grandparents around the world to intentionally and regularly come together to pray, interceding for thousands of grandchildren, which will impact their generation and generations to come. Therefore, we have organized “Grandparents@Prayer” (G@P) intercessory prayer groups. Our goal is to encourage grandparents to be prayer warriors through the personal discipline of intercessory prayer in the battle against the enemy. We encourage grandparents to regularly meet in small or large groups to unite in prayer at a designated location for 1 hour or so of guided prayer and fellowship.  Many grandparents have indicated that they appreciate the G@P prayer times because they are safe places to share their heavy hearts with their grandchildren. In Isaiah 58:6, we read that we can “lose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke” in our world. One of the ways we can break these chains is by “standing in the gap” for our dear grandchildren, just as Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Jews, when they were physically threatened. Today, grandparents can stand in the gap with prayer for their grandchildren as the enemy threatens their spiritual lives. I have found uniting in prayer with other grandparents for my grandchildren a special blessing. It’s a safe place to share my concerns for my grandchildren and their parents and to know others are praying for me. We now have several G@P intercessory groups meeting in various places worldwide, in retirement Centers, schools, churches, and homes. Some groups meet weekly, twice or once a month, whatever the group desires.   I want to challenge you to ask God whom He would have you pray with you for each other’s grandchildren. Ask your friends, church senior group, neighbors, family members, or whomever.  Prayer: Lord, will you set a fire in my heart to pass the baton of truth and pray intentionally for the next generation? In the name of Jesus, Amen If you are interested, please go to https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-at-prayer/to learn more about the G@P intercessory prayer groups. The first step is to complete the form, and we will help you start a group. By Lillian Penner, Co-Prayer director for Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@chrisrtiangrandparenting.net ₁. 

The Christmas tree, the greatest symbol of Christmas is an evergreen tree, representing life. The custom of erecting a Christmas tree can be historically traced to 15th century.  “The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts, or other foods. In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles, which were ultimately replaced by Christmas lights after the advent of electrification. Today, there are a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, and candy canes. An angel or star might be placed at the top of the tree to represent the angel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.” [1] The branches on the evergreen tree, remind us of the many roles we have in our lives such as parenting, grandparenting, etc. They also remind us of all the relationships we have with our family, friends, neighbours, our careers, hobbies, activities, sports etc. As we submit, each of these branches to God He will adorn them with ornaments, as He develops our character, with the fruit of the Spirit.  Let’s look at the ornaments as representing the fruit of the Spirit. If we accept God’s unconditional LOVE in our hearts allowing His love to flow through us to others it will give us JOY. Our hearts will be full of joy amidst the daily challenges in our lives because “The joy of the Lord will be our strength.”(2) When we experience the joy of the Lord as our strength, we will have peace. PEACE is calmness in our hearts amidst the challenges we face, extending through our lives to others. After our adorning with love, joy, and peace, we will be empowered with PATIENCE, an attitude that does not lose hope for others even if they irritate or hurt us. KINDNESS expressed with our words and deeds to a sad or lonely heart may be their connection for Jesus. Then GOODNESS will flow into good works from our kind heart reflecting the character of God attracting others to Jesus.  Another ornament placed on the tree is FAITHFULNESS. Just as God is faithful to us, it is important that we too are dependable and trustworthy at all times. Faithfulness brings us to GENTLENESS, an ability to be pleasant, composed and controlled in the daily challenges of life. The last ornament we will place on the tree is SELF-CONTROL, which adorns our lives with the character of strength to restrain us from doing wrong. We cannot have self-control without all the other ornaments. Then the tree will be wrapped with a garland of God’s righteousness and the star will be placed on the top directing people to Jesus. We will plug in the lights illuminating the tree representing Jesus the light of the world, a symbol of hope. Just as we have beautiful Christmas trees in our homes, our lives will be beautiful when adorned with the fruit of the spirit.  This year let’s give our grandchildren a spiritual application of the Christmas tree