Incredible Blessings Resulted in Standing in the Gap with Prayer

Have you thought about standing in the gap for children other than your grandchildren with a prayer? God placed a family into our lives that needed praying parents and grandparents many years ago, and it has been a great blessing. There may be children in your church or acquaintances who do not have praying grandparents. God may ask you to pray for a family or children; it will enlarge your family.

Leslie Needham Johnson was about two years old when my husband and I started befriending her family. She writes the following story. I hope it will encourage you to stand in the gap for some children who are not your grandchildren.

I’ve never felt like a surrogate regarding the way John and Lillian have shown love to me. For as long as I remember I have had three sets of grandparents. The place in my heart where I hold my deceased grandparents is the same location I hold my Papa John and Mama Lil. I have so many fond memories with my grandparents, and just the same with my “surrogate grandparents,” although it feels funny to call them that.

They say, “it takes a village to raise a child, ” and my grandparents took that to heart. They took it so seriously that most of my friends don’t even know that there is no blood relation. It is funny because often in the Christian community we hear people say, “He/She must have had a praying grandmother” when a young man/woman turns out to have the heart for the Lord. I can say that a large part of my heart for God is directly connected to the presence of Papa John and Mama Lil in my life. Not only as people who pray for me but also as grandparents who are consistent in my life. The love God has for us has been demonstrated well through the love these people have shown my family and me.

When I look back over my life, I see my Papa John and Mama Lil, never missing the big things and fully enjoying the little things. One of my favorite childhood memories includes them. We would have “family” dinners where we would go to their house, or they would come to ours. These meals consisted of 3 of my favorite things, Mama Lil salad (which I now include in my family recipes and make for my husband), yummy cookies, and the best of all Papa John “measuring” how much I learned in school that day. He would tell me to put my arms straight down, and he would pick me up by my fists and see if my brain was heavier than last time. I loved this so much that I made him do it until I was too big, and probably much too old. Then I was jealous when my two younger brothers could still be measured and I couldn’t.

This past year on my wedding day I was especially blessed to have surrogate grandparents. All of my biological grandparents have passed, but the thought of not having grandparents at my wedding to celebrate, share love, and give wisdom was not a concern. My Mama Lil was in the room with my bridal attendants and me as I got ready for my wedding. She was right there with me in the limo ride to the most exciting yet scariest moment of my life, and she was right there in the front row with my Papa John and parents to once again pray for and bless a huge moment in my life.

I am so grateful that today I can write that Papa John and Mama Lil not only saw me as a little girl in their “village” but as a real part of their family.            Written by Leslie Johnson, California

Note: Will you ask God which child or family He would like you to stand in the gap with prayer? I am sure there are some in your church neighborhood or in your acquaintances that need someone praying for them.  Lillian Penner, Co-Prayer Director for Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net