Did you know your great-grandparents? 

Today I’ve been thinking about being a great-grandparent since my husband went to see our new three-day-old great-granddaughter. I woke up with a sore throat, so I had to stay home very disappointed. I did not get to know my great-grandparents except what I was told about them.

 My husband and I feel fortunate that we have five great-granddaughters to love and cherish.

Did you know your great grandparents? Did they pray for their children and grandchildren? Did they ever think about their future generations (us) and what the world would be like? My great-grandfather was a pastor in Poland. My grandfather immigrated to America as a young man, but my grandfather did not. Fortunately, I have seen a letter where he prayed for his family in America and future generations. My grandfather passed his faith to generations yet unborn. Passing on and nurturing that faith is now my privilege!

Life is so different for each generation. Our great-grandparents may have gone months or yearswithout contact with their children and grandchildren, if they immigrated to America. For me, it was letters, long-distance phone calls and perhaps yearly visits to grandparents living far away. 

Now it’s Facebook and texts sent in an instant. I am grateful that I get to see my great-grandchildren growing up on Facebook posts, even though long distance separates us. In our senior years, we feel honored and loved anytime our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren can share their busy lives with us. When they give us their time, it’s a most precious gift! When I think about it, being a great-grandparent is incredible.

There aren’t many great-grandparents mentioned in the Bible. If you look at the genealogy ofJesus in Matthew or Luke, you can find great-grandpa’s listed, but not many great-grandmas!

The most well known great-grandparents are probably Boaz and Ruth, great grandparents to King David. What prayers do you suppose they prayed for their future generations to come, which even included Mary?

Scriptures with prayers

•    Deuteronomy 32:7 Remember the days of old; consider the long generations past. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain it to you. Lord, we thank you for the generations past that prayed for us. May we boldly teach the next generations about You

•    Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good, and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continuesthrough all generations. Thank you, Lord, that you will love our family for generations to come.

•    Psalm 102:18 Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created maypraise the Lord. I pray that our family for generations to come will love and praise you, Lord.

•    Psalm 119:111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. Lord, may they also be the heritage and joy of our children, grandchildren, and generations to come.

•    Psalms 145:4 One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts. Lord, open our mouth so we may honor your works and proclaim your mighty acts to our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

Thank you, Lord, that we are harvesting the seeds of your loveplanted by generations before us. Pray the seeds of your prayers, that we plant will be harvested for generations to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Written by Lillian Penner, Co-Prayer Director for Christin Grandparenting Network lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

PS: Additional prayer helps available:I have developed “Thirty-one Scriptures to Pray for Grandchildren”. Many grandparents are using these Scripture to pray for their grandchildren. Just by joining the mailing list on the right side of this page you will receive grandparenting blogs and prayer suggestions to pray for your grandchildren regularly. I will send you a free downloadable copy of “Thirty-one Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren”.