My Journey Praying for My Grandchildren

Today I will share my grandparenting journey with you. This picture is one of my five great-grandchildren. God blessed my husband and me with nine grandchildren now between the ages of eighteen to thirty-nine years. As a long-distance grandmother for many years, I felt my prayers were too general since I was unaware of what was going on in their lives. I prayed God would bless them. Ultimately, I became frustrated and felt something was lacking with my vague, general prayers. I asked God to show me how to become intentional in praying for them.  

Encouragement

After reading Grandma, I Need Your Prayers by Quin Sheerer & Ruthanne Garlock, and When Mothers Pray by Cheri Fuller, prayers for my grandchildren changed dramatically. The books were full of practical advice, encouraging me to use specific scriptures in my praying. God’s Word became like a manual for me to learn to pray more effectively since prayer connects me to the creator of the universe. Praying God’s Word enabled me to pray with more confidence and boldness. I was also motivated to pray regularly and specifically for my grandchildren’s emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Primary Prayer

The primary prayer for my grandchildren is that they will come to realize God loves them, accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and follow Christ wholeheartedly throughout their life. God has created each of my grandchildren for a unique purpose. I pray they will discover their purpose, be motivated to pursue them, and trust Him will provide the resources. Only God can give them fulfillment, which the world cannot offer.  

Holy Spirit Intercedes

Many times, I do not know how to pray for my grandchildren. However, after I learned in Romans 8:26 that the Holy Spirit intercedes for me when I do not know how to pray for them, my prayers took on new meaning. The Holy Spirit knows the needs of my grandchildren, so I ask Him to intercede for me according to His will. It is comforting to know I can put my concerns in God’s hand, shifting my fears to God, instead of carrying the burden myself. Often my prayers are not answered as I ask or on my timetable, although it is in the waiting that God does amazing things in my life and the lives of my grandchildren.                   

Communication

New communication channels opened with my older grandchildren when I started asking how I might pray for them. I consulted with their parents for the younger children to keep abreast of specific concerns. Then I was able to pray more specifically for them. To support these channels to be open, I like to call them on the phone or send cards for holidays to offer encouragement, let them know I love them, and pray for them. The electronic age we live in now provides me with new opportunities to stay with my grandchildren. It is easy to send those e-cards, email messages, and texts. My interest in the details of their lives, along with my prayers, speaks love to their hearts.   

Photo Prayer Journal

In Cheri Fuller’s book, When Mother’s Pray, she suggested making a Photo Prayer Journal for your grandchildren. The Photo Prayer Journal is a working document to help you pray intentionally and effectively for your grandchildren. I developed a Photo Prayer Journal in a three-ring binder with a section for each grandchild. Each section has a profile sheet with their picture, information, and pages to write my prayer concerns, hopes, and dreams for each grandchild on which I want to focus. (You will learn more about the Photo Prayer Journal in the Appendix of the book, Grandparenting with a Purpose).

As a grandparent, I can have a significant role in stabilizing and influencing my grandchildren’s lives by my example and my prayers for them during these turbulent years. It has given me purpose and fulfillment. I pray that the seeds of prayer I plant today will yield a harvest of blessing for them in the future.  

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (I Corinthians 2:9

Several years ago, I wrote the book Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. 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 a discounted price of $15.00 including shipping.