Do Grandparents have a responsibility to their grandchildren?

Grandparents are excited to become grandparents. I have heard it said that it’s like the frosting on the cake. However, with the joy of grandchildren comes a responsibility. We read in Psalms 145:3-5, “one generation to another is to speak of God’s greatness.” Grandparents are called to be examples of what it means to walk in the truth and cultivate trusting relationships that allow us to engage truth from one generation to another. 

God has placed our grandchildren in their sphere of influence for such a time as this. Just as God placed David, Daniel, Esther, and Peter for their time, it’s incredible to think that God placed our grandchildren in such a time as this. 

Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Israelites, with prayer and fasting when Haman wanted to destroy them. Today, Satan is very active in our world; he knows his time is short. It is time for grandparents to pray urgently for God’s physical, emotional, and spiritual protection.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10-18 that we are to be strong and firm in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We must stand firm against Satan’s well-thought-out plans for our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and ourselves. To recognize the world’s deception, we must know the truth along with our grandchildren and parents. Today, we live in a time when the truth is challenged, even in the classroom.

Our most important task as grandparents is communicating our faith in Christ. A family’s faith can be lost in one generation; however, grandparents can be defenders of their faith. Life is full of disappointments and crises. If our children and grandchildren turn their backs on their heritage of faith, they will face these challenges and trials without God in a chaotic world. 

• I pray that my grandsons and great-grandson will become strong, courageous, and godly men like David, Daniel, and Peter. 
• I am praying my granddaughters and great-granddaughters will become courageous, godly women like Queen Esther.
• Will you pray with me that your grandchildren, too, will grow to become strong, brave & godly like David, Daniel, Esther, and Peter, living in their chaotic culture?

Dear Father, I thank you for the precious grandchildren and

great-grandchildren you have entrusted to me.

I pray they will recognize the deception in our chaotic world.

Help them to grow strong and courageous in their faith to stand

against the culture and uncertainty they are facing now

and will face in the future.

I Pray you will protect them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In Jesus’ name.

Written by Lillian Penner, Prayer director for Christian Grandparenting Network. pennerlp@gmail.com