Recently, a friend of mine spent the weekend with her grandchildren. She told me, “It was shocking to see how fast my four grandchildren are growing up and the challenges they are facing.  I am experiencing a lot of heartache over the world they are growing up in and concern over their response to it. Seeing my sweet grandkids living in such a godless culture is heartbreaking.” I can identify with those thoughts and I am hearing those thoughts expressed by many grandparents.  

Using media, technology, education, social influences, and political pressures to desensitize and cloud the boundaries of truth that hold our families together is launching an aggressive attack. The enemy’s attacks against our families and our nation’s moral foundations are relentless and growing worse with time.

Ask your grandchildren about their friends, their teachers, their activities, what is going on in their world and how they feel about it. Keep an open mind and open ears so you know how to pray for them. If you are alarmed, they may not feel open to share with you. Appreciate their perspective, listen to their opinions.

However, Daniel, the one in the lion’s den for not obeying the king, stood strong for God in a very complicated ungodly culture. Today, we as grandparents can stand in the gap for our grandchildren, praying they will stand strong for God. Just as Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Israelites when their lives were threatened physically, we can stand in the gap for the spiritual lives of our grandchildren.

Suggestions to pray:

• Pray your grandchildren will invite Jesus into their hearts.
• Pray your grandchildren will grow strong in their walk with the Lord.
• Pray your grandchildren will recognize the difference of truth and deception in their culture so they can flee from it.
• Pray your grandchildren will respect authority and pray for those in authority over them, like their parents, teachers, and others.

Our hope for the future generation can only be in the Lord, not in this complex world.

Will you be a part of the solution?

Special Announcement

For that reason, Christian Grandparenting Network is asking grandparents around the world to unite in prayer for their grandchildren and their parents to participate in the Eighth Grandparents’ Day of Prayer. This day is scheduled to coincide with National Grandparents’ Day, September 9, 2018, making it a day of prayer for our grandchildren.

Watch for details next week.

Is God's timetable too slow for you? I have to admit God’s timetable is slower than my timetable. In John 11, we read about the death of Lazarus. Mary and Martha sent word to their dear beloved friend Jesus to let him know their brother Lazarus had become very ill. They expected Jesus to heal their brother, but he did not come, and they wondered why. However, Jesus had different plans, He told the disciples, and “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it”. He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus very much but stayed in Galilee teaching and healing the sick.  

Two days later Jesus told his disciples that it was time to go to Judea to see Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. When they arrived, they learned that Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha told Jesus that if he had come sooner, her brother would not have died. Nevertheless, Jesus went to the grave deeply moved, asking to have the stone removed from the tomb. Martha said, “But Lord, he’s been dead four days and stinketh”. Jesus told her “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God”. Then Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out” and Lazarus came out of the tomb.  

We can learn several lessons from this story. When we pray asking God for something, we get discouraged as Mary and Martha did because he does not answer immediately or on our timetable. However, think of all the people Jesus had the opportunity to heal and teach during those two days. Jesus was God’s Son and knew the Father’s plan and His timetable. It was not God’s plan to heal Lazarus. He wanted to glorify his Son by raising Lazarus from the dead. Isn’t it fantastic that when we think God is four days late by our timetable, however, He is still on time?  

Our finite minds just cannot grasp God’s infinite ways of answering our prayers. We have no idea how many times we have prayed, and He is waiting for the proper time to respond. Sometimes God needs to work in our hearts, our character, or another person before he can answer our prayers. We often have to remind ourselves that God’s way and timing are perfect. He knows best! Even when we think God is too late, He is still on time.

• Is God's timetable too slow for you sometimes?
• Are you getting tired of waiting on God to answer your prayers for your grandchildren?
• Are you disappointed and frustrated because God is not answering your timetable?
• Does God want to develop spiritual growth in your life or the lives your grandchildren before He is ready to answer?
• How do you respond when God does not answer your prayers according to your plans?

Prayer: Dear Father, I want to thank you for the privilege to bring my concerns to you. Give me patience as I wait for you to work out your plan and your timing to answer my prayers. Help me to trust you and your Word as I wait for you to answer my prayers. In Jesus Name, Amen  

Learn about the prayer ministry for grandparents on our website: https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-at-prayer/

By Lillian Penner, Co-director of the prayer ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Isn’t it exciting to have your precious grandchild come running into your arms with hugs and kisses? Your six-year-old granddaughter calling to tell you she lost her first tooth and the tooth fairy is coming to her house or your seven-year-old grandson thrilled to tell you how many goals he made in his soccer game. Last Saturday my two youngest granddaughters came over to visit and we enjoyed making cookies together. Just as you enjoy your relationships with your grandchildren, God enjoys your relationship with Him.

This month as we celebrate Valentine’s we are reminded of our relationships, a time when friends express love to each other. However, it can also be a great reminder for us to express our love to our heavenly Father for the privilege of having a personal relationship with Him.

Prayer is about a relationship, our relationship with God, and those for whom we pray.

God gave us the gift of prayer so we could communicate with Him because He loves us and desires our communication. God does not want us to make our prayers a great production He wants to have a personal, intimate conversation with us speaking from our hearts, sharing our fears and struggles.

Paul Miller writes in his book, The Praying Life, “American culture is probably the hardest place in the world to learn to pray, we are so busy that when we slow down to pray, we find it uncomfortable. We prize accomplishments, production. However, prayer is nothing but talking to God. It feels useless as if we are wasting time.” ₁ Our heavenly Father rejoices when we take the time in our busy, hurried life to communicate with Him in prayer, expressing our love to Him, since relationships thrive on communication.

The enemy, Satan distracts us with our busy lives hindering our walk with God by distracting our thoughts, making our prayers shallow, hurried, or rote. We face a great deal of stress, difficulty, and disappointments in life for which we need to be deliberate in setting a regular time to pray for our loved ones and ourselves, not just when we have a crisis.

Our lives will be less stressful if we bring our needy hearts to God asking Him to work out His agenda in our life and in the lives of our loved ones, instead of giving Him our agenda. As we see our prayers answered, we will grow into a more intimate relationship with God and experience more boldness in our praying.  

• Do you sometimes feel like you are too busy to pray?
• Are your prayers hurried or repetitious?
• When you pray do you find it hard to connect with God in our distracting world?

Send your heavenly Father a Valentine telling him of your love for him by your obedience to him.

Prayer

Dear Father, I want to an open intimate relationship with You

so I feel comfortable bringing my needy heart to You.

I choose to make a daily appointment with You to pray intentionally for the hearts

of my children, grandchildren, and myself.

I am going to trust you that the seeds of prayer I sow today

will bring forth a harvest of blessings in the days ahead. In Jesus Name.

Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life, (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress 2009), 15.

Used by Permission of NavPress, All Rights Reserved. www.navpress.com

© 2012 Lillian Penner

 The Christmas tree, the most celebrated symbol of Christmas is an evergreen tree, representing life. The custom of erecting a Christmas tree is historically traced to the 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 of the evergreen tree, remind us of the many roles we have in our lives such as parenting, grandparenting, great-grandparenting. They also tell us of all the relationships we have with our family, friends, neighbors, our careers, hobbies, activities, sports, etc. As we submit, each of these branches to God He can adorn them with ornaments, as He develops our character, with the fruit of the Spirit.

Let’s look at the ornaments on the tree representing the fruit of the Spirit. When we accept God’s unconditional LOVE in our hearts allowing His love to flow through us to others, he will give us JOY. Our hearts will be full of joy amidst the daily challenges of our lives because “The joy of the Lord will be our strength”. 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 are 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 to 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 essential that we too are dependable and trustworthy with others. 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 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 fascinating when adorned with the fruit of the spirit.  

This year let’s give our grandchildren a spiritual application of the Christmas tree representing everlasting life adorned with the ornaments of the fruit of the Spirit, wrapped with the garland of God’s love, the star directing others to Jesus, and shining as lights in a dark world.

Pray that your grandchildren together with their parents and yourself will stand as a symbol of hope in a dark world adorned with strength and beauty of the fruit of the spirit like the beautiful Christmas tree. The most significant and most lasting Christmas gift you can give your grandchildren is the gift of a praying grandparent.  

By Lillian Penner, Author of Grandparenting with a Purpose, http://www.gdptpr.com

¹ Christmas tree, Wikipedia

When my husband and I attended a reunion in Branson, MO we saw the excellent performance of The Miracle of Christmas at the Sight & Sound Theatre. I was impressed by how they displayed the emotions of Mary and Joseph when faced with the announcements of Gabriel.

While the Jewish nation was waiting for God to free them from living in Roman bondage God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary, “You are highly favored! The Lord is with you . . . You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus…” Since she was, a Virgin Mary was greatly troubled and questioned the angel. Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. . . For nothing is impossible with God.” Mary recognized God’s voice and answered, “I am your servant, and may it be to me as you have said”. Then the angel left her.

Joseph, Mary’s fiancée, was troubled when he learned Mary was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. He did not want to expose her to public disgrace, so he had in mind to divorce her quietly. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins (bondage).” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel commanded him and took Mary home as his wife but had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named the son Jesus.  

Even though Mary and Joseph questioned the angel, they recognized the voice of God and submitted to his agenda, not knowing what it would mean for them and their people at the time.

Pray your grandchildren will live so close to God that when He speaks to them, they will recognize His voice, listen to Him, follow Him in obedience, and trust Him, as Mary and Joseph did. They were greatly troubled; however, they recognized the voice of God that the angel Gabriel delivered, and they obeyed. Mary had the honor of giving birth to Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah fulfilling what the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah.

Ask yourself: “Do I recognize and obey God’s voice when He speaks to me”?

May God bless you and your family richly as you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

By Lillian Penner Co-Prayer Director of Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Recently, hurricanes, excessive flooding, earthquakes, and fires have drawn our attention to the many people who have been victims of these catastrophes. It's a time to remember the many victims in our prayers. As our country is facing many difficult issues, it is easy to get discouraged, especially when we thinking of the world our grandchildren are living. However, we have a big God bigger than the challenges and struggles we experience at this time and our grandchildren’s future. In the Bible, we have an excellent example of how Joshua and Caleb handled their challenges.

 Moses sent Joshua, Caleb, and the ten other men on a scouting exploration to Canaan, as spies to the Promised Land. After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned to Moses to give their reports. Ten of the spies said that it was a magnificent area but the people are mighty and their cities are fortified and very large. The people are giants, much stronger than we are, we would not be able to attack them.

Joshua and Caleb reported to Moses that the land was good, but the people were giants. However, God would lead them. They had nothing to fear because their God was bigger than their obstacles. How do you see God? Do you see God big enough to meet your challenges, disappointments, and struggles?  

God often allows challenging situations in our lives for a purpose, teaching us to depend more on Him. Although trials and problems are inevitable, they can be our friends. Pray your grandchildren will learn to expect them, submit to them, and learn from them. The challenges and struggles they face are not meant to destroy them. They are designed to promote spiritual growth, develop character, and make them capable of fulfilling their God-given assignments. Our adversities may be blessings in disguise.

 Sometimes God wants to demonstrate to us truth about Himself. Only through trials do we move from academic faith to practical faith. As grandparents, we can pray our grandchildren will see their challenges as exercises designed to make them become stronger spiritually and mature in their character.

Pray that your grandchildren will see God as a great, big, strong God they can trust at all times, in all circumstances like Joshua and Caleb.

Taken from Numbers 13

By Lillian Penner, Co-director of the prayer ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

This summer, my eleven-year-old granddaughter and her friend were here to participate in a kids’ Drama Camp at our local outdoor theater. Both girls are baptized Christian tweens, at a perfect age for mentoring as they enter into middle school this year. We’ve been doing my Bible study Face-to-Face with Mary and Martha: Sisters in Christ via SKYPE, or in person, for quite a while. We’ve had many discussions where I help them use Scripture from their Bibles to apply to their young lives. They have so many questions and are at a crossroads between not being little girls, but not grownups either. As tweens, they’re soon going to have more freedoms to make decisions—but not the wisdom that comes with maturity.

Every parent has heard the excuse, “But everyone else is doing it.” I remember my parents saying something like, “If everyone jumped off a cliff would you too?” Sadly, today many kids and adults are jumping off the moral and spiritual cliff to fit in with the culture, or they’re afraid to express beliefs that differ from the worldview.

Even children are bullied for supporting America’s president when their accosters usually don’t even understand why they’re reacting so violently. Where do these young bullies learn this reaction? Television, the Internet . . . perhaps parents, grandparents, or even teachers?

I watched an interview of high school kids encouraged by their teachers to ditch school and participate in a protest march. Those kids had no clue why they were marching or what they were protesting! They weren’t trying to change the world; they were being changed by a worldview they didn’t really understand.

We may want to pull the covers over our head and ignore the unrest in the world. But the parting words Jesus gave to His disciples regarding Christians’ place in the world, the Great Commission, reminds us there’s work to do, starting with our children and grandchildren.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

However, the last page in the Bible also foretells that the world will always have good and evil.

^“Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” Revelations 22:11

We all want our children and grandchildren knowing and doing what’s right and holy, even when their peers encourage them to do wrong and vile acts! Parents and grandparents are the ones responsible for teaching and instilling these virtues. We cannot rely on the schools, and sometimes not even our churches.

We must help them not grow weary or discouraged doing good. Here are some ideas for guiding and mentoring your children, grandchildren, or mentees.

1. Help Them Learn Scripture from Their Own Bible

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 NLT

Teach them to paraphrase if they need to, but God’s Word applies to every area of life in every century (Heb. 13:8). Jesus used Scripture when tempted by Satan in the desert and taught the disciples to pray “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:13). Help them memorize Scriptures to resist temptation. My granddaughter’s friend said her Dad is teaching her Psalm 23 for when she’s afraid.

2. Remind them to Stay Civil and Polite, But Stay Firm in Your Convictions

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:15-16

Those caught up in the world’s cults, atheism, alternate belief systems or lifestyles, feel compelled to challenge us for our faith in Christ, so our first impulse is to engage in a debate. If you’ve ever tried arguing or reasoning with someone blinded by the world’s belief system, you know it’s usually futile. I mentor my granddaughter whose third grade teacher reprimanded her for sharing Jesus with two girls challenging her for her faith, that her best answer is, “This is what I believe because the Bible (or God or Jesus) tells me so.”

Other times, believers fall into the same trap the serpent used with Eve when someone asks them, “Did God really say…?” Simply say, "Yes He did, and I’ll find the Scripture for you.” Jesus didn’t come to sanctify the world’s ways, He came to save the world from its ways.

3. Remember the World is In Spiritual Darkness, So Let Your Light Shine

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

The world loves darkness. Yet into this dark world came Jesus, the Light of the world, and He has hidden His light in each believer’s heart. Our light must shine brightly, no flickering. When we enter a room, a social media conversation, a family or friendly gathering, work, play, school, as parents, grandparents, employers, employees, kids . . . wherever life takes us . . . our light shines, even if we’re the only light for Jesus. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” Teach your grandkids that song and sing it with them.

4. Everyone is Not Going to Like You

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:18-19

We’re living in a lost world loudly anti-God and anti-Christian and influencing the next generation. We can’t be quiet. As Christian parents and grandparents, our job is to help the next generation be world-changers for Christ concerned more about what God thinks about them than what the world thinks. It may be hard for kids to get this point, but they need to be prepared that some people won’t like you for not agreeing to do wrong. They may try to bully, dare, entice, call you names, make you feel bad, but that’s just because you doing the right thing convicts them for doing the wrong thing.

We’ll never have a perfect world until Jesus returns, but as long as we have breath, we're saved to make a difference in the world. Start your children and grandchildren young believing this means them too! Maybe it’s their friends, sports coaches, unsaved relatives…teach them to pray. Here’s a prayer to start with:

Dear Lord, though the world does not know you, I___________ know you, and I pray that you will let the world know that you have sent me as your servant. Help me make you known to a lost world and I will continue to make you known where you put me so that the love you have for me may be in them also. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to live in my heart. Amen. John 17:25-26 personalized and paraphrased as a prayer.

My September release Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness has helps, tips, encouragement from Scripture for mentors and mentees from tweens to twilight seasons and a special chapter on the Grandparenting Season, in which Lillian Penner contributes her story. It’s available for sale now at bookstores, online at Amazon, and signed at my website bookstore. #mentoringforallseasons and the link to the book bit.ly/mentoringseasons

Janet Thompson, an international speaker, freelance editor, and award-winning author of 19 books including her latest Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness. She’s also the proud Grammie to eleven grandchildren.

Here additional books: Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, The Team That Jesus Built, Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby?, Dear God They Say It’s Cancer, Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, the Face-to-Face Bible study Series, and Woman to Woman Mentoring Resources. She is also the founder of Woman to Woman Mentoring and About His Work Ministries.

Visit Janet at:

womantowomanmentoring.com.

www.facebook.com/Janetthompson.authorspeaker

http://www.linkedin.com/in/womantowomanmentoring/

www.pinterest.com/thompsonjanet

https://twitter.com/AHWministries

Frequently I receive emails from a grandmother asking me to pray for her because of her estrangement from her grandchildren. Her heart is broken, finding it very difficult to deal with the situation, like many grandparents do toda

When we reach the midlife years of our lives, we look forward to becoming grandparents and very excited when our first grandchild is born and the grandchildren that follow. However, today there are many grandparents with broken hearts because they are estranged from their grandchildren for various reasons.

Being estranged from your grandchildren often results in many negative emotions. Sorting out exactly what you are feeling and developing an approach for dealing with your feelings can be vital for your health, both mental and physical. You will feel anguish as long as the separation lasts.

However, God is still answering prayers, often it is not on our timetable, and so we have to ask God for patience to wait until He is ready to answer. Sometimes, we have to wait in His waiting room while He is working in the hearts of our grandchildren and their parents. God’s timing is best.

I have found the Scripture verses in Romans 8:26-28 very helpful when I don’t know how to pray for my grandchildren and their parents. Paul writes, “The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us when we don’t know how to pray.” When I ask the Holy Spirit to make intercession for me according to God’s will, it keeps me from telling God how to answer my prayer, which I love to do. Ask the Holy Spirit to make intercession for your estrangement letting him carry the burden instead of you giving him your agenda.

Very often all we can do is pray, pray and pray, waiting on God to do the work in healing the wounds.

Here are a couple of suggestions for estranged grandparents:

1.    Don't stop trying to keep in touch. Send cards and letters to your grandchildren maintaining the tone of any communication loving but light.

2.    Pray intentionally and regularly for your grandchildren and their parents. If you don’t know how to pray for them sign up to receive my blog regularly and I will send you “31 Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren” which you can download without cost and print.

I have found uniting in prayer with other grandparents for my grandchildren is a special blessing for me. It’s a safe place to share my concerns for my grandchildren as they are growing up in our post-Christian culture. It comforts me to know the other grandparents in my group are also praying for my grandchildren

Christian Grandparenting Network now has many Grandparents@Prayer (G@P) intercessory groups meeting in the U.S., Philippines, Canada and South Africa, in retirement Centers, schools, churches, and homes.  We would like to see the number of G@P groups grow. Some of the groups meet weekly, some twice a month or once a month, whatever the group desires. 

I want to challenge you to ask God whom He would like you to ask to pray with you for each other’s grandchildren. Ask your friends, church senior group, neighbors, family members or whomever. My group started with 2 of us for several months but has grown to 12.

To learn more go to https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-at-prayer read about how to sign up to participate. You may also email sherry@christiangrandparenting.net

The legacy of a praying grandparent will live on forever.

Prayer

Dear Father, I pray that you will give the estranged grandparents wisdom how to approach their separation from their grandchildren.

I pray your Holy Spirit will make intercession for them allowing you

to carry out your agenda in your timing for their healing.

Encourage them and give them peace as they intentionally pray

and patiently wait for the parents to allow them

to be a part of their lives again.

In Jesus’ name. Amen

By Lillian Penner

Co-Prayer Director

Christian Grandparenting Network

lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

We live in a time of extraordinary circumstances and events. We all—our culture, our nation, our world need grandparents to be actively influencing their grandchildren for Christ. We need to be intentional. It takes effort. It takes prayer. It takes you.

Our role as a grandparent in the lives of our grandchildren is unique and powerful. Our influence is incredibly important. No one else has the power or the influence that we do in the lives of the grandchildren.

Never forget that no matter who you are or what your situation is, God is in it with you. He has the power to make your efforts for His kingdom take root and bear fruit. He just needs grandparents to stay involved. Show up. Be there. Remain in the game. Or get in the fight. Then watch what God does to reach our grandchildren for Him.

As grandparents, we have the responsibility to pray for our grandchildren deliberately. Ultimately, it is up to Him to draw hearts and minds to Himself, including the hearts and minds of our grandchildren and their parents. However, we can partner with God to influence our families for Jesus Christ.

As one of the Prayer Directors for Christian Grandparenting Network, I would like to encourage you to participate in a Grandparents @ Prayer intercessory prayer group. There are many groups throughout the United States, Canada, and South Africa meeting to pray for their grandchildren intentionally. I have guidelines and resources to help you get started. Grandparents tell me repeatedly how they appreciate having a place where they feel safe requesting prayer for their grandchildren going through difficult times. You my learn more at https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-at-prayer/

Lillian Penner, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Sherry Schumann, sherry@christiangrandparenting.net

Dear Lord, help my grandkids learn how to recognize

Your voice when you speak to them.

In Jesus” name.

 I have had a passion for praying intentionally for my grandchildren for many years and now for my great-granddaughters. I felt God wanted me to share my passion with other grandparents, which encouraged me to write the book, Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. The book encourages grandparents to pray and provides resources to help you pray effectively. This book is an excellent resource for Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 10, National Grandparents Day.

Dr. Josh Mulvihill, Pastor to Children and Families, Grace Church | Eden Prairie, MN wrote recently, “Lillian Penner has written an excellent book on prayer that I wish I could get into the hands of every grandparent. You should purchase this book for four reasons: You will be trained to keep Scripture central to your prayers. Lillian equips you to be an intentional grandparent who focuses on the spiritual growth of grandchildren. You will find many practical tools to help you develop the habit of prayer for grandchildren. Lillian rightly understands something that Oswald Chambers once said, "Prayer doesn’t equip us for greater works, ­prayer is the greater work." When grandparents ask me for a book on prayer, I always recommend Lillian¹s book, and I highly recommend it to you.”

This book won’t make you the perfect grandparent, but it will give you resources to Grandparent with a Purpose.

Soft cover book, retails for $11.99 plus shipping, however, for a limited time I have a special offer of $10.50 including shipping in the U.S. I will include two bonus prayer cards:

1.    31 Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren

2.    More A Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren

The eBook is available for $3.99 from Amazon or Redemption Press on the website which is excellent for foreign orders to save shipping cost.

To Buy Now: On this site click on the Purchase button, complete order form, and the book and bonus will be shipped immediately for orders in the U.S.

Order soon before the special offer expires.

By Lillian Penner, Co-Director for the Prayer Ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network, info@gdwebptpr.com

 “One generation will commend your works to another;

they will tell of your mighty acts.” Psalms 145:4

Everybody’s ancestry includes two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, 16 great-great-grandparents, and on and on through the generations.  Have you ever wondered who might have been your lineal ancestor living in Jesus day? What do you know about any of your ancestral lineages? What kind of people were they?  Where did they live? What did they believe?

The events of our lives, our parents’ lives, and of those generations preceding us make up our life blueprint.  As grandparents, we are a vital link between our grandchildren and our family history.  How are we affecting that blueprint for future generations?  Do they know their family stories and history?  Have you shared pictures of family from previous generations?

Why not write a story with pictures of your parents (your grandchildren’s great-grandparents) to share with them?  You might also take out a map and show them where you lived, where your grandparents lived, and from where your ancestors came.  I found it interesting to read stories about my ancestors, their struggles in Europe before coming to this country, and their challenges of starting a new life as immigrants in a new country in the late 1800’s.  I soon realized these were real people – my family – making a life for themselves and future generations like me.

When we preserve our family roots, it promotes the importance of the family. When we are diligent to maintain our family history, we pass on to future generations an understanding of who they are. Very often the younger generation is not interested in listening to stories of family history until they’re older.  That’s why it is so important to put these stories in writing so that they will be there when they are interested and those who know are no longer around.  

At one of our family reunions, my husband and I developed questions about our children’s grandparents and us. We had three multiple-choice answers, and they were to choose the right one. It was surprising how little they knew about their family roots, a time to teach them and an enjoyable activity. If your family has a Christian heritage, it is important to write about that so succeeding generations can see how powerfully God has worked in their family. If you do not have a legacy of Christian family members, but you are walking with the Lord now, you have changed the blueprint for future generations.  Now, that is exciting and worth passing on!

Deuteronomy 6:5, 7 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . Impress them (these commandments) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  This command is for parents AND grandparents.  We are both responsible to intentionally and purposefully impress God’s truth, values and purposes upon the hearts and minds of our children and grandchildren by our talk, our actions and our prayers.

One generation telling its story to another is powerful.  While grandparents contribute much to a grandchild’s life by sharing their story, it is the godly example and prayers of grandparents living as conduits of God’s grace and love that opens the way for the Spirit of God to perform in our grandchildren His transforming work and keep the legacy alive through their story!

Passing The Baton:

1.  Questions to ask yourself:

•    Do I think my family history is significant?

•    How am I passing on my family’s history to my children and grandchildren?

•    Does my family know my life story and that of my parents?

2.  Suggestions for prayer:

•    Ask God to show you how you could share your family history with your family.

•    Pray for each member of your family to know and walk in God’s grace and truth.

•    Pray for generations yet to be born to continue the legacy of life in Christ. 

By Lillian Penner, C0-Prayer director for Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Don’t forget Grandparents’ Day of Prayer, September 10, 2017

http://www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com

Guest blog by Robb Dunham                

When I first considered this question and its all-encompassing answers, I thought do my answers make a difference. I would spell out the standard (and good) answers, such as being the number 2 influence in grandchildren’s lives, caregivers, an endless source of love, servant/leaders of the family, a firm foundation during troubling times, passing on a legacy of faith…

 But then I thought I should go to the real experts regarding the importance of grandparents. The one’s who know grandparents significance firsthand. For who knows how important grandparents are, on an authentic, practical level, more than the grandKIDS?

So I composed a little, very unscientific survey questionnaire designed for elementary-aged children. We did not specify whether grandparents had frequent access to the grandchildren, so answers do not reflect this. Craig Wilson, children’s pastor at LifeBridge Christian Church, Longmont, CO., enthusiastically shared this questionnaire with the kids from 2nd grade through 5th grade. We received some very revealing responses. I was surprised that only a few of the answers were what we might expect that their grandparents spoil them in some way. What follows are highlights of some of the questions and some of the replies, along with my thoughts regarding the importance of our role as grandparents.

What do you like to do with your grandparents?

“Make cookies.” “Watch TV, sleep over at their house.” “Go shopping, go out to eat and spend the night.” “Go to the movies, play games, go to the park.” “I like to talk with them.” “Play board games and go get coffee.”  “Play.” “Take bike rides.” “She (grandmother) is very fun.” “Swim in their pool.” “Go on walks.”

Surprisingly, very few responses would fall into the “spoiling” category. But nearly every response indicated a relationship building activity. “I like to talk with them.”

 In what ways do your grandparents make you feel special?

“They are nice to me and love me.” “They spend time with me.” “They do nice things for me.” “They always tell me how great I am.” “They are nice to me and love me.” “They tell me (I’m special) every day.” “They baby me.” “They love me and take care of me.” “She (grandmother) spoils me.” “When I make a right or wrong decision.” “Give me lots of stuff.” “Other people may not have them” (they are exclusively theirs).

Very few responses would indicate typical expectations – spoiling, give me stuff, and baby me. Most responses mention thoughts regarding the love they feel from their grandparents. Again, the children are speaking of the strength of the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. One apparently is talking about unconditional love – “When I make a right or wrong decision.”

How do you feel when you are with your grandparents?

As with several of the questions, the children may have given more than one response. 2/3 said “Happy”; “I feel comfortable when they are around me.” 1/3 said “Special.” Several stated that they feel loved. Other responses were “Great.” “Safe.” “Joyful.”

They like being around their grandparents.

All the above responses make it abundantly clear that we as grandparents need to be purposefully building positive relationships with our grandkids. They want and need us. To live our lives solely for ourselves is causing both our grandkids and us to miss out on a tremendous opportunity for profound joys, and for making an impact on the newest generation. One child added her comments twice in tall letters across the questionnaire – “I LOVE THEM SOOOO MUCH!”

The following answers help us get a handle on the spiritual influence we have with our grandchildren.

Do your grandparents pray for you?

About half of the children said they know their grandparents pray for them. “They pray for me every day.” Just under ½ stated that they aren’t sure, or that they “think so.” Not a single child said “No.”

Do you pray for your grandparents?

Nearly all responded with a “Yes.” “I pray for them every day.” Only one responded that they never pray for their grandparents.

Do you pray WITH your grandparents?

Sadly, 100% said “No.”

Not a single child surveyed stated that they pray with their grandparents.

Have you ever read the Bible with your grandparents, or they read it to you?

Half of the responses were “No.”  “No, they had read it to me when I was little.” Just under half said, “Yes.” “When we are sometimes sad, we read the Bible together.” “A few times.”

Far more read the Bible with their grandparents or had their grandparents read it to them than had prayed with their grandparents.

Have you ever gone to church with your grandparents? Again, we did not specify whether grandparents had frequent access to the grandchildren, so answers do not reflect this.

Over half of responses were “Yes.” “I go church with my grandparents every week.” “Yes, lots of times.” Just under half said, “No.” (One with a sad face).

There was no specification on how frequently, so it could be as little as one time. Two children did indicate frequent church attendance with grandparents.

It seems very clear that we grandparents can do a better job of influencing the spiritual growth of our grandchildren. As the number 2 influencers of our grandchildren, let’s take up a Psalm 78:4-7 mandate.

Why are your grandparents important to you?

Some of the responses are worth mentioning in their entirety. “Because I love them.” “They are part of my family.” “They help take care of me.” “They give me a hand in my life.” “They are like second parents.” “They get me into old-fashioned games.” “They let me do most of the things I want to do, and they also let me enjoy myself.” “They spoil me and play with me.” “They take care of me.” “I love them.” “They love me.” “Because they teach me all sorts of stuff.”

Relationships between grandparents and grandchildren once again surface, as the main ingredient our grandchildren think is important to them regarding their grandparents. Even the child who said, “they spoil me” also said, “they play with me” – a relationship building time

Some concluding thoughts

What can we do about allowing the Lord to use us in this meaningful relationship, which He has established for His purposes, to be disciples for our grandchildren? How can we improve with reading the Bible and praying WITH our grandchildren? Even if long distances separate us, can we use technology to accomplish these and so many other positive influences to impact our grandchildren with the love and message of Jesus? The Lord’s calling on our lives to be faith legacy torchbearers to the generations that follow us is a clear and excellent opportunity, and a great responsibility. With God, we can do this!

This is why Christian Grandparenting Network has designated the National Grandparents Day in the U.S. as Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 10, 2017.

Please check out the  http://www.grandparenetsdayofprayer.com

Today I want to share a guest blog written by my friend Alexandria who desperately needed a praying grandparent. Please read it all the way through. You will

 see the urgency for grandparents to cover their grandchildren with prayer. It is an understatement to say that for some people life can be so horrendously painful. Feeling as though they spend all or most of your energies fighting to survive the battles that sap your strength.

My life has felt like that in many ways, and even as I talk about it here, it still pains me as I look back and survey the many potholes and washed out roads that represent where I have been, and what I have come through. As I reminisce, I find there could have been a better way, and perhaps I could have lived a different life...if I had a grandparent praying faithfully over my soul as I walked through childhood toward the ever pulling future, wishing that Hope would somehow find me and set me free.

From the time I was young I had a sincere desire to be good, to obey and to please, and so I put forth my efforts in that direction, as imperfectly as that was. Now I am not saying that I was a perfect child, but my heart wanted...longed for peace and order so badly that I was practically willing to do whatever it took to be in that space. The problem was, the house I grew up in was anything but that, and the anger that resided overflowed the walls that held us in and broke our hearts as if they were glass. It was a pattern for us kids, and it left us scrambling between episodes, wondering what the next trigger would be the blow-up. Would it be between my parents or laid out upon us kids, molding us against our wills, to people who were afraid and confused and well, broken...wounded and desperate for a place of love and safety.

But those places of safety never came, and we were left to try and navigate the anger and the violence as best as we could. But without a Godly intervention, we fell apart while trying to hold ourselves together, and thus began the continuation of this pain as we grew up into adults, defacing our perspectives, and keeping us from that peace that only Christ can bring into any one of our lives.

I know that my story, unfortunately, is not an isolated or rare occurrence in this world. I know there are all kinds of horrific things that happen to many people in all walks of life. I know and understand that it can be so overwhelming as we look on, wringing our hands, desperate for God to fix what we cannot even begin to fathom happening. It's easy for the desperation of others to become our desperation in that sincere desire to spare others the pains of injustice, or any difficulties that chafe against those we hold closely in our hearts.

But there is a weapon, and there is hope, and a way to make a difference, a big one, it's called prayer. I ended up spending my whole life falling into one abusive situation after another, but my broken compass and my search for that oasis from the pains of life never appeared. My quest to survive was hindered by the fact that I did not think that God could love a person like me. I could not believe that He wanted me as His own. Such deep scars surrounded my life and pains that made me feel so ashamed and so unworthy of love no matter who it was from, even God Almighty. 

Today, I am thankful to say that I have come to know the power of prayer. I have come to see how prayer has totally been the vehicle through which the power of Jesus is being called into my life. He is making old things new and leading me to that long awaited place of love and mercy that is so amazing and experienced through knowing Jesus as my Savior. He has lifted me out of the darkness, and He continues to heal me and strengthen me to glorify Him...and I know beyond a doubt that God began knocking on my door when He placed people in my life that began to pray for me. For me, I so desperately needed a miracle.

I have come to know Lillian Penner along this journey, and I am greatly touched by her dedication of encouraging grandparents to pray for their grandchildren. I am still just a mom, but I see with such great perspective how life is impacted when we pray faithfully for each other, especially the children. There probably is not a more fervent prayer that those that are planted from a deep love in the heart for those that God has blessed you with your grandchildren.

I want to encourage you to pray for your grandchildren, pray as though their lives depend on it. (Because like me, someday it just might.) We need to hold them up before our Heavenly Father and stand in the gap for these children so that Satan may not have a foothold in their lives that leads them into paths of destruction. If it was possible for me, a girl who longed to do what was right but ended up falling into sin over and over again, not only from others against me but my sins that were clouded by pain and destruction, then it can happen to anyone. It is life changing when we go to the Lord in prayer, not only for those we pray for but for us who seek His power and will to come against the darkness in this life we must live through.

Jesus never promised any of us an easy life, but He did promise us His love and power through the cross. It's time to draw on the greatest act of Love in the history of humanity, by pouring out ourselves for these precious children in prayer, calling upon the power of the cross to do its phenomenal work!

Guest blog by Alexandra Perse

I have developed “Thirty-one Scriptures to Pray for Grandchildren” that many grandparents have found helpful to pray for my grandchildren. Just by joining the mailing list on the right side of this page for grandparenting blogs and prayer suggestions and I will send you a free downloadable copy of “Thirty-one Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren.”   

Grandparents Day of Prayer and National Grandparents Day are similar but not the same. To understand their similarities and differences, we need to examine both, starting with National Grandparents Day.

National Grandparents Day

After a three-year battle that began in 1970, West Virginia housewife Marian McQuade convinced her state Congress to commemorate grandparents with a special day. This commemoration honored grandparents, provided them an opportunity to express their love for their grandchildren and raised community awareness about the gifts grandparents can offer.

Five years later, the United States Congress passed legislation declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. They selected September because September denotes the autumn season of life. President Jimmy Carter gave his endorsement by signing the proclamation.

Grandparents Day of Prayer

In 2010, author Lillian Penner suggested that a day of prayer to coincide with National Grandparents Day. Thanks to Mrs. Penner’s efforts, churches around the world observe Grandparents Day of Prayer. They encourage grandparents to pray for their grandchildren, both in private and corporate settings.

Do you recognize the importance of praying for your grandchildren? Do you want to encourage others to be praying grandparents? If so, may I suggest hosting an event to celebrate Grandparents Day of Prayer?

You may want to host a prayer breakfast or a luncheon following your morning worship. Or you may want to offer an afternoon tea or evening dessert in your home. Perhaps your minister is willing to address the importance of praying grandparents and set aside a special prayer time during the worship service. The possibilities are endless. It is imperative; however, grandparents gather to pray for their grandchildren.

Conclusion

 Both Grandparents Day of Prayer and National Grandparents Day occur on the first Sunday after Labor Day. This year's date is September 10th. Both commemorate the vital role grandparent’s play in the family. The fundamental difference between the two is Grandparents Day of Prayer encourages grandparents to pray for the hearts, souls, and minds of their grandchildren.

We are asking grandparents throughout the world to unite in prayer for their grandchildren and their parents. We have two ways that you can participate on our website. www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com

1.    Click on “I will pray” button and give if you will commit to join us as a prayer warrior on Grandparents’ Day of Prayer.

2.    If you are willing to organize an event in your church, home, or retirement complexes, etc. click on “To find out more about becoming a volunteer” to follow the process

 If you realize the urgency for a Day of Prayer for our grandchildren and their parents, will you help us call grandparents to join in prayer on September 10th? Christian Grandparenting Network is prepared to provide step-by-step guidelines, resources and online tools for creating successful events.

Please check our website http://www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com for more information, testimonials, promotional materials and free downloads.

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact me.

Thank you for your considering participation in this event.

Guest blog by Sherry Schumann, Co-Prayer Director for Christian Grandparenting Network

If you have questions or additional information, email Lillian Penner lpenner@christiangrandparentinng.net or Sherry Schumann sherry@christiangrandparenting.net

It’s time for grandparent warriors to raise a shout and carry the light of Christ to our grandchildren. It’s time we utilize the greatest weapon in our arsenal; it’s time we exercise the Power of Prayer!

Grandparents are in a spiritual battle for the lives of the next generation; however, the battle isn't ours, it is the Lords. The way to walk through this struggle is to tightly grip the hand of Jesus and stay in close communication with him. Only as we release our concerns for our grandchildren to Him are we free to cling to His hand. We cannot grab his hand when our hands are full of our worries and concerns, only when our hands are empty can we tightly hold His hand. 

The enemy wants to disintegrate and divide our families, rendering them chaotic, restless and unfruitful. Grandparents let’s not let the enemy distract us or dull our desires to pray for our grandchildren and their parents intentionally. Prayer is our best weapon to defeat the enemy. 

I believe it’s our place as grandparents to get on our knees, humble ourselves, seek God’s face, repent of our sin, and intercede for our grandchildren, their parents and our nations. Then having done all, we stand firm in our faith that God has heard and will answer our prayers according to His will. 

"Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . .

For the battle is not yours but Gods."

II Chronicles 20:15

This struggle with the enemy is why Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) is proclaiming the National Grandparents’ Day on September 10 as a Grandparents’ Day of Prayer. We believe the battle for the hearts and minds of our precious grandchildren and their parents will be victorious with praying grandparents who sense the urgency and the need to unite in prayer. 

Will you help us call grandparents to join in prayer on September 10? This event could be in your church, in your home, in a retirement complex, or any meeting location you choose. CGN will provide step-by-step guidelines, resources, and online tools to help you create a successful event that will engage grandparents in prayer for your event. 

Check out this website for blogs, endorsements, testimonials and promotional materials and free downloads. www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com

For additional information, contact the Prayer Directors

Lillian Penner  lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Sherry Schumann,  sherry@christiangrandparenting.net

If you have read my blogs and Facebook postings I am sure you have noticed that I am passionate about praying for my grandchildren in my writings. I recognize the critical moral and spiritual environment my grandchildren must navigate in a world hostile to truth.

Recently Franklin Graham wrote, "Our nation is in serious trouble—we are in desperate need of Divine intervention. We need healing. Prayer is what can make a difference in America."

Our grandchildren are growing up in a world that is not friendly to our faith in God. However, I feel God has given grandparents a sacred trust and a responsibility to imprint the next generation with His faithfulness. That is why we at Christian Grandparenting Network are calling grandparents worldwide to unite in prayer by participating in the Million Praying Grandparents campaign. Let us come to God with boldness and confidence praying for the environment our grandchildren and great-grandchildren are growing up today.

 You may ask, "What is the Million Praying Grandparents movement?" Million Praying Grandparents (MPG) is an imitative mobilizing Christian grandparents worldwide to regularly and intentionally unite in prayer for their grandchildren, families, and the influences in their grandchildren's lives.

Some of you may have already signed up to join in prayer with the Million Praying Grandparents movement. However, if you have not already signed up, will you, please sign up to participate for the sake of the hearts, minds, and souls of your grandchildren.

Will you say, "Yes! I will be one of the Million Praying Grandparents uniting in prayer." Click on www.millionprayinggrandparents.com to sign up to participate in the movement.

When you join the Million Praying Grandparents, you will receive a FREE Prayer Guide of "Scriptures to Pray" designed to help you pray for your grandchildren.  Would you help us promote the Million Praying Grandparents initiative by sharing this post with your friends on social media and "like" its fan page? https://www.facebook.com/GrandparentDayOfPrayer

If you have any questions, email me

Lillian Penner lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net.

Or Sherry Schumann sherry@christiangrandparenting.net

Co-Prayer Directors for Christian Grandparenting Network

Also if you subscribe for email updates each week with grandparenting resources on this website, I will send you a Free Printable PDF copy of "Scriptures to Pray for Grandchildren."

WILL YOU DO ME A FAVOR? If you found this post useful, will you share it with a friend, especially another grandparent? Thank you!

I have a passion to intentionally praying for my grandchildren, great-grandchildren and their parents. I feel God wants me to share my passion with other grandparents, which encouraged me to write the book, Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. The book encourages grandparents to pray for their grandchildren and their parents and provides resources to help them pray effectively. The book is a great resource for Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 10, National Grandparents Day.

Josh Mulvihill, PhD, Pastor to Children and Families, Grace Church | Eden Prairie, MN wrote recently, “Lillian Penner has written an excellent book on prayer that I wish I could get into the hands of every grandparent. You should purchase this book for four reasons: You will be trained to keep Scripture central to your prayers; Lillian equips you to be an intentional grandparent who focuses on the spiritual growth of grandchildren; You will find many practical tools to help you develop the habit of prayer for grandchildren; and Lillian rightly understands something that Oswald Chambers once said, ³Prayer doesn¹t equip us for greater works ­prayer is the greater work.² When grandparents ask me for a book on prayer, I always recommend Lillian¹s book and I highly recommend it to you.”

This book won’t make you the perfect grandparent, but it will give you resources to Grandparent with a Purpose.

Soft cover book, retails for $11.99 plus shipping, however, for a limited time I have a special offer of $10.50 including shipping in the U.S. I will include 3 bonus prayer cards:

1. Suggestions to Pray for Children in School: Preschool, Elementary, High School and College
2. 31 Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren
3. More A Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren

The eBook is available for $3.99 from Amazon or Redemption Press on the website which is excellent for foreign orders to save shipping cost.

To Buy Now: On this website click on the Purchase button, complete order form, and the book and bonus will be shipped immediately for orders in the U.S.

Order soon before the special offer expires.

By Lillian Penner, Co-Director for the Prayer Ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network, info@gdptpr.com

Grandparenting looks different to many grandparents. In some cases,
grandchildren live with their grandparents, some live near their grandparents and some live many miles away, even across the ocean. Our grandchildren’s parents may be spiritually rebellious or neglectful of their spiritual lives, failing to make time to read God’s Word, pray or regularly fellowship with other believers a part of their routine. However, even if our grandchildren’s parents have a strong established Christian home, busy schedules, jobs, parenting and all the distractions of today’s world conspire to distract or destroy the family.

Many grandparents have broken hearts because their precious grandchildren are not learning about the love of Jesus; some have been estranged from their grandchildren.  Long distance grandparents find it difficult to be a part of the lives of their grandchildren. Although today we do have many more resources to connect with them than we did years ago.  Today, resources such as Facetime, Skype; cell phones, texting, email, videos and others can be used for grandparenting.

This past weekend I attended a women’s conference the keynote speaker spoke on the subject of “Courage”, courage to be a woman of God in the world we live in today from the first chapter of Joshua.  Joshua was afraid when the Lord told him that Moses was dead and he was going to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. However, the Lord said, “Be strong and courageous, be careful to obey my law, do not turn from the right or left of it, meditate on it day and night. Then you will be successful . . . .Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” [1]

Grandparents are often overwhelmed and discouraged about how to grandparent in today’s ungodly culture. Just as Joshua was afraid when the Lord gave him the assignment to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land grandparents are struggling how to reach out to their grandchildren in our technological age.  I believe these words to Joshua “Be courageous” applies to grandparents today who are struggling with grandparenting in a broken world.

I find there is a requirement in those verses for me to spend time in Good’s Word, be careful to obey God’s Word, holding fast to the truth, and meditating on it. If I am spending time with the Lord consistently I will be able to trust Him with the heavy burdens on my heart. I will be able to ask the Holy Spirit to make intercession when I don’t know how to pray for the grandchild who is breaking my heart.[2]  God’s Word gives me courage, which comes from knowing God, trusting Him to work in the hearts of my grandchildren.  I pray intentionally for my grandchildren to experience the reality of a relationship with Jesus and live the adventure of walking with Him.

I had to ask myself the following questions after hearing this message from Joshua. I hope you will ask yourself these questions, also.

 “Am I a courageous woman/man of God?

 Am I a courageous Godly grandparent?”

Do I nourish my spiritual life with God’s Word consistently so I can nourish my grandchildren spiritually?

Do I pray intentionally for the spiritual well being of my grandchildren?

Do my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren see what it looks like to walk with Jesus from my life?” 

 Courageous Godly Grandparents will invest in their own spiritual life to be able to lead their grandchildren into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

By Lillian Penner, Co-Director of Pray Ministry, Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Do you get tired of praying the same prayers for your grandchildren and their parents? Do you feel like your prayers have become humdrum, repetitive, or pointless?

A number of years ago, I felt that my prayers were general and superficial. I prayed that my grandchildren would be safe and have a good day, but those prayers felt rote--and were probably powerless.   

However, that all changed after I asked God to give me wisdom and insight on how I could intentionally pray with a purpose for my grandchildren and their parents. I discovered that God’s Word is a great resource to help me to pray not only for my grandchildren and their parents, but also for myself. I believe that no prayer is more effective than the one that finds its roots in God’s Word, which is alive, powerful, and will not return void. 

When I pray according to God’s Word, I am in line with His will, enabling me to pray with wisdom and power, according to Hebrews 4:12: “The Word of God is full of living power” (NLT). I have found it helpful to spend time in God’s Word to know His promises and commands because my mind is renewed to think His thoughts. His Word helps me to see my grandchildren’s needs from His eternal perspective instead from my limited perspective.

John 15:7 promises that “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (NIV) I believe God’s words can be the foundation of powerful prayers for our grandchildren and their parents.                     

As I started claiming God’s promises and personalizing the Scriptures, I experienced more boldness and confidence in my praying. I believe that nothing threatens the enemy, Satan, more than when we are intentionally praying God’s Word for our grandchildren, their parents, and ourselves. Many Scripture passages in Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels and Paul’s writings can be used in our prayers.     

In our increasingly complex and turbulent world, we don’t know about the future. However, as grandparents who love the Lord, we know Who holds the future. We must be engaged in prayer for our grandchildren and their parents to keep their hearts and minds from falling captive to the enemy’s deception and lies.

We read in Psalm 3:5, “In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation” (NIV).  Will you join me in laying your requests at the feet of Jesus, waiting in expectation for Him to answer those prayers?

Here are some Scripture passages to begin to pray intentionally for your grandchildren.  If you would like to receive more Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren subscribe to this blog and you will receive a free downloadable copy and you will receive more grandparenting tips and resources.

Pray ____________ will be quick to listen, slow to speak. And slow to become angry.  James 1:19

Pray ___________will be kind, compassionate and forgiving toward others Philippians 4:12 

Pray _________ will be generous and willing to share with others. I Timothy 6:18

If you would like to receive “31 Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren” sign up on the right to receive grandparenting resources regularly.

By Lillian Penner, Prayer Director, Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Recently, a friend of mine spent the weekend with her grandchildren. She told me, “It was shocking to see how fast my four grandchildren are growing up and the challenges they are facing. I am experiencing a lot of heartache over the world they are growing up in and concern over their response to it. Seeing my sweet grandkids living in such a godless culture is heart breaking.” I can identify with those thoughts and I am hearing those thoughts expressed by many grandparents.

Using media, technology, education, social influences, and political pressures to desensitize and cloud the boundaries of truth that holds our families together is launching an aggressive attack. The enemy’s attacks against our families and our nation’s moral foundations are relentless and growing worse with time.

Ask your grandchildren about their friends, their teachers, their activities, what is going on in their world and how they feel about it. Keep an open mind and open ears so you know how to pray for them. If you are alarmed, they may not feel open to share with you. Appreciate their perspective, listen to their opinions.

However, Daniel, the one in the lion’s den for not obeying the king, stood strong for God in a very complicated ungodly culture. Today, we as grandparents can stand in the gap for our grandchildren, praying they will stand strong for God. Just as Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Israelites when their lives were threatened physically, we can stand in the gap for the spiritual lives of our grandchildren.

Suggestions to pray:

• Pray your grandchildren will invite Jesus into their hearts.
• Pray your grandchildren will grow strong in their walk with the Lord.
• Pray your grandchildren will recognize the difference of truth and deception in their culture so they can flee from it.
• Pray your grandchildren will respect authority and pray for those in authority over them, like their parents, teachers, and others.

Our hope for the future generation can only be in the Lord, not in this complex world.

What are you doing to stand in the gap for your grandchildren? Please share in the comments.

If you would like to receive the grandparenting blogs, subscribe for the email updates on the right of this blog. If you subscribe to the grandparenting blogs you will receive a free downloadable document of “31 Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren.”

By Lilllian Penner, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net
Prayer Coordinator, Christian Grandparenting Network