Praying Grandparents are Joyful Grandparents!

Being a joyful, deliberate grandparent means taking our role seriously.

In Part 1, we discussed Sharing Our Gifts. In Part 2, we discussed Sharing Our Faith.  And a third way to have an important impact is to Pray For Our Grandchildren.

Our age, experience, and love give us special wisdom in praying specifically for our grandchildren’s hearts and lives.

Here are some ideas to make your prayers more regular and effective:

1. Pray Scripture. 

For example, use Philippians 1:9-11 filling in your grandchild's name:

"And this is my prayer: that           's   love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that           may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

This 1-minute devotion explains more: The Benefits of Praying Philippians 1:9-11. 

To better understand why Scripture prayers can be so powerful, check out this 1-minute devotion: Passages and Prayers.

For other good Scriptures to pray over your grandchildren, see these 1-minute devotions:
6 Reasons to Pray Colossians 1:9
10 Prayers from Psalms
6 Good Prayers from the Epistles

2. Pray for the specific challenges related to your grandchildren's ages and stages in life. 

This is easier to do if you've been deliberate about getting to know your grandchildren and asking them good questions.

3. Give yourself reminders.

Keep a wallet photo of your grandchildren in your Bible, purse, or pocket and pull it out as a reminder to pray for them while waiting for appointments. Each time you pass their framed photos on your wall, say a quick prayer. Set your alarm for the hour they start or finish school and pray for their schoolwork and relationships. When they sleep over, spend time in prayer for them after they've fallen asleep.

For encouragement and inspiration see this collection of 1-minute devotions about effective prayers: Prayer Series.

4. Form a Grandparents Prayer Group.
Plan to meet each week with other grandparents to pray for your grandchildren. This will help you remember to pray regularly.

5.Pray often.
Prayer for our grandchildren is one of our most important ministries at this stage of our lives...let's do it deliberately and regularly.

What are some creative ways you pray for your grandchildren? Please leave a comment and share your ideas with me and other readers.

💙Be sure to check out The Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It's a great devotional to go through with older grandchildren and for your personal use as well. It's discounted on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD. 

And you can also sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes 1-minute devotions HERE.

This is part of an article that was published in Reach Out Columbia, September 2012.