Grandma, I Need Your Prayers : Blessing Your Grandchildren Through the Power of Prayer

by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock

• ISBN13: 9780310240266
• ISBN10: 0310240263
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-12-01
• Publisher: Zondervan

Summary

Praying God's Blessings on Your GrandchildrenWhether they live a continent away or just down the street, your grandchildren need your prayers. By praying for them regularly, you can have an enormous influence on their spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Even children who are reared in a Christian home need someone to pray for them, and who can do it better than a grandma?Grandma, I Need Your Prayers is an easy-to-use guide for prayer that will encourage you with practical help and motivate you with wonderful stories of answered prayers. It will show you how to pray strategically and specifically for grandchildren of any age. Topics include praying for:Their homesTheir friendsTheir safetyTheir schoolsTheir character developmentTheir relationship with GodProdigal grandchildrenUnborn grandchildren. . . and moreEach chapter contains Bible passages and prayers related to the topic of the chapter so that you can begin praying for the needs of those you love. This book will help you give your grandchildren one of the most precious gifts they will ever receive--the legacy of a praying grandmother.

Table of Contents

Introduction	11	(4)
A Grandmother's Spiritual Influence	15	(18)
Praying for Spiritual Growth	33	(16)
Praying for Homes and Families	49	(16)
Praying for Friends and Schooling	65	(16)
Praying for Protection and Health	81	(16)
Praying for Hurting Grandchildren	97	(18)
Praying for Families Broken by Death or Divorce	115	(18)
Praying for Adopted Grandchildren and Stepgrandchildren	133	(16)
Praying for Prodigal Grandchildren	149	(16)
Praying for Choices and Turning Points	165	(16)
Taking the Role of Parent or Coparent	181	(16)
Leaving a Lasting Legacy	197	(14)
Epilogue	211	(3)
Appendix	214	(5)
Suggested Reading	219	(2)
Notes	221

Excerpts

A Grandmother’s Spiritual Influence
I constantly remember you in my prayers….I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
—2 Timothy 1:3, 5
When grandmothers are missing from a society, that society loses its link to the wisdom of the past and the traditions that make the tribe able to reflect on itself. . . . Being a grandmother is a constant learning and teaching experience, because as grandmothers, women must learn to apply yesterday’s wisdom to today’s challenges.
—Kristen Johnson Ingram,
I’ll Ask My Grandmother—She’s Very Wise
Mom, you’re going to be a grandmother!”
When you first hear these words, the prospect of seeing a new generation raised up ignites hope, love, and purpose in your life. A grand opportunity awaits you to immediately begin praying for the spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of your grandchild.
Perhaps you’re wondering whether your prayers can actually make a difference in your grandchild’s life. I (Quin) had an encounter one day that reminded me how much of a difference a grandmother’s prayers can make.
“She Was Always Praying for Me”
“I’ll bet you had a praying grandmother,” I said to the professional basketball player I’d been chatting with while we were waiting in the Atlanta airport for our flight to be called.
“I did, but how did you know?” he asked, looking surprised.
“While we’ve been talking, you mentioned her several times and spoke about how much you love and admire her,” I answered.
“Yes,” he said softly, dropping his head. “When my mom left, my grandmother took me in to live with her. Through all those years, she prayed for me and encouraged me in every sport I ever tried. She always told me I could become a professional athlete if I set a goal, practiced for hours, and depended on God to strengthen me.”
“And it looks like some of those prayers have been answered,” I replied.
“She was always praying for me,” he continued with a smile. “I could call her from anywhere I was playing a game, and she’d pray on the phone for me right then. She was a wonderful grand-mother— old now but still praying.”
What a tribute to a quiet little grandmother who poured her life and prayers into an abandoned grandson, never dreaming he would one day become a well-known athlete. And what an encouragement to praying grandmothers that their efforts are not in vain!
When the apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy (in the verse quoted at the beginning of this chapter), he acknowledged— for all generations to follow—the powerful influence of a godly grandmother. In this book, we hope to expand your vision to see just how far-reaching your spiritual influence upon your grand-children can be. Keeping a heart connection with them is the important thing, whether they live close to you or many miles distant. We’ll share creative ideas through stories of other grandmothers to show you how. Also, we’ll provide guidelines to help you establish a scriptural strategy for praying for your grandchildren.
Impacting the Next Generation
Most grandmothers probably have given their best years to rearing their children. They’ve sacrificed, worried, scolded, and encouraged—and through it all prayed that God would keep their children safe and help them become mature adults. As author Barbara Johnson says, “We’re always hoping that something we instilled in them might show up, even when we’ve started to think it’s too late.”
Some, feeling their work is now over, may sigh with relief when their children leave home and later start families of their own. Others may be tempted to spend their best energy pursuing a relaxing lifestyle filled with travel and hobbies. A few may feel a bit depressed, wondering why they seem to have no purpose now that their children are out of the nest. Whatever our situation, God still has more kingdom work for us moms to do, especially when it comes to our grandchildren.
Even if you don’t yet have any, it’s never too early to begin praying for your grandchildren. Whether a child is in the womb or is only a dream, you can influence your future grandchildren for good through your prayers. They are our link to the future, and our faithfulness to pray for them can greatly impact this new generation. With the pressure on families today, grandchildren need our hugs, reassurance, and wisdom more than ever. And most of all, they need our prayers and godly influence. Grandmothers usually are fond of giving gifts to their grandchildren, but the greatest and most lasting gift they can give is one of faithful prayer. Many children have no one except a grandma to pray for them.
“What Grandma Meant to Me”
When we asked people to share what a grandmother’s spiritual influence has meant in their lives, we got a variety of answers.
• “My grandmother gave me a sense of security and stability and taught me many practical things. Because my mom was a teenager when I was born, she was too young and immature to add that dimension to my life.”
• “Granny was my hero; she always remembered my birthday and other special moments in my life. But most of all, she prayed for me.”
• “My grandmother read my favorite stories to me over and over; then I’d let her read me her favorite ones from her well-worn Bible.”
• “Grandma Jessie had twelve children and helped manage a farm for much of her life, yet she always seemed calm and serene. I never saw her get upset or raise her voice. She left me with an enduring sense that whatever comes, faith in God remains imperturbable. Nothing ever wins against it.”
• “My great-grandmother’s prayers have followed me from the day I was born. Like a heavenly searchlight, her prayers have exposed darkness in my life.”

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Excerpted from Grandma, I Need Your Prayers: Blessing Your Grandchildren Through the Power of Prayer by Quin M. Sherrer, Ruthanne Garlock
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.