Are our prayers for our grandchildren too small? “And Lord, please give my granddaughter a good day and keep her safe.” There’s nothing necessarily wrong with asking God to make our grandchildren healthy and happy, but surely there is more to praying for our grandchildren than that. If we limit most of our prayers for our grandchildren to their health and happiness, we might be asking for too little.
When we read God’s Word, what do we learn about his priorities as we pray for our grandchildren? How about Psalm 78:7, “So that they [the next generations] should set their hope in God”? Isn’t that one of God’s primary objectives for us in our grandparenting?
Over 300 years ago Matthew Henry wrote, “When a child is born, there is a candle lighted that must burn to eternity, either in heaven or hell; the consideration whereof should awaken us to pray with all possible earnestness for the salvation of their souls, next to our own.” 1 A sobering reminder, isn’t it? Yes. Let’s devote ourselves “to pray with all possible earnestness for the salvation of their souls.”
In addition to praying for their salvation, what are some other big prayers that should guide our prayers for our grandchildren? Here are just a few ways to pray for our grandchildren that my wife and I adapted from Christian Grandparenting Network’s National Prayer Co-director, Lillian Penner, 2 as well as from Ginger Hubbard’s book Don’t Make Me Count to Three. Each prayer request has supporting Scriptural references:
Pray that the Lord would plant in their hearts a hunger and thirst for him (Psalm 42:1-2).
Pray that they would have a life-long, growing love for God and his Word (Psalm 1:2; 119:97, 165).
Pray that they would honor and obey their parents as well as those in authority over them (Ephesians 6:1-3; Hebrews 13:17).
Pray that the Lord would surround them with godly friends and role models (1
Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 13:20; Proverbs 27:17).
Pray that they would always follow God’s truth and reject the lies of Satan (Proverbs 22:3; Titus 2:11-12).
Pray that they would have freedom from fear as they trust in the Lord (Psalm 56:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:7; I Peter 5:7).
Pray that the Lord would help them reflect the humble attitude of Christ in considering others better than themselves (Philippians 2:1-5).
Let’s not limit our prayers for our grandchildren to matters of “health and happiness.” Let’s lift our eyes higher. Let’s build into our prayer time for our grandchildren BIG prayers – prayers for matters of eternity. Amen? Amen!
“Christ’s Favor to Children,” in The Miscellaneous Writings of Matthew Henry. London: Watts, 1811,) page 706.
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