In engineering terms, a junction is a convergence of streams, roads, or tracks at a single point. But what is a Prayer GrandJunction?

Before I answer this question, I want you to know that there is a movement underway of Christian grandparents dedicated to prayer. As a result of this movement, Grandparents@Prayer groups are springing up worldwide. These groups consist of grandparents who meet either monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly with one purpose in mind: to pray corporately for the hearts, minds, and souls of their grandchildren. Here at Christian Grandparenting Network, we affectionately refer to these groups as G@P groups or simply G@P, because as praying grandparents, we stand in the gap for our loved ones in much the same way Esther stood in the gap for her people.

If you are intrigued by the idea of G@P but your calendar cannot handle one more long-term commitment, may I suggest you invite a few of your grandparenting friends to join you for a GrandJunction? A GrandJunction is a grandparent’s prayer group that meets for only four weeks, one hour per week, to pray about a specific topic. For example, you may schedule a GrandJunction in August or September to pray for the new school year, or in January to pray for your grandchildren’s salvation.

GrandJunctions are effective for multiple reasons:

1. They offer a designated start and finish. Today’s grandparents lead extremely busy lives, which leaves many of us hesitant about starting or joining a group of any kind. It’s much easier to make a four-week commitment than a commitment that goes on indefinitely.
   
2. They are designed with a specific purpose or topic in mind. Some of us are tentative about joining a prayer group, because groups of this nature have the propensity to lose their focus and develop into a social hour (or hours). A GrandJunction keeps its focus, because we have committed to pray about a designated topic.
   
3. They are simple to start. They offer the perfect solution for grandparents who are intimidated by the idea of starting and being responsible for a prayer group. 
   
4.  They can be resumed or reconvened easily.

If you are interested in hosting a GrandJunction, we recommend the following:

1. Contact a handful of friends, who are willing to commit to the four-week period of prayer. You only need one other grandparent. After all, Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20, ESV).
   
2. Choose a location, a day of the week, and time of day suitable for everyone in your group. For a location, you may want to consider meeting at a quiet coffee shop, in a home, or at the church. Because it’s only a four-week period, you can easily take turns meeting at different houses.
   
3. Choose the topic or focus of your prayers. A list of ideas appears at the end of this article.*
   
4. Limit the GrandJunction meetings to one-hour. People will drift away and find excuses for not attending subsequent junctions, if they discover that you are not respectful of their time constraints.
   
5. Begin each GrandJunction with a brief, ten-minute devotion or Scripture reading.
   
6. Pray immediately after the devotion. Express prayer requests in the form of prayer. (For example, say a prayer for your granddaughter instead of discussing her difficulty adjusting to kindergarten. The other members of the groups can add prayers for her when you finish.)
   
7. End the prayer-hour by praising God and giving Him thanks for the gift of children and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren if any of the members of your group are great-grandparents).

GrandJunctions are specifically designed for those of us grandparents who lead busy lives or are intimidated by the thought of joining or starting a long-term G@P group. We hope you will consider hosting a GrandJunction and let us know what you think.

For more information, please contact Sherry Schumann at sschumann@christiangrandparenting.com

*Suggested of Prayer topics to consider:

• Grandchildren’s salvation
• Grandchildren’s character
• Grandchildren will have wisdom and understanding
• Physical, emotional, and spiritual protection
• Prayers for your grandchildren’s parents
• Grandchildren’s friendships
• Grandchildren’s future (career, education, spouse, etc.)
• Prayers for the new school year
• Prayers for the New Year
• Praying the promises of God for your grandchildren
• Grandchildren’s lives will bear the Fruit of the Spirit