You may never be a perfect grandparent, but you can be a praying grandparent! Even our Lord made prayer a regular habit. Prayer was important enough to Him that He even taught His disciples how to pray as well. So, if prayer is important enough that the Son of God practiced it, why would grandparents (and parents) not take it seriously?

Prayer does not require a special calling, spiritual gift, or ordination. It is a privileged and vital responsibility that every grandparent can employ to impact a child’s life for eternity. James reminds us that “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (Jas. 5:16).

Mark Batterson, author of Praying Circles Around Your Children wrote:
    My Grandpa Johnson had a habit of kneeling by his bed at night, taking off his hearing aid, and praying for his family. He couldn’t hear himself, but everyone else in the house could. Few things are more powerful than hearing someone intercede on your behalf. His voiceprint left an imprint on my soul.

I’m following in my grandfather’s footsteps by getting on my knees and praying next to my bed… I realize not everyone inherited a prayer legacy from their parents or grandparents like I did, but you can leave a legacy for future generation.

Mark is right. Grandparents, we choose the legacy we leave and we all will leave one. Will it be a legacy that of worldly pursuits and things that don’t last, or will it be a legacy worth outliving us because it makes much of Christ and our complete trust in Him?

With Grandparents’s Day of Prayer just one week away, this is a good time to evaluate that legacy. What more powerful legacy could we leave than a legacy of prayer? If your church doesn’t already have a plan for calling grandparents together next Sunday to pray, there’s still time to contact some of your friends and acquaintances and invite them to join with you next Sunday to pray for your grandchildren, your adult children, their schools and all the influences in their lives.

You won’t become a praying grandparent by default—it requires intentionality. Their needs to be desire and a great deal of personal discipline. Starting with a group of other grandparents is a great way to begin the process.

The movie, War Room, now showing in theaters, is a powerful reminder of the impact prayer can have in an individual and a family. I urge you not only to see War Room, but to create a ‘war room’ in your house where you retreat to do battle for the hearts, minds and souls of your grandchildren.

I also urge to read Mark Batterson’s book and put into practice his recommended tools for circling your adult children and grandchildren with prayer. When your grandchildren visit your home, pray over them when you put them to bed and when you make their beds in preparation for their arrival. When you’re driving in your car, pray for them. Just pray because there’s so much at stake.

GrandPause: Your prayers for your children (and grandchildren) are the greatest legacy you can ever leave! – Mark Batterson