Within the course of one week, two friends unexpectedly approached me to say they were praying for me and my family. Their comments were timely – as if God himself had sent them to deliver an important message. For weeks, I had been struggling under the weight of discouragement over challenges that felt overwhelming and weariness stemming from delayed answers to my own prayers. My friends’ words rescued me from drowning in a raging sea of despair.

Their encouragement reminded me that Christians have an eternal purpose in everything that we do. Likewise, at times I have been able to listen to the prayer needs of others and offer prayerful and practical support. Recently, I learned that a woman I prayed over accepted Christ as her Savior weeks before her unexpected death. That news brought happy tears to my eyes in the knowledge that I participated in God’s plan to reach lost souls.

It’s part of who we are as followers of Christ, children of the King who have given our hearts to Christ. Everything we think, say, or do is a reflection of our sonship to the Father. That is one reason why we pray for one another as well as for our children and grandchildren. Our participation as partners in prayer benefits the giver and receiver in multiple ways. Knowing this gives us reason to move forward with confidence.

Givers and receivers of prayer gain:

Hope

The message of hope is found in Proverbs 23:18, “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Knowing that our Creator is with us to guide our steps through the darkness of this world is the source of everlasting hope. We have a promised inheritance through faith in Christ. No man can take that from us, no demon can stand against our God. Hope gives us resilience in the midst of pain and uncertainty in this world.

Faith

In the words from James 1:3 “…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance,” we are assured that none of our trials are wasted. While we may not recognize where God is guiding us, we can see from past trials how faith has brought us through them. Those memories help us to face each new challenge with greater vigor and determination.

Love

1 John 4:12 “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

How can we harbor hatred for someone when you are praying for them? Prayer softens our hearts to see unbelievers as Christ sees them: lost sheep in need of an eternal Savior. When we pray for them, we have an opportunity to grow in humble appreciation for what Jesus did for us at our time of need.

Joy

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I heard a speaker use the acronym J-O-Y to describe the preferred order of life’s priorities. Jesus first, others second, and yourself third. This is not to suggest we neglect our needs. Rather, it reminds us to keep Jesus at the forefront of our lives so the joy that results from Spirit-filled living spills out from our hearts onto others.

If you’re looking to find or form a space where there are opportunities for sharing prayer with like-minded grandparents, take a look at CGN’s Grandparents@Prayer – G@P Group.