Written by Legacy Coalition Staff
As we continue to think of ways to be purposeful in our grandparenting, prayer is one of the most important things we want to do with intentionality and consistency. We want to pray for every grandchild individually as well as collectively.
In his book Long-Distance Grandparenting, Wayne Rice says, “The most important and reliable connection between a long-distance grandparent and his or her grandchildren is prayer. Even though you are far away from them, prayer can bring you and your grandkids together in a significant and powerful way. With God, there is not distance at all between us and our grandkids.”
Additionally, you may be blocked from having a relationship with your grandchildren for a myriad of reasons. You may not be able to talk to them about God, but you can certainly talk to God about them.
We agree that purposeful prayer is necessary, but do you have a system or pattern of prayer so no grandchild is left out? How do you pray specifically by name and by need?
As you consider the best rhythms for you, here are some ideas from Legacy Coalition staff members.
1. Daily Rotation
George and Linda know you can be easily overwhelmed when you have a lot of grandchildren. They have 12. The pattern that works for them is to pray for the first born grandkids on Monday, second borns on Tuesday, third borns on Wednesday, and fourth borns on Thursday. Then they try to pray for specific things they know are going on in the grandkids’ lives the other days. George’s heart of prayer is summed up in his statement, “Our duty is to make the Person of Jesus clear to them. But only the Holy Spirit can make Jesus dear to them. That is why prayer is vital in our role as grandparents.”
2. Regardless of the Circumstances
Ed and Jo Beth understand the heartbreak of family members not following the Lord. They give sage advice about reminding us to pray not only for our grandchildren but for their parents as well. They pray faithfully for them each day as well as anytime the Lord brings them to mind. At times, the focus of their prayer is what to say as well as what not to say. Their hearts go to God asking him to draw them back to him according to His plan. Immediately upon receiving texts of troubles, trials, or victories; they stop and pray, interceding or offering praise. Jo Beth shares that “one grandson whose family is not very faithful always prays with us at mealtimes and will reach out for our hands to signal prayer time even when we are eating out in public with his family. I love that he sets that example for them.”
3. Asking for Prayer Requests
Jo Beth also texts the grandkids each Sunday afternoon to see what they might want prayer for during the week, and they are good at giving her things to pray for. If anything else comes up unexpectedly, the grandkids also remember to text and ask for prayer.
4. Add Reminders
Ken and Deb send their older grandchildren texts, Marco Polos, and WhatsApp messages. Additionally, photos of the grandchildren are available all over the home. As they see the photos, they are reminded to pray for each grandchild. Try to remember what they do throughout the day and what parts of their day need prayer more than any other. It could be lunchtime, recess, or test times. A reminder on your phone can be set, and when it sounds, say a prayer for them at that time.
5. Group Huddle
Jane and Scott consistently take every opportunity to pray with their kids who live out of state, ANY time they are together. They pray with them at mealtimes and whenever burdens are shared. A special prayer time is held before they leave one another. Jane tells how “We stand in a huddle and pray together and do a big group hug. Our oldest granddaughter who is 4 will pray aloud as well. We love how she always asks the Lord to ‘bless the food and help it to ENCOURAGE (instead of nourish) our bodies.’ We think it fits rather well! I love that our final moments are always a hug and prayer together…we are not promised tomorrow so we treasure this time. I often take a photo (quietly) in that huddle….it comforts my Grammy heart when I’m homesick for them.“
6. Clothespins
Do you use spring-hinged clothespins as closures for your bread and snack bags? Tom has the names of his grandchildren written on those clothespins. Each time a bag is unclasped, he sees the names of his grandkids and prays for them. What a creative idea!
7. Routines
Another couple, David and Cathy, share that their five grandchildren each have a day of the week. They follow up their prayer time with a brief text about their gratitude for them. They pray for their adult children/spouses on Saturday. David also has a prayer alarm on his phone for 1:00 pm every day at which time they pray for the salvation of all five of their grandkids.
8. Mugs
John and Jacque shared this story: “When our adult children asked us 6 years ago what we wanted for Christmas, we told them we wanted to get ‘mugged!’ Then we explained that each day when we drank out of the mugs with their photo/picture attached, that would serve as a daily reminder that they were being prayed for in the morning and throughout the day! We have 8 grandkids, so two of those days we pray for two of the grandkids…and on the 7th day we specifically pray for their parents! And…there are even days when we pray for all of them, depending on what they have going on in their lives. The grandkids now range in age from 15-24 and we’ve never prayed harder as they move into the next stages of their lives!”
9. Verse Box
Gathering in a circle to pray is also a blessing that Deby Ammons does with her family prior to leaving one another. Additionally, at meals, Deby has a verse box and the grandkids take turns reading a verse and the prayer that goes with it as they begin to eat. Another great idea Deby shares is “Sometimes we play the ‘glad game’ as we eat to keep all focused on having a grateful heart.”
10. GRANDS Acronym
Deby uses the word GRANDS to pray for her grandkids:
- G – Godliness (more like Jesus!)
- R – Resilient (stay the course despite obstacles)
- A – Affectionate (loving others and expressing it)
- N – Neighborly (friendly/relational)
- D – Daring (courage to do what’s right)
- S – Selfless (God & others first)
11. Practical Products
Legacy Coalition has a Prayers for My Grandchildren Desk Pad to help you purposefully pray for your grandchildren. There are topics and scriptures to pray for your grandkids every day of the month. Also, two speakers from our Summit 2025, Sherry Schumann of Christian Grandparenting Network and Tony Souder of Pray for Me, also have wonderful resources.
What are some next steps you can take to create a pattern of prayer for your grandchildren? We would love to hear what you have been doing and what you will start doing.
