A Prayer for My Grandchildren's Faith

Lord, more than good grades or good jobs, more than anything else I could ask, I want my grandchildren to know You.

Plant real faith in each of their hearts — not borrowed faith, not Sunday-clothes faith, but the kind that holds when life gets hard. Let the prayers at my table and the stories from my Bible be seeds, Lord, and You give the growing.

When they are little, let them learn that You are good. When they are teenagers, stay patient with their questions — You are not afraid of questions, and I shouldn't be either. When they are grown and busy and far from home, call to them, quietly and persistently, the way You have always called to Your children.

If any of them wander, go after them. Never let them get so far that they can't find the way back.

Let me live my faith plainly in front of them, so that long after my voice is gone, they remember that their grandparent knew You — and that You were real in this house.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this while children are still small, and keep praying it when they are grown — a grandparent's prayers do not retire. It is an especially good prayer before baptisms, dedications, and family holidays.

A Verse to Hold On To

"The unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also." — 2 Timothy 1:5 (KJV)