:: When this little package of perfection arrived in December, she changed our hearts forever. Whatever the future holds, she’s part of us now. Our love is forever bigger. Our hope forever greater. And our worries forever increased.
Yes, I know I shouldn’t worry about tomorrow…especially when we’ve just received such a beautiful gift. And I know — I believe — that God goes before her and will be with her. I also know that she has parents who love her passionately and will work every day to give her a wonderful life and raise her to love Jesus. (Matthew 6:24, Deuteronomy 31:8)
Yet…I also know that our sweet girl has been born into a world where “people are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
Sigh.
Each time I hold Miss Rhylee in my arms, my heart is flooded with the desire to keep her wrapped up tight, to keep her safe from this broken world forever…to protect her from every bad thought, every bad experience, every bad thing.
But that just isn’t God’s plan for her.
In fact, long before we knew her name, Rhylee was created with the purpose of living a passionate, messy life in a sinful world…at this exact time and in this exact place. (Acts 17:26)
God’s plan for her is to draw near to him BECAUSE of heartache in the world, to listen for his voice BECAUSE of negative noise…to experience his grace, to give grace, and to spread everywhere the fragrance of Jesus to a sinful world. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
Her beautiful purpose is to laugh, to cry, to hurt, to grow, to love, and to bless. And God’s arms will stay wrapped around her through it all.
The “gift” of a grandbaby is instinctively, spontaneously, and joyfully easy to receive. Whether our precious bundles arrive in perfect or problematic circumstances, we never need a pep talk to love them.
The “gravity” part — the part that causes our hearts to worry — is equally instinctive, equally spontaneous, and far less joyful.
Will she be happy? Will she have what she needs to grow and thrive? Will she learn to love Jesus? Will she be protected from illness and tragedy? And if not, will she survive it? Will she be accepted by her peers? Will she develop the skills and the perseverance she to carry out her life’s purpose?
The simple answer to every question is that we just don’t know. We can’t. And that is what brings gravity along with the gift.
So what’s a grandma to do? How can we walk alongside our adult kids and grandkids in a way that celebrates God’s perfect plan for each of them…through every circumstance…especially in a sinful world?
I’m no authority on how to be a “good grandma,” but I’m forever grateful to have an Authority who created me perfectly…knows my family intimately…and wants to be invited into every joy-filled, heart-wrecking detail of our lives. He loves sweet Rhylee more than we can possibly imagine…far more than her grandma. And he knows the plans he has for her.
The most important thing I can DO — the most important thing any grandma can do — is to surrender our grandbabies into the loving, sovereign, eternal arms of their Creator. Every day. And to pray without ceasing that they will be…
- Fully PREPARED for battle
- Incurably POSITIVE
- Confident in PURPOSE
- PEACEABLE with everyone
- Instinctively PRAYERFUL
- PURE in heart
- And mighty in POWER
PRAYING THE 7 Ps FOR OUR GRANDBABIES
Fully PREPARED for battle
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world…Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…”
Ephesians 6:12-13
The only way our grandbabies will be authentically prepared to thrive in a broken world is by choosing to put on the armor that God freely gives. As soon as they arrive, they land smack-dab in enemy territory – surrounded by the “powers of this dark world” and their survival depends on whether or not they choose to fight their battles with spiritual weapons.
Gracious Lord, you provide everything our grandkids need to live a victorious, eternal life. By the power of your Spirit, lead them to SALVATION so they will be fully forgiven and fully alive. Grow FAITH in their hearts so they will always trust you to keep your promises. Give them a passion for TRUTH so they will never be swayed by the shallow wisdom of this world and arm them with the power of your SPIRIT so they will seek your Word for guidance and learn to live in RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Incurably POSITIVE
“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or worthy of praise — think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8
Godly positivity isn’t about walking euphorically through life, pretending that the bad stuff doesn’t exist. It’s about embracing ordinary moments and facing difficult days head-on, with the solid hope that God has something good in the works. May our grandbabies grow to have the sort of faith that causes them to dwell only on the good stuff…only on what is excellent and worthy of praise.
Perfect Father, this world is chronically negative, threatening to destroy our grandkids from the inside out. By the power of your Holy Spirit, flood their minds with positivity and protect them from negative thoughts that lead to destruction. Whether they are in need or have plenty, teach them the secret of being content in any and every situation and grow in them the life-giving habit of searching for the good in every situation and in every person, so they will be a shining light in a dark and broken world. (Philippians 4:12, Matthew 5:14-16)
Confident in PURPOSE
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
Before we knew them, our grandbabies were created perfectly and with great purpose, yet the world fights to cause doubt and discouragement. Unkind words will try to tear them down. Mistakes will try to break their confidence. Sin will try to defeat them with shame and confusion. None of this has the power to change the purpose that God has them for.
Beautiful Creator, thank you for the promise that you crafted our precious grandbabies with purpose. Speak into their hearts so they will know that you have chosen them to be your treasured possessions and nothing on earth can change that. From the time they are young, grow their faith to believe that you are equipping them to accomplish great things and crush any attempt by the enemy to hold them back.
PEACEABLE with everyone
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
James 3:17-18
Jesus was the perfect example of peaceable living. He loved his enemies, showed compassion for the sick and the sinful, and gave of his time sacrificially. Today, people are angrier, lonelier, and more emotionally fragile than ever before, and nothing would fill my heart with greater joy than knowing that our grandkids are living in a way that spreads God’s love, compassion, and kindness to others. To quote Auggie’s mom in the movie Wonder, “Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle.”
Kind Father, shine your light through our grandbabies so others will see you. As your Word says, may they love sincerely, honor others above themselves, and be filled with patience and grace when faced with difficult circumstances and difficult people. Fill them with your strength to bless those who persecute them, to comfort those who are sad, and to genuinely rejoice when others are blessed. Give them a spirit of humility so they will not be defeated by evil, but will overcome evil by doing good. (Romans 12:9-21)
Instinctively PRAYERFUL
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Prayer gives our grandbabies direct access to the heart of God. And because he is holy and wise and just and loving and full of grace, communicating with him about the details of their lives will cause them to worship him more passionately, to walk wisely, act justly, love deeply, and offer grace more freely. Prayer grows a friendship with the Creator that will sustain them on dark days, guides us on uncertain days, and fill their hearts and minds with authentic, life-giving peace.
Caring Father, plant a prayerful spirit in the hearts of our grandbabies and prompt them to talk to you about every ordinary moment and every sudden storm. May they pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, so they will experience a deep connection with you that produces a strong sense of mercy, protection, guidance, good health, wisdom, thanksgiving, and peace.
PURE in heart
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you…I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
Psalm 119:9
More than anything, my heart hurts knowing that the eyes and ears of our sweet grandbabies will someday be invaded by all sorts of immoral ideas, images, words, and media that will chip away at their innocence and try to confuse them. But just as Jesus prayed for his disciples, I pray for them: “not for God to take them out of the world but that he protects them from the evil one.” (John 17:15)
Holy Lord, guard the hearts and minds of our grandbabies against immorality. By the power of your Holy Spirit, teach them to love Truth and to weigh everything against it, so they are never polluted by cultural whims…so their faith in you will give them the wisdom to resist the devil and cause him to flee from them. May they offer their bodies and minds as a living sacrifice…holy and pleasing to you. (James 4:7, James 1:27, Romans 12:1)
Mighty in POWER
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
God has not given our grandbabies a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). He has given them the authority to trample on their greatest fears and overcome any attack from the enemy (Luke 10:19). There is nothing passive about spiritual warfare. On the contrary, God equips his children to be fierce…and we want our grandchildren to be so fierce that it causes the enemy to tremble.
Mighty Lord, empower our grandkids with your Spirit so they will crush every thought that is contrary to your perfect Truth and they will have the power to walk through raging storms with confidence. Remind them daily that they can do all things because of your power living in them and give them faith to believe that you are able to do immeasurably more than all they ask or imagine, according to your power, so they will bring glory to your name through many generations. (1 Philippians 4:13, Ephesians 3:20-21)
Thank you, Jesus, for the indescribable gift of each new grandbaby! Thank you for new joys, new hopes and new love. Thank you that the gravity of knowing they will live in a fallen world is never a surprise to you. And thank you that we can face it all because you are alive. You love them infinitely. And you have a beautiful purpose to fulfill. PROTECT our little packages of perfection with your whole heart and your mighty power until the day they meet you face to face.
How sweet to hold our new born baby, and feel the pride and the joy that he gives. But greater still that calm assurance; we can face uncertain days because he lives.
Bill Gaither
KRISTI is the author of the Before books and coloring books for children and the Your Soul To Keep one-year prayer book for parents of adults. She writes to inspire parents and grandparents to shine the joy of Jesus into the lives of their families and to laugh without fear of the future (Proverbs 31:25). She and her husband Tim live in Iowa where they love doing life with their sons and daughters-in-law, six grandbabies, and two very spoiled dogs.