A Thankful Heart

In America, November is a time when the national holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated. This tradition was established by the Pilgrims who honored God with thankful hearts for the plenty of the great land. It is still important to continue this tradition; however, it is not just about turkeys and pumpkin pie. Rather, it is about having a thankful heart for the wonderful blessings of God.

"Give thanks to the LORD, and call upon His Name," (1 Chronicles 16:8). In other words, start every prayer with thanksgiving before you lift your petitions to God. God loves our appreciation for the great things He has done for us.

Colossians 2:7 says to "overflow with thanksgiving". I believe that there are great benefits of having a thankful heart:

• A thankful heart is a happy heart.
• A thankful heart is a faithful heart.
• A thankful heart is full of love and joy.
• A thankful heart is a respectful heart.
• A thankful heart is an open heart.
• A thankful heart is a worshipping heart.

So, let us teach our grandchildren, by our own example, to have a thankful heart and to "give thanks to God in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bobbye

Seeds of Harvest

"the seed is the word of God." Luke 8:11

This is the harvest time of year, and farmers are reaping a harvest as a result of the seeds they planted last spring. Scripture says that the Word is the seed (Luke 8:11), some water (1 Cor. 3:6), and God reaps the harvest. How many seeds are you planting in your grandchildren? How much "watering" are you doing? How much time are you spending in prayer for God to reap the harvest of salvation?

Beloved Grandmothers, now more than ever, is the culture of darkness creeping into the lives of our grandchildren. We must do battle...on our knees...for God to do a mighty work in their generation that will affect generations to come. It MUST be our legacy!

This month, we will do something different. Print this page and list the "seeds of harvest", which are the Word of God, that you will plant in your grandchildren. Look for opportunities to turn everyday events into seed planting and expect a glorious harvest for the Kingdom!

SEEDS that I will plant:

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Bobbye

P.S. Please click on "Comments" below and share with us the seeds that you planted in the hearts of your grandchildren.

A Biblical Model of Leadership

The life of Samuel demonstrates a Biblical model for leadership. Samuel demonstrated courage when he did not hide anything from his mentor Eli regarding the word of the LORD concerning Eli. Samuel sought God's guidance, interceded for Israel, and never ceased praying for them. Samuel maintained his integrity. He neither cheated nor oppressed anyone, nor did he accept a bribe. Samuel communicated a clear vision to the people he led emphasizing to them to whom they belonged and how they were to live. And he taught them the ways of righteousness. Let's pray that the Lord will raise up from among our grandchildren, leaders for our communities, nations, and churches, who will model Biblical principles of leadership.

Pray for our grandchildren:

• To have courage to do what is right- Deut. 31:6; 1 Cor. 16:13
• To develop a habit of prayer- 1 Thess. 5:17
• To be people of integrity - Prov. 10:9
• To have a clear vision of who they are called to be - Eph. 1:4-6
• To lead others in obedience to the Lord - Psalm 51:13
• To "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." 1 Tim 4:12

The Influences of Our Time

It is back to school time and our grandchildren are all in a flurry to prepare for the coming year. Some are going to kindergarten, high school, or college, and some are starting a new career. These transitions and changes can be frightening. New friends and teachers, or a new employer will have the opportunity to influence our grandchildren in a variety of ways. Peer pressure, music, movies, and games can have a powerful influence and we must rebuke that which is not of God. Let us, as praying grandmothers, surround our grandchildren with prayer for a hedge of protection to guard their minds, bodies, and souls.

Join us in praying for all of our grandchildren, the following Scriptures:

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the One who will keep you on track." Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message Bible).

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21 (NIV).

"When you walk, they (commands and teaching) will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you." Proverbs 6:22 (NIV)

Praying Scripture

On Mother's Day, a pastor's wife shared how she prays for her children. Using the Word of God, she inserts the names of her son and daughter into the Scripture verses. She gave Proverbs 3: 5-6 as an example of how to pray God's Word: "Father God, I pray that (daughter's name) and (son's name) will trust in You with all of their hearts, rather than leaning on their own understanding. As they grow, may they acknowledge You in all of their ways, for You have promised to direct their paths. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen".

We can also pray Scripture for our children and grandchildren. Praying God's Word helps us to pray according to His Will. I pray that my grandchildren will love God with all of their hearts, souls, and minds; and, that they will love people (Matthew 22: 36-39).

What Scripture are you currently praying for your descendants? What Scripture will you begin today to pray for them?

Words of Blessing

THE BLESSING


“The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make
His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the
LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24—26


When God told Moses to tell Aaron to bless his descendants he set a pattern that we may also use for our grandchildren. It is so important for you to bless them and let them know that you are……speak it, write it, tell it, and even sing it! As you are well aware, our world is full of negatives and our grands are constantly being “put down” so it is important that we take the time to bless them and lift them up. Experts tell us that it takes nine positives to erase one negative and that our mind quickly stores that information for all time.

Select one of your grandchildren to focus on in prayer and claim a blessing over them for the next fourteen days. Then select another grandchild and do the same for the next fourteen days, etc., until you have covered all of them. Wait and watch to see what God will accomplish as you press in to HIM.

May the LORD bless and keep each of you for being a Praying Grandmother and may His face shine brightly upon you and be gracious to you; and may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace over your grandchildren.

Happy Mother’s Day

Bobbye

Welcome to "Praying Grandmothers"

Hello and welcome to the "Praying Grandmothers" blog. Our purpose as "Praying Grandmothers" is to intercede for our grandchildren and the world they live in with short, simple, specific prayers to our God who is in Heaven. We believe that "the effective prayer of a righteous man (or grandmother) can accomplish much!" (James 5:16).

Our desire is to encourage you to pray for your grandchildren, and to find and meet with other grandmothers who feel "called to prayer" and are committed to one another on a monthly basis.

To form a "Praying Grandmothers" group in your church or neighborhood:

1. Begin praying today for your grandchildren and their world (parents, teachers, friends, mentors, pastors, national leaders, etc.).

2. Pray and ask the Lord to help you identify others who have a heart to intercede and who will be committed to the group on a monthly basis. Then, invite these grandmothers to join your prayer group.

3. Choose a day and time that is agreeable to everyone. Plan to eat lunch together after your prayer time (covered dish, packed lunch, brown bag, restaurant, etc.). Remember that the focus of coming together is to pray; it is not about lunch. Our group celebrates birthdays each month (cards only; no gifts!).

4. Prepare the Directory and the Group Prayer Request Book in which you will record specific requests for each grandchild and the answers to prayers.

5. Define the Leader of the Group. The group leader is responsible for leading the group prayer time and maintaining the Group Prayer Request Book. The group leader is also responsible to choose a Scripture from God's Word to pray over all the grandchildren during the month. It is also a good idea for the leader to make reminder phone calls each month.

6. Encourage members to pray those specific requests and the Scripture for all the grandchildren for the entire month.

7. During the meeting time, you are encouraged to begin in silence to quiet your minds, and to draw near to God. Next, spend time praising and thanking God for answered prayers. Then, share short and specific requests for your grandchildren and their world, keeping all requests confidential. Spend time praying very simple, short, and specific prayers for these requests, remembering also to pray the selected Scripture over all the grandchildren.

8. At the conclusion of prayer time, spend time fellowshipping with your sisters in Christ. Remember that the purpose in meeting together is to intercede. The purpose of your meeting is not to socialize. Always take care of God's business first, before you take care of your own!

9. Tell your grandchildren that you are praying for them. Also share with them how you are praying for them.

10. Be encouraged by God's faithfulness as you see your requests answered! Rejoice together in the goodness of God in every situation.

Thank you for your tender hearts to pray, and may the Lord bless you as you pray and seek Him on behalf of your grandchildren. To God be the glory!

We would love to hear from you! Email us at prayinggrandmothers@yahoo.com.

Lori