This is the Truth Network. Encouraging Prayer. God offers an open invitation for His people to talk with Him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the bestselling Prayers for Prodigals, and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray.
And now, here's James. So today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to talk about praying for kids and grandkids. And, James, this is a topic right up your alley, as you have a new edition of your book, Prayers for Children.
It just came out, and you also wrote Praying the Prayers of the Bible for Kids. So, where do you want to go with this today? Well, we're starting to sound like an infomercial, the way we're kicking off here.
Operators are standing by, and this special offer won't last long. Okay, so actually, that is a great place to jump in. I mean, we have so much time to pray for those we love, and there will be a time when our prayers are done. Ooh, that's good. Yeah, yeah, I think that's a great way to see it, because as long as we're alive, we can pray. But after that, you know, and the question is, do we realize the impact our prayers can have? Because, you know, this is something that we all can think of, that praying person in our lives. Maybe it was a praying grandmother or a praying parent, right?
Oh, man, I'll tell you. You know, my mother got it from her mother, and they had a list. And I know, you know, my grandmother was praying for me from the day I was born, and then certainly my mother joined in with that, and oh my goodness, yes, and so many other people. Yeah, I found I was looking at my great grandmother's Bible. And there was a note in there in my mother's handwriting, but she was like, nine years old, when she wrote it, or 10 years old. And what she wrote was, blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
And that was written right about the time that her father had died. And so I think that my grandmother was teaching her that verse, you know. And I think about my grandmother's heart for prayer. And, you know, my mom's heart for prayer.
And here's a great quote about this from E.M. Bounds. He said, prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may close in death, the heart that felt them may cease to beat, but the prayers live before God. God's heart is set on them, and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them, outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world. Fortunate are they whose fathers and mothers left them a wealthy inheritance of prayer. Isn't that awesome?
Yeah, that is totally cool. I've never heard it before, but I mean, yeah, you know, there certainly is that. And, you know, we're blessed along those lines, because, you know, what an inheritance.
Yeah, exactly. And that's the question. What kind of inheritance are we leaving our kids and our grandkids with prayer? The impact that we can have can reach beyond our years.
I mean, generations ahead. And I love what he said about God's heart is set on them. Well, why is God's heart set on them? Because his heart is set on us.
You know, he's that good and that kind. And that's why he came to save us. That's why Jesus died on the cross. And so this is the beautiful thing, you know, that you and I can bless. I mean, that's a whole other concept. The concept of blessing children is God's idea.
And from generation to generation, you know, this is something that we really want to be about. And just want to share a couple stories about it, because it's, you know, it's not sort of thing that, okay, you do this, and then you do this, and then you do this. You've got to really move in the spirit, and you've got to listen and be aware for the right moments where God is maybe calling you to pray, you know, spontaneous praying with your kids or grandkids.
But something like this happened recently to my wife. Our granddaughter Leilani Carey was in town visiting and picked her up at daycare, and she goes to a Christian daycare, and they always have a little Bible verse on the kids' notes when you pick them up. And this one was from Psalm 4-8, which says, I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
And here's the funny thing about that. Leilani hadn't been sleeping through the night at all. She was, you know, two years old and just getting up and it was driving her poor mom just ragged. And so her mom, Stephanie, our daughter, wasn't sleeping. And then also her brother, she was kind of waking him up.
And so the whole house was affected by this. And so Carey brings that note home and reads it to Stephanie in the kitchen. And Stephanie, kind of an uncharacteristic response, she says, Hallelujah. I'll bet.
I'll bet. So Terry's like saying this as, you know, kind of a balm for her soul. And then later that night, it's time to put Leilani down.
And she goes in and she puts her hand on her forehead and prays that verse over her. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. And guess what happened? A peaceful night's sleep. I'm just guessing. A peaceful night's sleep for, I don't know, the first time. And I don't know, you know, I can't remember when.
And Stephanie said, she told her mom the next day, I slept so well that I drooled. That's a faith builder. That's a faith builder. Really? Yeah, it is.
It is a faith builder. And Austin, likewise, her grandson slept well. And, you know, Leilani's been sleeping better since then. But how beautiful that is, just to pray the scriptures over our kids and grandkids, you know? Oh, I do.
I do. And I can remember, I've told before the story of my granddaughter when we prayed to catch fish. And it was a little different kind of prayer. But that too, it was just a, it was a faith builder and an opportunity for her to see an answer to prayer right then and there. And one that she cherishes because, you know, she heard it on the air before.
And so it's really good. Yeah, this would be a good time to close in prayer. Well, let's do it. Father, help us. Help us to pray for the next generations. Lord, bless us as long as we have breath to be able to bless them. Move Holy Spirit through to help us and to help them remember that they are loved and that they are prayed for so that they will pray for generations after them. That they will know you and love you as we pray for ourselves, for our children, our grandchildren, and for every listener in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. This is the Truth Network.
