Father God,

We pray our grandchildren discover the key to abundant life. Let them enjoy the contentment, satisfaction and freedom that comes as a result of being fully submitted to Jesus.

Let them walk alongside the Lord, completely trusting Him to shelter, provide, protect, love and nurture them. For He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep, so we “may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

In Jesus’ Name, we pray.

Amen.

©2021,Sherry Schumann

Note from the author: For the past few months, I've had the joy and privilege of working on a FREE, downloadable GRANDPARENTING TOOLKIT for grandparents. It's filled with inspiring and practical ideas about how to pass down a legacy of faith to future generations. To receive your copy, please visit https://christiangrandparenting.com/     (It's located at the bottom of the page.)

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The soul of our nation agonizes in pain. We have abandoned the faith upon which our nation was founded. We have denied our children the right to prayer in school and stripped the Ten Commandments from our government offices. Not only have we abused the land and its resources; we have disrespected, devalued and destroyed Your precious gift of life.

 “We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because…your people bear your Name” (Daniel 9:18-19).

Today, as Your children, we stand in the gap. We humbly confess and repent. Please forgive us and heal our land. Our hope lies in You, for Your mercies are great!

In Christ’s Name, we pray.

Amen.

©2020, Sherry Schumann

For information about how to become an effective praying grandparent, please see https://christiangrandparenting.net/prayer/

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We pray our grandchildren comprehend the true meaning of Good Friday. Let them understand that Jesus, in perfect obedience, offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

We pray our grandchildren comprehend the true meaning of Easter. Let them grasp the significance of the empty tomb, understanding that Jesus conquered death and now reigns at Your right hand.

We pray our grandchildren celebrate Easter and the divine work of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection and ascension—despite this year’s absence of egg hunts and colorful spring fashions.

As the result of their understanding, let them worship Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, today and forevermore.

In Christ’s Name, we pray.

Amen.

Author’s Note:  Please join us and fellow Christians throughout the world on Wednesday, April 15, for a Global Day of Fasting and Prayer. For more information, please see,,, https://mailchi.mp/christiangrandparenting/a-call-to-fasting-and-prayer?fbclid=IwAR0LvxkM1jS7fUof14QAVYRloOUtPnZYGb36QwAqQcierX51TUNC_zzkXj8

©2020, Sherry Schumann

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Two Types of Fear:

I firmly believe there are two kinds of fear, healthy and unhealthy. Healthy fear is a gift from God. It stops us from engaging in risky behavior, like chasing after moving locomotives or skydiving without a parachute. It reminds us to wash our hands often and to avoid large arena-type areas when facing an pandemic such as the coronavirus.

Unhealthy fear is not a gift, nor is it from God. It is an affliction from the enemy. It creates a panic such as a run on the stock market or a stampede at a rock concert. Unhealthy fears ruthlessly steals not only our joy but our hope, as well.

Our Weapon Against the Coronavirus: PRAYER

The simple fact is  we are not at the mercy of this pandemic. We have a tremendous weapon in our arsenal, and it is PRAYER.

Consider Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him, we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many” (2 Corinthians 1:8-11).

Individual and Corporate Prayer:

While God knows what we need before we ask him (Mark 6:8), He often waits for us to come to Him before He supplies our needs. Sometimes, He even waits for us to come to Him corporately and not individually. Why? The answer is simple. Our heavenly Father created us to be in relationship with Him and with each other.

In her podcast "Prayer and the Warrior" (Living Proof with Beth Moore, November 11, 2019), Beth Moore references the movie Miracle to address the importance of corporate prayer. Miracle is a sports docudrama about the United States men's hockey team, which won the gold medal in the 1980 Olympics.  Ms. Moore notes that Coach Brooks asks his team the same question after every practice: "Where are you from?" And every time, the players answer by naming the colleges and universities where they played collegiate hockey.

Something changes, however, when the team is soundly and unexpectedly defeated by an opponent. Frustrated and bitterly disappointed, Coach Brooks forces his players to return to the ice, despite their exhaustion, and makes them run drills, all the while asking, “Where are you from?” Finally, one of the players answers, “We are from Team USA.”

No Separatists on God's Team

I believe that amid this pandemic God is asking, “Where are you from?” He doesn't want any separatists on His team. He’s not interested in our credentials, denominations, race or our nationalities. After all, Jesus walked among the hated Samaritans, praised the centurion's faith, ate with the tax collector and elevated the lives of the lowly, including the aged, sick, women and children. He warned, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand" (Mark 3:24).

Our world can’t afford Christians to remain silent or spiritually separated from other believers, especially as we face this pandemic. God is calling us to unite in prayer, regardless of race, denomination or socio-economic status. He is calling us to raise our voices in one accord and to ask Him to eradicate COVID-19 from the face of the earth. 

Will we answer God's call?

Posted Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

All creation groans. Our world has been turned upside-down by the coronavirus and the fear that heralds its arrival. No one, except You, fully understands this pathogen’s epidemiology and the extent to which it will or will not spread.

We humble ourselves and pray, seeking Your face and turning from our wicked ways. Please forgive our sin and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14, paraphrased). Please eradicate this disease from the face of the earth.

We pray for government leaders, ministers, school officials and others who are in positions of authority. Please give them wisdom and discernment to make prudent decisions for the common good.

We pray for our health workers—our doctors, nurses, techs and first-responders who place themselves in harm’s way to care for the sick. Please provide them resistance “from the deadly pestilence” (Psalm 91:3).

We pray for people everywhere, especially those of us, who are more susceptible to the disease. Remind us that You “gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Let us stay informed but not afraid, vigilant but not compulsive, all the while, trusting that You are our immunity, our shelter and our shield.

In Jesus’ Name, we pray.

Amen.

© 2020, Sherry Schumann

For more information about how to become an effective praying grandparent, please visit Christian Grandparenting Network's prayer ministry page... https://christiangrandparenting.net/prayer/ 

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We pray on behalf of our grandchildren’s parents, many of whom are our adult children. We pray You provide them with jobs and careers for which You wired them. Careers where they can flourish and feel good about themselves; careers where they can provide financially for their families.

Let them enjoy a healthy and safe working environment, free of tension, competition and strife. Let them be fairly compensated and find satisfaction in the work they do.

Please establish and prosper the work of their hands. “Equip them with everything good, so they may do Your will, working in them that which is pleasing in Your sight” (Hebrews 13:21, paraphrased).

In Christ’s Name, we pray.

Amen.

© 2020, Sherry Schumann

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We thank You for our grandchildren and the opportunity to pray for their salvation. Our love for them is indescribable. Truly, they are our delight!

We pray you awaken them with the Truth of the Gospel message. Let them understand that You exchanged Your heavenly throne for a manger. Let them comprehend that You went to Calvary, willingly, where You suffered and died for our sin. Let them grasp the significance of the empty tomb from which You were raised on the third day.

Our greatest prayer is that our grandchildren receive Your free gift of grace and salvation. Let them repent of their sin and invite You into their lives as their Lord and Savior. Let them “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4), now and forevermore.

After all, we can’t imagine eternity without them.

We pray this prayer in Your Name,

Amen.

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We pray that our adult children and their spouses honor the covenant of marriage. Let them be attentive to this covenant by investing the time needed to nurture and maintain a strong relationship with You and each other. Let their marriage bed remain spiritually, emotionally and physically undefiled (Hebrews 13:4).

We pray that our children and their spouses love one another, sacrificially, as Christ does. Let them treat each other with patience and kindness, without envy or pride (I Corinthians 13:4-6). Let them offer each other grace and mercy without a cost. Let them forgive one another by relinquishing their need to have the final word.

We pray that they maintain healthy lines of communication, so they can work well as a team. Let them be flexible with their schedules and willing to compromise on things, such as parenting styles and the family budget. Let them persevere during times of adversity by remaining anchored together in Christ. Let them share a deep and intimate friendship.

"What God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9).

In Christ’s Name, we pray.

Amen.

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We pray for the strengthening of our grandchildren's faith. Let them believe that You are the Christ, the Savior of the world. Let them grow in faith each time they hear or read God's Word (Romans 10:17). Let them be of courage, as they dare to be different from their peers, walking "by faith and not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:6-7). Let them exercise their faith, using their gifts to carry the Gospel message to others (Romans 12:6-8).

Let them join us in "the race that is set before us, looking to You, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-:2).

In Your Name, we pray.

Amen.

(Submitted by Sherry Schumann)

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Lord Jesus,

We realize that we are in a battle. The battle, however, isn’t “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). Forgive us for the countless times that we’ve attempted to handle this battle alone.

Cover us in the mantle of your love. Cloak us in your armor. Secure it in place with the belt of your truth. Safeguard our hearts against the world’s depravity with the breastplate of your righteousness. Protect our minds from Satan’s lies with the helmet of your salvation. Shod our feet, so we stand firmly for your gospel of peace. 

In all circumstances, show us how to use your shield of faith to extinguish Satan's fiery darts. Show us how to disarm all forces of evil with your sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:11-17).

Urge us to be persistent in prayer, so we pray "at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18).

Most importantly, remind us with every breath we take that the victory has already been won by you!

In your Name, we pray.

Amen.

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For many of us, the word piety has a negative connotation. Like Jesus, we have witnessed one too many hypocrites of the faith. Today, I want to shift our focus from negative-to-positive examples of piety, starting with Scripture and ending with a present-day story..

An Old Testament Example of Piety

One of my favorite Old Testament characters is Noah, not because he was a great shipbuilder, but because he models piety in a way I understand.

Genesis 6:8-9 says “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”

The favor that Noah found in the eyes of the Lord was grace. Noah responded to God’s grace by choosing to walk daily with God in a relationship, like a marriage.

Did you notice the word blameless found in this passage? It caused me to stumble, because I believed that it meant having to be perfect. Then, I learned blameless means “whole” or “complete” in Hebrew. Noah loved God with his whole heart, plain and simple.

A Present-Day Example of Piety

Four weeks ago, I witnessed a demonstration of piety, which brought tears to my eyes.

I was serving on staff for Grand Camp, and it was my turn to offer the morning devotional. For those of you who haven’t heard of Grand Camp, it’s a five-day camp for grandparents and grandchildren, ages six to twelve.

I chose Proverbs 3:5-6 for the morning devotion. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

I wanted to model a trust-walk before we unpacked the verse, so I invited a grandfather and his twelve-year-old granddaughter to the front of the room. I asked the granddaughter if she agreed to be blind-folded and the grandfather if he agreed to be her guide. They agreed.

After blindfolding the granddaughter, I placed her by the windows at the far side of the room. I intended for her grandfather to find a spot, directly across from her. My heart sank as he went to the opposite corner of the room. She was going to have a tough time navigating blindfolded around the rows of chairs.

I complicated matters when I instructed the remaining grandparents and grandchildren, seventy-five in all, to create a din with animal sounds.

The trust walk began when the grandfather called, “Sweetheart, listen to my voice and follow my directions.”

I watched in amazement as the granddaughter fixed her ears on her grandfather’s voice. At one point, she got stuck trying to navigate her way around a row of chairs and down an aisle. To make things worse, she couldn’t hear her grandfather’s voice above the mooing of cows, neighing of horses and bleating of goats; so, she stopped moving, waiting patiently until she heard his next set of directions.

“Move two steps to the left.”

She took two steps to the left.

“Now, walk straight down the aisle,” he instructed.

She followed her grandfather’s instructions, implicitly.

When she reached the end of the aisle, her grandfather called above the barnyard noises, “You’re on the last stretch. Walk home to me.”

Tears flooded my eyes as I watched what happened next. The granddaughter didn’t walk to her grandfather; she sprinted and collapsed into his arms. Her relief was visible to all of us who were watching.

True Piety

I want to practice true piety. I want to listen to my Father’s voice and follow His directions through prayer, study and worship. And during those times when I can’t discern His voice from the world’s clamor (and those times do occur), I want to wait patiently until I clearly hear Him direct my steps.. Finally, when my life on earth is complete, I want to run joyfully and leap into His arms, glad to be Home.

Yes, that’s the piety I want to practice.

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