I was speaking recently with a Christian woman of great prayer and faith and she confided in me the struggle she was having in praying for her child. She said:
“Would you pray with me about this issue. It can make me feel hopeless and defeated almost everyday. And I just keep holding on to the Lord for an answer but hope gets crushed by the seemingly unanswered prayer.”
I thought ‘Wow, if a devout Christian who is experienced in prayer and faith is getting discouraged in prayer, how much more likely is the person who is casual in their faith and prayers to become discouraged.’
Suddenly the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “This is what grandparents are for.!”
I immediately saw the Spirit’s point. Grandparents usually have downsized, at least somewhat, from their usual busyness and have a bit more time for prayer. If this journey of prayer and intercession is perceived to be a relay, then the grandparents can step in and take a period of that relay and give relief to their children or to the person or persons for whom they are serving as surrogate grandparents.
So I said to this Christian sister:
I want you to take a one month break from praying and interceding for your child. I want you to spend your time praising God for his goodness, for his Majesty and for all the prayers He has answered. Don’t ask Him to do anything for you, but just spend time praising him and thanking him.
During that month Ruth and I will take on the intercession for your child and for you. If there’s a burden to be carried, we will carry it; if there’s anguish in prayer we will be anguished. We will persevere; we will persist; we will prevail. You rejoice that the burden is lifted.
In a month we will get together to thank God for what He he’s done for all of us in this relay month.
I think this Grandparents Relay Month (GRM) is something God wants to spread. So if you are a grandparent or are willing to serve as a ‘grandparent intercessor’, make it known that you are willing to take on the burden of intercession for a loved one for a month. And if you are facing discouragement in your prayer life, find a grandparent or person willing to be a surrogate grandparent, to give you a break so that you can praise and believe and get out from under the burden of discouraged praying.
theexpandingshrink 