In June of 1997 our first grandchild was due. We had waited eagerly for this big event. When our son and daughter in law had called to tell us they were expecting, I had begun praying for our first grandchild to be for pleasant and strong physical attributes, for mental acuity, for emotional balance, and on and on. I told a friend of mine about the burden I felt to pray for all aspects of this child’s life. She, a recent first time grandmother herself, offered wise advice. She told me to ask the Lord what I should pray for the grandchild. So I did. And within 24 hours I knew exactly what I was to pray for- that this child would know Him! That was it. As I meditated on that and read scriptures about ‘knowing God’, I became more and more convinced that there was no more important prayer that I could offer on behalf of a child, or anyone for that matter.
I am in Atlanta for The Truth Project Conference at Mt. Paran Church of God this weekend, sponsored by Focus on the Family. As Dr. Del Tackett was ending the session on Friday night on “What is Truth?”, he was leading us through the Biblical answers to these questions:
1.) Why was Jesus born? John 18:37…. to testify to the truth.
2.) What is the name of the one the Father would send who would be with us forever?
John 14:16-17 ……the spirit of truth
3.) What is eternal life? John 17:1-3….”And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent…”
I had an understanding that in praying for our grandchild (Catie) and all of our subsequent grandchildren ( Haley, Liam, Riley, and Brady), to know God, that I was praying for their salvation. As Del Tackett read that scripture tears came to my eyes.
Just as Jesus prayed for all of those whom God had given to him (verse 2) to know God (verse 3), I too had been given the special privilege of praying the same prayer for my grandchildren…. to know God.
It made me weak in the knees to realize that, in my own intellect, I had been asking for all the wrong things. But when I asked for God to give me the prayer, He gave me the same prayer Jesus had prayed….. the perfect prayer, prayer for the only thing that matters, prayer for the most precious gift- to know God, which is eternal life!